you're watching kpix 5 news at 5:30. right now on kpix 5, and streaming on cbsn bay area, a toxic chemical forcing hundreds of people out of their homes. the families who say they got sick after drinking water. chaotic moments midair. what for stay plain to make an emergency landing. our top story, thousands of dollars worth of merchandise stolen from bay area smash and grab robberies, where most of the goods are now showing up. good evening. i'm elizabeth cook.

>> and i'm allen martin. kpix 5's andria borba has been tracking the trail of the stolen goods, and how retailers are fighting back. >> reporter: love the merchandise we have seen stolen recently, and over the years via organized retail crime, has ended up somewhere. it doesn't vanish into thin air. retailers are fighting back and figuring out where all that merchandise has gone, and they are taking their fight not to law enforcement, but the halls of congress. shattered glass, flashing lights, and thousands of dollars of goods being hustled out of stores have become some of the indelible images of 2021. but where does all of that stolen merchandise, the louis vuitton, the lipsticks, end up. they have tracked some to bay area flea markets and swap meets, but in recent years, the vast majority goes to online marketplaces, like facebook and amazon. >> they are able to establish a business by going online, and hiding behind big-screen names and bogus accounts.

that is why and how they are able to sell and offload this much stolen property. >> reporter: as it stands now, those marketplaces are not required to verify and save information on sellers, or share it with law enforcement if connected to organized retail crime, but retailers are taking their fight not only to the streets, but capitol hill trying to get legislation called the informed consumers act pushed through congress. >> it will guarantee that these high-volume sellers, these criminals stealing all of these goods, they will have to be verified by the marketplaces, and the seller will have to give the consumer the information. >> reporter: some marketplaces have signed on to the bill, which has bipartisan support. >> ebay and at sea have joined the fight in congress with the retailers to support the

informed consumers act. >> reporter: others has not. >> reporter: facebook has been quiet and refuse to come out either way, but they certainly are not on capitol hill pushing for the regulation. >> it sounds like a great idea, but where those the legislation stand right now? >> reporter: as it stands right now, the informed consumers act has made it out of a house committee. it passed through with a voice vote. it heads to the house floor next. right now, retail leaders are trying to shore up support at the senate. they would like it to get through that chamber of commerce as well, and hopes this legislation will land on the desk a president joe biden. >> thank you. the cost of living continues to rise. a new report reveals the rate of inflation hit a nearly 40 year high. new government data shows u.s. consumer prices soared in november, up 6.8% in the past year. the biggest jump since 1982, and it is happening is millions

of americans are shopping for gifts. >> am looking for bargains, i'm going to definitely price hunt. i will do a lot more of that this year. >> rising prices are also impacting every day items at the grocery store. beef and bacon are up more than 20%. gas has skyrocketed 58%, the largest 12 month increase since 1980. experts say this trend will continue into the new year. >> if you think this is going to be behind us in the next couple of months, it's not. we will see higher prices probably well into next year. >> a major reason prices remain high is because of continued disruptions in the supply chain. now to a water crisis in hawaii. the u.s. navy has shut down fuel tanks and lines at the pearl harbor naval base after dangerous levels of petroleum

contaminated groundwater source. state water officials say that the tainted water has forced hundreds of people from their homes. one military wife and mom hears her family had been drinking the jet fuel tainted water for a long her whole family got sick, and then when the water started smelling like gasoline, she told everybody to stop drinking it. >> the first indication was my husband had a rash on his face that was really about like, violently red. we were living in paradise, and unknowingly having this situation where we were getting ourselves and our kids sick. >> the town hall meetings military officials have tried to reassure anxious families, but are providing very little information. some of those families there the long-term impact to their livelihoods and health. and his first sitdown interview since the astroworld concert tragedy, rapper travis scott is telling his side of the story. he said he did not know people in the audience had died until after the show had ended.

10 people were killed when the crowd stampeded to the stage. we have more from that interview. i've been on about, like, different types of emotions, you know. an emotional roller coaster. >> reporter: rapper travis scott insists he didn't know fans were getting trampled during his november 5 concert. >> i did not know the exact details until minutes before the press conference. even at that moment, you're kind of like wait, what. >> reporter: scott kept performing for 37 minutes after houston police and firefighters declared the incident a mass casualty event over police radio. he told his interviewer he saw lights, but couldn't tell what was going on, despite mentioning an ambulance on stage. >> there's an ambulance. >> reporter: social media video also shows concertgoers begging concert staff to stop the show. scott said he could not hear them above the music, and the

crowd of around 50,000 people. >> any time you can hear something like that, you want to stop the show. you want to make sure the fans get the proper attention they need. any time i could see anything like that, i did. you know, i stopped a couple of times to make sure everybody was okay. >> reporter: scott denies legal liability for the 10 deaths and hundreds of injuries, but many families of the victims do blame him. he and the concert organizers are now facing more than 140 lawsuits. attorney tony busby represents the acosta family and several others. acosta died at the concert. >> i think it is more lawyer driven statements he makes to try to shift blame and responsibility away from himself. >> the families are the vic thames, they will never forgive you. can you forgive yourself? >> it's tough. you know, it is

really tough. i want them to really know that my intentions, you know, wasn't, you know, wasn't to harm their family at all. it was to have a good experience. i wasn't there to be the villain. i was there to be a hometown hero. >> reporter: the attorney says the more than 300 cases against travis scott should be dismissed, and they are assisting the investigation into what has occurred. no one has been charged so far. coming up, green technology is powering the future, but storing it can be expensive. the engineer with an affordable solution. coming up all new at 6:00, save shopping this holiday season. after a rash of retail theft, is the increased security bringing shoppers back?

some people plan to head back to the office in the new year, but others found out they will be working remotely for a while longer. we will tell you why so many people have their eyes on the return to work plans, and the ripple effect they have. >> i am sure the five-day workweek is no longer everyone needs health insurance. covered california is making sure more people can get it.

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from one moment to the next, our kids become the most important part of our lives. that's why it's important to have health insurance. with preventive care at no extra cost. enroll by december 31st. some scary moments in the air. a delta flight going from washington, d.c. to los angeles had to be diverted to oklahoma city after an assault on board. tsa officers say a passenger assaulted a federal air marshal and a flight attendant last night, but it is unclear what led to the altercation. federal investigators say the

35-year-old ariel pennington had been drinking, and was removed from the flight before heading to jail. he is now charged with public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. green technology powering the future, certainly, but storing it is more expensive than creating it. >> we are introduced to an engineer who has come up with a solution that is affordable and accessible for both small businesses and homeowners. this is our full-sized unit. >> reporter: sex spencer shows as a prototype for his new energy storage device. it's about the size of a washing machine, and can power two household per day. >> we developed a unique way to store power that doesn't use any lithium. it is completely non-rare materials, very easily found everywhere. >> reporter: he runs a spencers composite organization, and industrial automation company in sacramento. he understands the green wave happening with wind and solar power. one of the problems is what you

do when the sun goes down. at this point in time, it is more expensive to store it and create new energy. the bigger problem is what to do with it, says brady who works for son works, a national solar provider. >> everybody wants to get away from the utility bill, but the utility won't let you produce more than 100% of what you are going to use. >> reporter: spencers team showed us the prototype that harnesses the power of physics to harness the power of the sun. >> one finger, lifted up and down. >> reporter: it starts with this rotor. >> when it's spinning, it travels at about mach 3. >> reporter: and ends with this array of magnets, which channel the energy, creating a motor. >> if i can put in a current and create torque, i can take torque out and create current, and the motor becomes a generator. >> reporter: air is pumped out to create a vacuum, and that is when you have your storage device. >> you may contact free system. >> reporter: cold weather doesn't affect performance, and you can charge and discharge as many times as you want without

degrading. it last 30 years, three times what a lithium battery lasts. >> in production, this should be less than any chemical batteries. >> i think it is fascinating and out-of-the-box. >> reporter: given the government green initiative, it could spark a whole new injury industry of

a new study says social media is taking a toll on children's i say. a study in china revealed more than 120,000 children between the ages of 6 to 8 had increased nearsightedness, a number that climbed by 30% during the pandemic. >> a lot more usage of device, not only for academics, but also for leisure and social connection. absolutely seeing an exponential increase in people's strength of their prescriptions. >> doctors say just spending an extended period outside, or taking frequent screen brakes can go a long way. the holidays can be a challenge for those of us who struggle with weight. >> this week's students rising above scholar is using his own weight loss journey as a way to inspire all of us. >> reporter: diego bruits loads

his plate with oatmeal, peanut butter protein powder, and eggs. the 17-year-old burlingame high school senior needs the fuel for sports like wrestling and football, but his diet wasn't always this healthy. >> a lot of bread, cheeseburgers, things i should not have been eating, butter and grease and fast food. >> reporter: fast food that filled a big void. when diego was 6 months old, his dad left the family. he was about 7 when he saw his dad again. the reunion would not last. >> he was more of a stranger than anything. that is when i realized he would never have an impact in my life. >> reporter: not having his father around did impact diego, and he began to use food as a way to ease the pain. >> i found a lot of comfort in my food, so eventually i

started accumulating weight, and it got really bad. i was almost prediabetic with really high cholesterol. >> reporter: his mother was scared. >> the doctors said we need to make him lose weight. that he was prediabetic, and that he, i don't want nothing to happen to him in the future. for mac while veronica went to nutrition classes, change the families meal planning, and began to serve more vegetables with smaller portions, diego exercised, and his weight dropped, but the pounds crept back on as his old eating habits returned, and when he started eighth grade, diego found himself in a familiar spot. >> i think i was hundred 75, so i was in the same position, and i realized i failed to get anything for my experience. >> reporter: he turned away from junk food again, and leaned into education and sports. wrestling, football, ap classes, and leadership roles in school clubs but his confidence up and his weight

down. as the pandemic it veronica hard with money struggles, diego did her spirits with his can-do attitude. >> he was telling me not to worry. everything was going to be okay. >> reporter: now he has applied to colleges, most close to home. >> uc santa cruz, uc san diego to uc davis. >> reporter: while his father is still absent from the family, veronica is its center, and diego sees his future success as her success as well. >> it's also for my mom. i want to give her a house someday. >> he plans on becoming a pediatrician. he says he was inspired by his doctor, who helped him with his health. to nominate someone for students rising above, you can head to kpix.com /sra. >> i love that he wants to give his mom a house. >> doesn't everybody. we have another atmospheric river heading our way.

we use that term a lot in october, but if you missed out on that discussion, let us to find what we are talking about. this is a scientific phrase. we aren't just being cute about it. these are the narrow channels of moisture the transport water vapor from the tropical pacific to the west coast. these are especially important in california. is the same amount of water transported that usually flows through the mouth of the mississippi river, typically. the one we had in october transported 10 times of that amount. this one coming this week will transport as much water as the mouth of the amazon river. this is a substantial amount of water in the atmosphere. it can result in flooding or debris flows in the burn scars, but it is also responsible for much of california's annual rainfall and snowfall in the high sierra's. this one will provide both. octobers atmospheric river was the top of the scale, ar-5. this one will be a moderate

atmospheric river, and ar-3. it will bring rain even further inland. the effect doesn't stop at the coast. it will also bring gusty wind to the bay area, but the storm system is still taking shape right now. it will head farther to the south grabbing the moisture, then directing it towards the west coast. let's simulate it with futurecast. hi clouds overhead tonight, but temperatures will still be chilly tomorrow morning. gradually thickening clouds throughout the day tomorrow, but dry. it doesn't start drifting into the north bay until after the sun goes down tomorrow evening. it will make its way farther and farther south. than another round of heavy rain makes its way first into the north bay midnight, then farther and farther south as we head into early sunday morning. this is the first wave of rain. it is coming at us in waves. it won't rain everywhere all of

the time, but keep the umbrella and rain jacket handy. sunday is not the day for any outdoor activities. if you have some stuff on the honey do list ahead of the holidays, tomorrow is the day to get it checked off, or postpone it even more. outside, the last remnants of lighter on the horizon. mid to upper 50s for high temperatures today. we dropped off since then, already down to the mid to upper 40s. everybody else, low 50s. it will be called inland. mid-30s and that in the east bay and santa clara valley. though 30s for much of the north bay, where you have a freeze warning in effect. mid-40s along the coast. tomorrow, mid to upper 50s, similar to where we were today. a little cooler in the north bay. you will get the first showers saturday night. everybody else gets it is we head through sunday, monday, and tuesday. were rain chances wednesday, but another good chance of rain on the way wednesday night and thursday. we will talk about the impact in the sierra coming up at 6:00. knew at 6:00, a big honor

for the warriors coach steve care. we will talk to you about his new site hustle. a new development in the case of the crossing guard who managed to protect a student before he was struck and killed. the district attorney is calling it a warning for all drivers. i'm juliette goodrich here in walnut creek, where holiday shopping is in full force, and so is another force. the one it creek police department. coming up at six:00, how security has stepped up, and do shoppers really see and feel a difference. with type 2 diabets are waking up to what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ you are my sunshine ♪ ♪ my only sunshine... ♪ rybelsus® is a pill that lowers blood sugar in three ways. increases insulin when you need it... decreases sugar... and slows food. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached

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should san jose's municipal golf courses be turned into parks or ball fields? that's a question facing city leaders as it heads to about next year. >> the recent rise in golf's popularity is making the question harder to answer. >> rclinfor se years, but then the pandemic hit , and there has been a resurgence. now it is hard to get a teatime, but will that be enough to save them municipal courses in san jose quacks on this friday afternoon, san

jose's municipal golf courses busy, as it has been through the pandemic. >> friday is the new saturday for golf, and there are so many people out on a friday. >> reporter: after covid lockdown, golf was one of the first activities to come back, and it came back big. in 2020 and 2021, the four courses saw a large increase in rounds played. people working from home often snuck in a round or two. >> professionals probably taking a long lunch hour. >> reporter: san jose generated money, and the courses were able to pay off debt. as the city looks to renew leases for golf course operations, the question has become for how long. agreements can be as short as 3 years, or as long as 15. >> the pandemic is a blip on the screen. it is hard to tell if this will stick or not. >> reporter: the mayor favors shorter leases to give the city's options to redevelop courses for new recreational uses if golf interest declines again. >> at one of these courses be repurposed for soccer fields?

>> reporter: as expected, the stance is not going over well with the golf community. >> i would say to merl accardo, how would you feel about getting rid of bike lanes? this is where i come out, get social interaction with people, exercise, and i see how beautiful san jose is. >> reporter: the decision will be a tough one, but they don't have to decide right away. it comes up for vote early next year. len ramirez, kpix 5. right now on kpix 5, and streaming on cbsn bay area , new details on a police custody death in the east bay. why did it happen? the split decision just announced. another atmospheric river bringing rain and gusty winds to the bay area. i am tracking both in the forecast. how the new omicron variant could impact your commute in the new year. good evening. i'm allen martin. and i'm elizabeth cook. we start with a live look at traffic flowing into san francisco on this friday evening. we expect to see the daow found

new omicron variant has many san francisco companies pushing back their return to office plans. >> reporter: lunch time in downtown san francisco is still missing the pace it had in the pre-pandemic world. it is starting to pick back up. >> october and november have picked up quite a bit. >> reporter: local roots is a fast casual breakfast and lunch spot tucked away in the financial district. her spot relies on people who work traditional 9-to-5 jobs in the area. when it comes to companies bringing people back to work, she is eager to hear more. >> most of our customers are saying that the offices are going back voluntarily or a hybrid basis. >> 50% of employers by the end of january he would reach the new norm, but it was further out, until about middle of the next year, make, were 85% of employers said that is when they will hit it. back the bay area council has surveyed businesses all across the