breathe. >> right now the twilight film is having an effect on viewers. it's causing seizures. plus topper is tracking when the rain will come in with the plummeting temperatures. they need to get it together. >> but first tonight, your paycheck. a payroll tax will cost the average family a thousand bucks if republicans and democrats can't make a deal. this is 9news now. it is the holiday season and if you're not quite into the mood of giving just yet, congress may be able to help you out. that is because democrats and republicans up there can't agree. >> if they can't make a deal, you'll be giving the government an extra thousand bucks next year starting in just 31 days. it's all because of a payroll tax cut that is about to go away. gary nurenberg is all about explaining why that is happening. gary. >> reporter: well, derek, neither side wants to see the average thousand dollar tax cut kick in in an election year but they can't agree to pay for it. if they don't agree, it expires and everyone starts shelling out

more in taxes a month from today. that could be the happy new year gift from congress. >> they need to get it together. that's absolutely ridiculous. i need my money. i need every bit of my money that i can to take home. >> reporter: it's take-home pay and how much you get to keep is at issue. >> i support the continuance of the reduction in payroll tax as a measure to stimulate the economy. and i really am surprised that the hypocrisy of the congress and not passing this. >> reporter: republicans and democrats disagree. >> i don't think either party is going to agree to the other party's proposal. >> reporter: republicans would extend the current tax cut for employees. democrats would make it bigger and cut employer's taxes too. >> let's expand that tax cut. instead of a thousand dollar tax cut next year, the typical working family under my plan would get a tax cut of $1,500. >> the democrats would pay for

their proposal by imposing a 3.25% sur tax on individuals earning more than a million dollars per year. the republicans would freeze the wages on the federal work force for three years. they would reduce the federal work force by 200,000 employees. they would tax medicare meaning individuals earning more than a thousand dollars a year would pay the full cost of the medicare premiums. >> reporter: but thursday night. >> the neigh is 78. the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: both plans were voted down, each seen by some as too costly. >> when are we going to admit we are broke? it is a legitimate argument. fewer payroll taxes means less money and medicare. if they can't agree this month, taxes go up next month. anita. >> gary nurenberg, let's hope they can agree. new tonight, reaction to jerry giordano's explanation to what he says really happened to

robyn gardner. the gaithersburg man was interviewed for the first time in good morning america today since spending four months in a prison in aruba. here is how he explained the $1.5 million insurance policy he took out before his vacation with gardner. >> i have a house, a large house and a lot of payments. and if i go traveling and i disappear, i want them to be covered. okay. so i maxed out on everything. >> >> well, later in the interview when he said what happened, he says she thought she was human trafficking. aruba is only a half-hour from venezuela. but a close friend says he is being less than truthful about what he really knows. >> gary was belligerent, cocky and wasn't telling the truth. he told excuses, made theories. but as family and friends, we want to know what the real answers are. we want to hear real answers.

>> giordano refused to say anything about the moments leading up to her appearance on august 5th. aruba's top prosecutor called it unclear and contradictory. he vowed to extradite him back to aruba if further investigation leads to concrete charges. for many of us, a great movie often brings out a strong reaction. >> sure it does. but for some of us, one popular film may be a bit too much. tonight a warning from doctors watching a certain new hit movie might not be a good idea for some folks. this after a number of movie goers suffered seizures right in the middle of the film. here is matt jablow. >> i'm the one who moves you. >> you have to accept what it is. >> you've given me no choice. >> reporter: it's no surprise that millions of americans have already gone to see the latest installment of the wildly popular twilight movie series. >> if you kill her, you kill me. >> reporter: but it's a huge surprise that nearly a dozen americans have suffered seizures while watching the movie. >> people have kind of experienced the same thing. >> reporter: people like brandon gephart who

was at the theater with his girlfriend. >> he scared me big time. >> reporter: when he was overcome. >> i sat up and next thing i know, i'm just waking up to everyone shaking me in the whole theater looking at me. >> convulsing and snorting and trying to breathe. >> reporter: the problem apparently is one particular scene in the movie. the birthing scene. there is lots of flashing red lights that can have a serious effect on people with photosensitive epilepsy. >> it's like the light switch going off because it hits the whole brain at once. the trouble with the theater it's dark. lights flashing is more like a strobe light. >> i had to take a few breaths. >> reporter: bridget did not have a seizure after watching the movie but says she was very much affected by that birthing scene. >> can you see where that scene would make some people have seizures? >> i could. because there is a lot going on with the lights. it's just terrible. i can't talk about it. have you seen it?

>> reporter: no. and i'm not sure i want to now. the epilepsy foundation of america is now telling people who have photosensitive epilepsy that it might not be a good idea to see the latest twilight movie. fortunately, none of the seizures suffered by people while watching the movie was believed to be life-threatening. >> you know, i am reminded that we used to hear the video games and television and that kind of things can cause seizures. is that a problem. >> reporter: it's happened in the past. a few children got seizures after watching pokemon. but television shows have been modified so it doesn't happen anymore. >> hopefully they can take it out of the movie. getting over the death of a recent loved one is tough. there's no question. but it becomes even more stressful when e-mails are still coming from that deceased person or so it seems. that is a drama one family is having to deal with as a hacker keeps sending them messages from their dead mother's account.

>> i don't think it's fair that me and my sister have to suffer seeing an e-mail from my mom that is not even here. >> these e-mails started almost two years to the day after cassie wood's mom died. her and her husband tried emailing the hacker begging him to stop. no use. the e-mails stop coming. they contacted yahoo directly and after providing lots of information that this was a problem, yahoo officials said they needed the death certificate before they could take action. >> everything that you would have on an e-mail account to prove that you're that person, i have of my mother's. so you would think they would just shut it down so it would stop. >> so until the family can provide yahoo with a death certificate, that account stays open which means the e-mails keep coming. some of them on scene and graphic. confessions of a blond bandit. tonight the woman accused in a string of crimes has now admitted to committing at least two of them. stephanie schwab admitted to one

carjacking in tyson's corner and a carjacking in springfield. she is behind bank robberies in northern virginia and another carjacking. that one in baltimore. officers arrested the 26-year-old yesterday in bethesda. schwab has only been charged with one count of bank robbery. could we have another campus cover up on our hands? five female students are suing howard university after the schools say they complained that a staff member was sexually assaulting him. the lawsuit alleges that he first assaulted one of the victims in september of 2010 and even after the student reported the harassment, he continued to prey on students for another seven months. >> he then told me to take off my clothes and asked me to kiss him. he reached over to me and hugged me and was rubbing against me. he had an erection. at that point i pushed him away.

he sat down and told me to sit on him and he wouldn't touch me. it went on and on. two other victims complained and he was arrested and he is now out on supervised probation. he has since been fired from howard. the man accused of a series of abductions and robberies in prince george's county will not be getting out of jail any time soon. today a judge ruled 50-year-old henry sanders is a danger to the community as well as a flight risk ordering him held without bond. he has a history of attacks and in the latest cases three men in their 60s and 70s were abducted and forced to take out money from atms. changes in fare increases on metrorail are coming. at today's board of directors meeting, everything from a two-teared flat rate system to

eliminating the fares. but the agency needs to close a $120 million shortfall so it's talking about raising fares by almost 6%. a a controversial ad and a warning of impending gun control. it posted an e-mail about this ad on monday. it shows president obama on the far right but he's up next to some truly evil characters, adolph hitler, other dictators from all over the world. the company's director of operations told cbs washington "obama and his various zarz are infringing on the rights of americans to own guns. he's a social list cramming health care down american's throats". so far the white house has had nothing to say about it. the santa ana wins are blowing exactly hard through the western part of this country. gusts well over hurricane

strength has shut down schools and caused widespread damage. >> whoa. holy cow. >> holy cow is right. about 300,000 people have lost their power in southern california alone and meteorologists say it's not over yet. powerful and dangerous gusts are expected to continue in several states at least until tomorrow. topper. >> yes, there is a strong santa ana winds in ten years. we'll come back and explain what makes up a santa ana win. it's chilly. grab your sunglasses and a coat tomorrow morning. 30s at 5:00. windy and 30s at 7:00. we'll come back and take you through the weekend which includes weather for the redskins game as well. still ahead tonight, take the headache and hustle out of holiday shopping. now stealing a deal is just a scan away. arm yourself with the latest go to gadget to help save time and money. our lesli foster shows you how to shop smart with smart phones. that is coming up.

you've got just about three weeks, derek, to finish the holiday shopping sprint if you're on the hunt for the best gift at the best prices. look no further than your smart phone. >> lesli foster tells you how to use your to unlock the deals and steals on your next shopping trip. >> reporter: your smart phone strategy starts before you go inside. i've downloaded an app here and in addition to the deals, you can even create a parking reminder, take a picture of

where you parked so you don't forget your spot. once you handle that important detail, you can focus on the task at hand with your trusted device. >> it's growing. it's great. people are using it. >> reporter: todd is the marketing director for pentagon city mall. he says the mall's app puts shopping power in the palm of your hand. everything from store maps and deals. >> my personal favorite is godiva. >> reporter: are just a touch screen away. the promotion, $50, get a $10 gift card. more than half of us are using our phones to tap into holiday savings. >> this new technology makes it easier for everyone. customers benefit from it. the retailers benefit from it. >> reporter: these boxes you may see on store fronts called qr codes are worth a scan. the gap code lets you buy ecards. >> i text it to whoever you're

going to. they can receive it and go into the gap store and use it today. >> reporter: with american eagle. >> i got an offer. 20% off. >> reporter: an app called flag makes it easier to buy, swap and redeem the cards. >> merchants need to scan it. >> reporter: we used ours and found another set of shoppers using a different app called four square to check in for a deal. >> if you spend over $70, you get $10 off. >> reporter: to track all of your sets, an app called lemon comes to the rescue. >> it holds them all. if you need to return something, you can use that. >> reporter: when it's time to head out, the same app can steer you back out where you started. ready to go. i'm lesli foster, 9news now. >> great. keep in mind you may still need a paper receipt for some of your return and lesli says continue a

price comparison act like nextag because we didn't tell you about other ones to use. and check out the famous retailers app as well. wal-mart will let you see what they have in stock. confused? want to know more, go to our website wusa9.com. i'm passing the old fashion. here are some things simple. the christmas season officially under way in dc. that's right. tonight president obama and his family switched the lights on. it's a brand new tree. 26-foot tall. the previous one blew over during strong winds in february. president coolidge started this tradition back in 1923 and mr. topper shutt you did a great job out there. >> see the little trees that line up the pathway. >> beautiful. >> if they light them up every night from dusk until 11:00 p.m.. >> very nice. >> through the first of the year, very cool. >> and you don't need tickets. >> no. >> you just go down. >> it's not even that cold yet.

>> yet. >> as past lightings have gone, we give today about an a minus. >> we sat out there many times. we're looking at a very nice finish to the week. a very cold start to the morning. let's talk about the santa ana winds. i got a text from my sister. some gusts were over 120 miles an hour. let's tell you what they are. they're a warm wind and dry wind. and usually you have a high pressure in the rockies and with the clockwise circulation that just funnels winds down the rockies. the air compresses so it heats up. much like a bicycle pump and you pump the air up in the tire and you feel the air and it's hot. usually it funnels down this way. but this time we also had a low pressure over california which is counterclockwise flows. so these winds were funneled into southern california and they're going to continue tonight and through tomorrow. maybe not quite as strong tomorrow as they were today. but still we're looking at winds well over hurricane force even through friday. for us we're looking at clear

skies. a fantastic night, albeit on the cool side. and here is what is coming. a cold start tomorrow. but early night's finish. you still need a jacket or shades for tomorrow morning. it's going to be cold again tomorrow night. if you have big friday plans, i hope you do. and chilly and mild over the weekend. saturday will be chilly. sunday will be a little bit milder. all right. for tonight, overnight clear skies and cold. we'll say 1-2 blanket night. 28-38 with light winds. then for tomorrow morning, floetsly sunny and cold. -- mostly sunny and cold. temperatures in the 20s and 30s. good news, winds are still night. by afternoon partly cloudy and pleasant. a little milder. need your sunglasses. high temperatures near 55 and winds northwesterly at 10-15. really a very nice day for the mountains and coast. 44 in oakland. we're looking at 50 in cumberland. low 50s for hagerstown, martinsburg and winchester. culpeper 55. that's the warmest reading on the map. 52 in leesburg and 52 in

middleburg. they have their christmas parade on saturday. bundle up. 55 in andrews. mid 50s downtown. 55 for annapolis with sunshine, winds just below small craft advisory criteria. so we'll break it down. 28-38 to start. 48-53 by noon and then 49 to 54 by evening under partly cloudy skies. all right. next seven days, temps go down just a little bit on saturday. northeast wind. we're back to 50. but then we're in the upper 50s on sunday. great for the redskins game. if you don't have a ticket, go get a ticket for the bb&c classic. great basketball. it's a lot of fun. check it out. rain on tuesday. and then maybe a shower on wednesday. a little cooler. we're back up in the mid 50s on thursday. >> not bad. >> what kind of meter logical winter is this. >> one we like. >> moderate. all right. if anything is going to get alex ovechkin inspired, it should have been tonight. >> you could see it in the first period. they played with a lot of intensity. it's because sid the kid was in

town. they finally faced sid to kid. they take on their hated rival. could they get dale hunter his first victory? plus the wizards say a condensed nba season is a good thing for them. find out why coming up next in sports.

? now 9 sports with kristen berset, the best sports in town. >> after playing in washington for 12 seasons, dale hunter understands the immense hatred the capitals have for pittsburgh, so he as much as anyone wanted a win tonight. but the fact that it would still be his first win as head coach. we're down 1-0 until they tie it up 1-1 in the second period. but in the third john urshkin following the puck but he trips and falls. kris koonts takes advantage and the penguins beat the caps 2-1. >> it's a gain overall. we had a lot of shots. it's tough to lose. we got that kind of effort. i think it will be better. >> we had a few chances around

the net and we're getting better at it. it just takes time. >> and bruce boudreau wasn't unemployed very long. three days after being fired by the capitals, he took over in anaheim. the ducks fired randy carlisle after a dismal 7-13-4 start. nba training camp doesn't officially start until december 9th, the facilities were open today for players and some current and former wizards along with some local product showed up at the verizon center this morning. they spent the day shooting around getting geared up for a shortened season. but with that comes a jam-packed schedule. current wizards andre black feels this movement will be their advantage. >> we have a lot of young guys and it's a short season. and i going to be situations where it's back-to-back, back-to-back, back-to-back. so they give us higher levering

with young players -- levering with young players. >> jason clark gets the bucket here inside. hoyas led by seven at the break. but the second half was all tony mitchell. he gets the steel, takes it. open court and finishes with some authority. and then minutes later following up the jumper with another big dunk. right now georgetown down one. 55-54 with ten seconds left. george washington taking on kansas state. the colonials will keep it close for much of the game. tony taylor with the load. misses the bucket but david gets the follow-up dunk but k state comes back as george washington falls 56-59. american taking on the university of maryland baltimore county. eagles this boy has been on fire. finishes with 18 points on the night and american remains

undefeated at home 69-58. finally tonight, these guys at a car show waiting for the latest one. watch this. they're standing on a carpet run and the car takes them for a little ride. >> oh. [ laughing ] >> check it out. >> takes the carpet. it's like bowling pins. they all just fall. >> that was kind of cool. >> it was. >> we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices...

in more ways than ever. and our networks are getting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum... we can empower more people to innovate... putting momentum behind our economy. and we can reduce the deficit... with more than thirty billion dollars paid by america's wireless companies. it's simple -- more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone.

quick sports update. georgetown hits the three in the final seconds. they down 12th ranked alabama. big win. >> big game. we'll see you tomorrow.

>> good night. >> bye.

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( band playing "late show" theme ) >> from new york, the greatest city in the world, it's the "late show" with david letterman. tonight... plus paul shaffer and the cbs orchestra. and now, happening uptown bon vivant