some clouds tend to build up in the afternoon. still very nice. we should get close to 60 and the upper 50s this afternoon. i think that sounds pretty good. >> that sounds great, yes. if you're hitting the roads, lots of green out there. it's very quiet. we have a couple problems already. on the taconic, there's an accident out there. an accident on 684 just before route 84. that shuts down two lanes. more weather and traffic coming e g ing up on the 4s. today, millions of people will gather for the annual macy's thanksgiving day parade. tracie strahan is near the starting point on the upper west side. good morning. >> reporter: good morning and happy thanksgiving to you and everybody in the studio. i've said it on social media. this is my favorite event of the year. many millions of others as well. we have giant balloons here that have been inflated last night. you can see this is where it all starts here. not only will you see that, you'll see the marching band, the celebrities. but for every new thing you see at the 89th annual parade this year, there's a lot more happening behind the scenes. the inflation, that was the big draw last night. the balloons drew hundreds of thousands of people just to the west side that time alone. many millions more expected to line the parade route for the 89th annual parade. this is the event that ushers in the holiday season every year. of course, you're going to see tom turkey. you'll see the "sesame street" float, and four new giant balloons, including angry birds. but the parade route is also going to be lined with 2500 police officers, counterterrorism teams, and critical response command units, all in light of recent events. >> there are some in this world who are trying to stir fear. they're trying to make it us us afraid, trying to make us change our lifestyle, change our values, lose our spirit, lose our values. we refuse to do that. >> idylls encourage people that enjoy. to really enjoy. it's a way of pushing back on around the world where there's intimidate. this country cannot, this city cannot be intimidated. >> reporter: as we bring you back live now to central park west, you see an officer with the nypd's canine unit. there are many more police officers that are always here. we've always, even at 3:00 this morning, seen an nypd helicopter that was hovering overhead with the beam on through central park. that's something we usually don't see until the daylight hours. again, this is the event that ushers in the holiday season. haven't seen anybody trying to get their spot, darlene, just yet. coming up throughout the show this morning, we're going to scope out some of the best spots to see the parade this year. we'll send it back to you. >> all right, tracie. thank you. if you're up and getting ready to head to the parade. it starts at west 77th street, marches west, and then to 34th street. you can watch coverage of the parade here this morning on nbc 4. it begins at 9:00. many major retail chains are continuing that trend of being open for thanksgiving. k-mart will be open almost the entire day. some of their stores open at 6:00 a.m. most jcpenney locations open at 3:00 this afternoon. toys r us, target, and macy's will open later on this evening. shoppers can also go hunting for holiday sales in most local malls. in new jersey, both the garden state plaza and paramus park mall will be open from 6:00 tonight until 11:00 tonight. last year was the first time that either mall was actually open on thanksgiving night. rei and some retailers saying we're not going to open. some open in the evening and some opening all day. >> so i guess it depends on whether or not you want to shop. 4:34. time for weather and traffic on the 4s. >> i want to eat. i don't want to shop. >> i'm declaring a personal no-shopping day today for me. >> it's about strapping on the old feed bag. sounds really nice, doesn't it? we're starting out this morning with temperatures much better than they were yesterday morning, especially in and around the city. we were in the low and mid-30s last couple mornings. low and mid-40s this morning. you get outside of town, we drop off to the freezing mark. islip is 32. poughkeepsie, 26. sussex down at 23. morristown, mid-20s. the suburbs still very chilly and frosty to start. the day planner will feature sunshine giving more in the way of patchy clouds. closing in on 60 this afternoon with a high of 59. milder day tomorrow for the shoppers. we'll talk more about that in the seven-day forecast. right now, a thanksgiving -- will we call it a commute? >> it's not a commute. let's hope it's not. although, some people will have to work. if you are using the rails today t , all of the lines are operating on modified schedules and will be having extra trains to and from the parade at those times. definitely check the schedules. if you're getting on the buses, new york transit, subways and buses, are on sunday schedules. you can also expect parade detours with the buses. nj transit varies by use. no service today on the b-line system. we also have changes on the ferries. all of them operating on some sort of modified schedule. alternate side of the parking rules and meter rules are suspended today. >> lauren, thanks so much. this morning, another suspicious fire in a queens neighborhood already on edge. a home under construction went up in flames this morning. fire in forest hills since late october. lori bordonaro is there with what we now know. we know definitely the neighbors are concerned, lori. >> reporter: yeah, michael, the fire is now under control, but you can see arson investigators are still here on the scene. we spoke to the fire chief just a little while ago. he says it does appear this fire appears suspicious. as you said, that would make this the seventh suspicious fire here in forest hills in the last month. very frightening thought for so many residents who live in this community. all of the fires started in vacant buildings, either under construction or undergoing renovation. the first fire happened back on october 20th on 113th street. we made a map here showing you where the other fires broke out. the nypd is working with the fdny to investigate. they're trying to figure out who could be behind this rash of fires. no one has been hurt fortunately, but some nearby homes have been damaged. right now, michael and darlene, police are ramping up security here in this area. back to you. >> lori, thank you very much. it's 4:37. new this morning, police on a desperate search for a violent thief who they say robs people inside new york city banks. he struck at least six times since last sunday. police say he robbed three people in separate incidents at the same bank of america in hell's kitchen. he also struck at three different banks on the upper west side. this is the man police are looking for. they say he approaches his victims while they're using or just finish using an atm. police say he threatens them with a knife and takes off with their cash. they say in some cases, he's even choked or punched his victims. if you have any information, give police a call. it is 4:38 now. pope francis just wrapping up a huge outdoor mass in nairobi, kenya. thousands of the faithful came to see and hear him. the pope's message is the need for dialogue between christians and muslims. he believes that can help guard against attacks by extremists. father should deliver a speech, and it will be about the environment. new this morning, north and south korea doing something that doesn't happen very often. they're talking to one another. representatives from both sides are trying to set the agenda and timing for future talks. the goal is to ease the growing countries. happening now, police are searching for a suspect in a scary home invasion in queens. you're going to see the suspect on surveillance cameras throughout the home that's in flushing. early wednesday morning he broke in and then later you'll see him crawling around with a knife in his mouth. the homeowners and their children were sleeping in separate beds. they were nearby. the thief took a cell phone from a dresser, but then he took off when someone apparently woke up and yelled. >> very, very scared because he had a knife in the mouth. >> i think that was for protection for himself in case somebody came to him. >> how scary would this be to police describe the suspect as 6'2", 200 pounds, wearing a black winter hat. there's the word diamond in white and red letters. in chicago, another night of unrest following the release of a dash cam video showing a police officer gunning down a teenager. protesters started marching during the evening rush, disrupting traffic throughout the city. police barricades were tossed into the streets. president obama also weighed in on the dash cam footage of laquan mcdonald being shot, calling it deeply disturbing. >> unfortunately it looks like there's damage to the christmas tree. >> meanwhile, protesters tried to rip down chicago's christmas tree in millennium park. you can see them starting to pull off the lights before police start disperse ing the crowd and making arrests. a massive protest is being planned in chicago to disrupt tomorrow's black friday shopping day. now to a news 4 i-team exclusive. the hidden danger you could be facing this holiday at one of our cameras caught workers entering secured areas of jfk airport with just the swipe of an i.d. card. no extra screening, no bag checks. that could potentially allow someone to get inside with a stolen card. >> i think that the threat from an insider is probably a more significant threat right now. >> we're evaluating whether more is necessary right now. that's something that i and tsa have been focused on as recently as today. >> kennedy airport owned and operated by the port authority. they say the airlines and terminal managers should be keeping an eye on who comes and goes into the facility. it's 4:41. still ahead, what new video reveals about a woman who left a newborn baby at a church's nativity scene. plus, a video shows a and your weather and traffic on the 4s is coming up. don't forget, follow us on facebook, twitter, and instagram. michaelg4ny, darlene4ny. it's 4:43. four things to know this morning. overnight, the seventh suspicious fire in forest hills, queens, in just over a month. we'll have an update from the fire chief at 5:00. the government says an e. coli outbreak linked to chicken at costco. black friday begins on thanksgiving day again this year. some stores open as early as 6:00 this morning. and the annual macy's thanksgiving day parade is this morning, of course. live picture there is of tom turkey. he reported for us in the late '90s here at nbc. 3 million people are expected to line the route. great shot there. you can watch it live here on nbc 4. the coverage beginning this morning at 9:00 a.m. our parade expert tracie strahan is out there. she was by tom turkey, got the exclusive one on one. >> right, and it was emotional. >> always is. >> they talk about the giblets. just the breakdown. >> she pets his feathers, calms him down. he's always a little nervous. you know how it goes. all right. on this thanksgiving morning, feeling better than recent mornings around here. temperature in the city at 43 degrees. plaza looks very nice. not much movement in the flag. those heading out to the parade, you don't have that big-time bundling up. just a heavier jacket should do it. already saw some folks lines up on 6th avenue. speaking of tom turkey, there he is. ready to go. in the meantime, we're talking about a temperature right now starting out in the 40s but ending up in the upper 50s to near 60 today. looking good for the parade. looking good for travelers today. mild yet for the shoppers tomorrow. a cooler trend into the weekend. especially early. it's mild compared to where it should be. 50 is the average for this date. 59 is where we're expected to go this afternoon. low 60s not out of the question in parts of the area. right now still chilly. we're at 41 in astoria. just outside of town, freezing mark. larchmont is 32. you see the lower 20s in sussex and danbury. travel weather today, yesterday was pretty quiet in most of the country. not the case today. up and down the eastern seaboard, okay. pretty quiet. chicago has some wet weather. minneapolis has some snow. stormy weather toward dallas and houston. delays are likely there. denver, snow. delays are likely there if not cancellations. further west of there, you're okay from seattle to san francisco and l.a. again, temperatures this morning starting out in the mid and upper 20s. a lot of central new jersey early on. look for the clouds to gain on us. i think we'll see sunshine this notice more clouds by about noon in the mix, but there'll be filtered sunshine. into tonight, patchy clouds. tomorrow, more clouds early. this is 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. i have a feeling some people will be up shopping. sun in the afternoon. that should allow for temperatures to climb well into the 60s again. cold front to the north and west. our best chance of a shower is saturday morning. most of this should pass south of us into send. although, it does trend chillier again. this thanksgiving, not bad at all. 59 and low 60s tomorrow. 53 saturday with a couple morning showers. only 40s for sunday, monday, and a few more showers on tuesday with a high of 54. let's find out how the roads are treating us so far. >> pretty quiet with the exception of manhattan. i ran into a lot of this, this morning. we already have a bunch of closures in addition to the upper west side. around the macy's herald square area. 7th avenue shut down southbound and cross streets from 34th up to 38th. you'll see closures from 8th avenue to 5th avenue in some cases. already a little congestion out there if you have to travel through manhattan. prepare yourself for that. let's talk about montauk highway. a problem over there westbound. all lanes shut down by deer park avenue with a matter main issue. we'll take a live look at the george washington bridge. this is what most of the roads look like. very, very quiet. moving along nicely. very quiet in the burbs. alternate side of the street parking rules are suspended and so are meter rules. up. >> lauren, thank you so much. this morning we're seeing dash cam video of police chasing a suspected killer through new york and new jersey. >> southbound, northbound lanes. >> the video, obtained by our reporters at the bergen record, shows new york state troopers hot on the trail of david campos. three major highways. officers finally caught up to campos during a traffic tie-up. he'll be transferred to an upstate new york facility where he's accused of killing a woman. a new jersey man is now facing murder charges in the death of a retired fdny firefighter. police arrested 52-year-old conrad sepa of colts neck yesterday. they believe he murdered richard duty. the 60-year-old was found dead at his long beach island home monday. police say he suffered a blow to the head. they did not reveal a motive or whether the two men knew each other. we have just checked and so far no charges have been filed against an mta bus driver who hit and killed a woman in brooklyn. police say the woman was crossing ocean avenue midblock when she was hit by that bus. surveillance video shows the driver did stop right away. people who knew the woman, they're in disbelief. >> i did come to her house once. she was a very beautiful lady. i just -- i'm shocked. i'm shocked. our kids went to the same school. >> this is the fourth accident involving an mta bus and a pedestrian in just the last month. the mta right now evaluating technology that alerts a bus driver when someone is crossing the street. also this morning, we're getting a look now at the man who police say put passengers on an mta bus in the bronx in danger. police say this is the man who aimed a laser pointer at the driver's rearview mirror. that light temporarily blinding the driver. when the driver pulled over, the man jumped off the bus and ran away. he has not been arrested. the woman who left a newborn baby in a nativity scene at a church in richmond hill, queens l not face charges. security video from a 99 cent store shows is the woman buying the towels that the child was found wrapped inside. authorities have not released the woman's name, but the queens da says she was tracked down. she was interviewed. since she did make an attempt to follow new york safe haven law, she will not be prosecuted. is suing porsche over the "fast and furious" star's traffic death. he claims they failed to build in certain protections that could have saved his life. the wrongful death lawsuit was filed yesterday in los angeles. walker was killed two years ago while riding in a speeding porsche that crash and burst into flames. we're learning more about the sexual abuse claims at penn state. they set aside nearly $90 million to settle three claims and prepare for new future cases. sandusky was the assistant football coach. he's still appealing a criminal conviction that he abused ten boys. the brain of giants hall of famer and broadcasting legend frank gifford will help to go study the effects of concussions. he was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease called cte. it is caused from head trauma. they hope to advance the research concerning the link between football and traumatic brain injuries. frank gifford died in august at the age of 84. there's still no verdict in the corruption trial of former assembly speaker sheldon silver. the jurors deliberated for 2 1/2 hours yesterday, did not reach a verdict. they'll go back at it again on monday. meantime, the judge rejected a request from one of the jurors who wanted to meet with him privately. the juror sent a note to the judge on tuesday claiming she was stressed and she needed to be dismissed. another high-ranking officer stepping away from the suffolk county police department. chief of detectives william madigan announced he will retire next month. this follows the resignations of police commissioner edward weber and chief of department james burke. burke is at center of a federal investigation into the alleged beating of a robbery suspect in 2012. some believe madigan's departure may be connected to that probe. 4:52 now. still to come, the a-list hollywood actor who is hinting he may jump into politics. and the hotline is ready. no question is off limits. this morning operators share some of the most memorable calls to the turkey hotline. time for weather and traffic. it is thursday morning. thanksgiving weather. >> it is. >> as you said, it feels much better. >> this time of the year, it can be anything. we've seen snow, we've seen cold rain, a lot of wind. i think the wind and the cold is the worst thing for parade goers. they don't have that today. temperatures are generally going to be climbing into the upper 50s. during the parade, probably low to mid-50s will do it. there's tom turkey with the large carrots. >> that's our breakfast they're serving up. >> look the at size of that pear. that's all right. anyway, upper 50s today with varying amounts of clouds. was that tracie laughing at me? milder this afternoon. no rain to worry about. no strong winds to worry about. tonight, 49 the overnight low with a partly cloudy sky. if you're traveling this evening, no problems. weather cooperates, really. >> this is good. it's nice when you have this on a holiday. >> hopefully it'll cooperate on the roads as well. >> we have a couple minor problems out there. still very early. a lot of changes for mass transit. you'll be able to get around today. if you're taking the buses, new york city transit is operating on a sunday schedule. that includes the subways as well. nj transit bus routes vary with extra morning service. there's thomas the tank engine. all the of the major commuter lines operating on modified schedules and will be providing extra trains around the times you'd be coming in or out of the city for parade. to you because your family came over on the mayflower right to mineola. >> they did. should have seen what they were wearing. >> and of course it's thanksgiving day. while you may not be a turkey expert, one is just a phone call away. as they've been doing since 1981, butterball has a staff of people on hand to talk turkey. they're also giving advice on social media and other digital platforms. the call takers recently shared some of their most memorable stories. >> she had just baked a cake, and she saw how the cake rose. so she thought that the turkey was going to expand in her oven. >> he lived in hawaii. he put it in the lagoon. when he went back for it, it was gone. >> we hear water splashing. we're thinking, what kind of phone call is this? he decided he was going to multitask. >> oh, no. don't do that. if you need help, they're fantastic. you can call 1-800-butterball. actually look like that. well, there's another way to keep track of how long to keep your thanksgiving turkey in the oven. spotify's online turkey timer. this is cool. just enter how much your turkey weighs and spotify creates a play list of music long enough to last its recommended cooking time. you can even choose from six genres with names like feeling thankful, freshly baked. >> the thing you stick in the turkey is rude. >> it pops out when it's ready. >> just terrible. a warning for pet owners. veterinarians say now is not the time for sharing with your pet, especially when it comes to your food. you know this, darlene, as a pet owner. the food you put on the table today could be toxic to your pets. chocolate is definitely dangerous, but so are other foods. among them, grapes, raisins, and even ham. >> we don't recommend that you feed animals stuffing. scallions, garlic, onions. all three of those components are toxic to animals and can cause anemia. >> bird bones as well can splinter, penetrate your pet's digestive system. what can you safely give your little friends? vets say turkey breast is fine. i don't know, is this true, you can put gravy on their dog food. >> oh, we do it all the time. they love it. well, if your kids have been begging for a puppy, getting one might not be a bad idea. dogs are already shown to reduce allergies and asthma. a new study shows dogs are also reduce anxiety in children. it's a small study, but it shows just 12% of children with dogs tested positive for clinical anxiety compared to 21% of children without a dog. well, will smith is hinting at a possible political career of his own. in a recent interview with "the hollywood reporter," smith said, quote, as i look at the political landscape, i think there might be a future out