Shoppers should still be on the lookout for potentially hazardous toys this holiday season, according to a survey released Monday by a consumer advocacy group.

Although there has been progress in toy safety, dangerous or toxic toys like rubber ducks, dolls and magnets are still on shelves across America as detailed in U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s 29th annual "Trouble in Toyland" report.

Laboratory testing reveals that toxic chemicals, such as lead, chromium and phthalates, can be found in toys “well over legal limits,” according to the report.

The group found that one toy, named "Jake and the Neverland Pirates tambourine” distributed by Greenbrier International, contained metal chromium over nine times the legal limit. A response from the company was not immediately available.

Other toys detailed in the report are the “Our Generation: Sydney Lee and Stars in Your Eyes” doll by Maison Joseph Battat that includes a yo-yo that can be a choking hazard, and the “Leopard Pattern Rubber Duck” by Infantino had phthalate above the legal limit.

But the Toy Industry Association challenged the report's claims, which it called "consistently erroneous," pointing out that the report hadn't led to any product recalls. The industry group also said the study had not tested toys with regulator-accredited methods and had included products that weren't toys.

Infantino said to NBC in a statement on the report's findings that "many testing methods out there that can lead to false positives," adding that  they "go to great lengths to ensure compliance with all safety regulations."

Battat told NBC in a statement that the report was "incorrect," commenting that the company has "the small parts choking hazard label on all of our items.”

“We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe. However, until that’s the case, parents need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys,” said Sujatha Jahagirdar, U.S. PIRG's public health campaign director.

The next steps would be to work with chains to move retailers towards adopting policies that disclose their toxics in their products to consumers, Jahagirdar said to NBC.

However, a toy industry representative has disputed the facts detailed in the group’s annual reports, noting that over the past six years none of the "supposedly hazardous toys identified by PIRG has resulted in a recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission due to PIRG’s allegations."

“Instead of sharing accurate and informative toy safety data with parents and caregivers, PIRG’s reports spread misinformation and confusion,” the Toy Industry Association's vice president of strategic communications Ken Seiter said in a statement.

The PIRG has urged parents or caregivers to report any toys that they suspect may be hazardous to the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) at www.saferproducts.gov.

The full report can be found here.
 

Police are looking for the man who pretended his finger was a gun and tried to rob a New Haven convenience store on Saturday evening.

The would-be robber was wearing a full face mask and sunglasses when he passed a note to the clerk at the Sam's Mart at 14 Kimberly Avenue and demanded money, but he then pointed the finger of his bare hand at the clerk, police said.

He never tried to disguise the fact that he didn't have a weapon by putting it in his pocket, according to police, so the clerk grabbed the man's finger and told him he'd break it if he didn't get out of his shop.

The man ran off empty-handed.

San Diego County Crime Stoppers and the San Diego Police Department are seeking the public's help in locating two men suspected of murdering a security guard outside a La Mesa bar last year.

The murder took place on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 outside Chelato's Bar and Grill in the 7100 block of El Cajon Boulevard, near 70th Street.

Security guard Ernesto Gonzalez was shot and killed by two unidentified suspects while he stood in front of the business, witnesses said.

The suspects were described as males wearing dark clothing. They were last seen running eastbound toward 72nd Street.

Surveillance footage of the incident is available here.

Any information regarding the identities or whereabouts of the suspects should be reported to the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Anonymous email and text messages can be submitted at www.sdcrimestoppers.org.

Computer hacker collective Anonymous took down Fort Lauderdale’s website Monday, taking aim at the city's ordinance that bans feeding the homeless outdoors.

The city of Fort Lauderdale’s homepage was not accessible for hours Monday afternoon. In addition, the mayor's political site, jackseiler.com, was also knocked out, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler's assistant Safeea Maloney told NBC News.

The downed websites came less than 24 hours after Anonymous issued a threat to the city to overturn several ordinances dealing with the homeless or see the city’s home page and other pages hacked.

The city of Fort Lauderdale has not confirmed the site was hacked or taken down by Anonymous.

Anonymous called the latest volley in the fight over the city’s homeless laws “Operation Lift the Bans.” The group posted a YouTube video in which a person in a Guy Fawkes mask used a computer-generated voice to issue the following statement.

“Hello, citizen of the world and Fort Lauderdale. It has come to our attention that Mayor John Seiler has become an embarrassment to the law abiding citizens of Fort Lauderdale, arresting Arnold Abbot, who is 90 years old and served our country, for feeding the homeless. You are a disgrace, Mayor John Seiler. So therefore, we have a list of demands, and if not met, then we shall shut down the main site of Fort Lauderdale, among other sites. Our demands are to lift the ordinance C-14-38, which makes panhandling illegal at busy intersections for not only homeless but also charities; C14-41, which makes it illegal for anyone to sleep in public in the downtown area; and C14-42, which prohibits citizens from being able to hand out food unless certain requirements are met. You have 24 hours or less, depending on whether this reaches you, Mayor John Seiler — 24 hours to comply with our demands or the site will be shut down, along with other sites belonging to Fort Lauderdale. Operation Lift the Bans engaged. We are anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. You should have expected this, Mayor John Seiler.”

A federal judge has overturned one conviction against former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell, but affirmed other corruption verdicts against her and her husband.

Judge James R. Spencer rejected the McDonnells' request for a new trial or for their convictions to be overturned.

But Spencer did toss a jury's decision that Maureen McDonnell was guilty of obstructing justice. Spencer said prosecutors did not prove that she attempted to mislead a federal grand jury investigation.

The couple was convicted of multiple public corruption charges nearly three months ago.

With Monday's ruling, Maureen McDonnell is now guilty of eight counts instead of nine. Her husband, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, was convicted on 11 counts.

Defense lawyers had filed the motions asking U.S. District Judge James Spencer to acquit the couple, or at least order a new trial.

Spencer had presided over the couple's nearly six-week trial during the latter half of the summer.

During the trial, bombshell testimony revealed the McDonnells were living separately, and that Maureen McDonnell had frequently texted and emailed the wealthy businessman whose gifts and loans to the couple were at the center of the case.

A jury convicted the McDonnells in September of illegally trying to help a dietary supplement maker in exchange of more than $165,000 in gifts and loans.

The McDonnells are expected to be sentenced early next year.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony domestic violence charge stemming from his arrest at a Southern California hospital where his wife was being treated for injuries.

Voynov, suspended by the NHL since his arrest, is scheduled to return to court later this month. The 24-year-old Russian Olympian, who appeared in court Monday with an interpreter, is facing a single count of corporal injury to a spouse with great bodily injury.

Prosecutors had asked that bond be increased to $85,000, but the amount remained at $50,000 after Monday's court appearance. Voynov also was allowed to have "peaceful" contact with the accuser, who provided an affidavit to the court that said she does not feel threatened by him.

He is scheduled to return to court Dec. 15. Voynov and his attorneys did not respond to a request outside the courtroom for comment after Monday's hearing, which was attended by a member of the Consulate General of Russia in San Francisco.

"I'm just here to make sure all the rights of a Russian citizen are followed," said representative Evgeny Uspenskiy.

Defense attorney Craig Renetzky said when his client was charged that Voynov was "extremely disappointed" with the decision to file a case against him and "maintains his innocence."

Voynov was arrested Oct. 20 at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, where his wife was being treated for injuries to her eyebrow, cheek and neck that prosecutors allege she suffered during an argument with her husband the previous night. Immediately following his arrest, Voynov was suspended with pay by the National Hockey League.

Officers went to Voynov's home in the 800 block of Avenue C the night of Oct. 19 in response to a report of a woman heard screaming and crying. No one responded at the residence, but Redondo Beach officer were contacted later that morning by the Torrance Police Department regarding a woman being treated at Little Company of Mary Hospital emergency room.

If convicted, Voynov could face up to nine years in state prison, according to the District Attorney's Office.

In a statement released soon after the charge was filed against Voynov, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said, "We are aware of the actions taken today in California, which we will review and evaluate before making any decisions. Until further notice, the current terms of Mr. Voynov's suspension remain in place."

The Los Angeles Kings issued a statement saying that the team maintains "our support of the NHL's indefinite suspension of Slava Voynov. As an organization we will continue to closely monitor the developments of the legal proceedings and work in partnership with the NHL to determine the proper course of action in the future."

Voynov has been suspended by the league from all club activities since the arrest. The league's collective bargaining agreement allows for the suspension of a player during a criminal investigation.

Unlike the NFL and NBA, the NHL and Major League Baseball do not have policies specific to domestic violence. Penalties are usually handed out at the discretion of the commissioner on a case-by-case basis.

The case follows other recent domestic violence investigations that involved high-profile professional athletes, including NFL running back Ray Rice. The Rice case and video of the assault in a casino elevator led to a new NFL policy regarding domestic violence offenders.

An arbitrator ruled Friday that Rice's suspension for punching his fiancee, now his wife, should be vacated immediately. The NFL said Rice, a free agent, is "eligible to play upon signing a new contract."

Two families were displaced after a fire destroyed their homes in San Carlos Sunday evening.

The fire started at about 6:30 p.m. at a home in the 6900 block of Cowles Mountain Boulevard. When fire crews arrived, they saw flames and smoke coming from the garage.

The fire quickly spread to the second home; two adults and seven children exited safely, fire officials said. Despite efforts to resuscitate a pet dog, the dog died in the fire.

Fire officials said the fire started in the garage, but they aren’t sure how it started. Damage is estimated at $600,000.

The American Red Cross is assisting the two families.

A military vehicle crash against a tree in Fallbrook prompted a Sig Alert Monday afternoon.

Just before 3 p.m., the military truck pulling a trailer jackknifed against a tree on E. Mission Road near E. Live Oak Park Road.

The accident completely blocked traffic on E. Mission Road, less than a mile west of Interstate 15, according to the California Highway Patrol.

It's unclear which branch of the military the truck belongs to.

A man was taken into custody after he’s accused of shooting his brother to death inside a home in San Marcos Sunday evening, sheriff’s deputies said.

Deputies were called to the shooting just after 6 p.m. Sunday at the home in the 1300 block of Granite Road.

The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Fermin Olano, alerted deputies to the shooting. Multiple shots were fired and the suspect’s brother, identified by several neighbors as 46-year-old Fernando Olano, was found dead.

No one else was believed to be at the home at the time of the shooting, deputies said.

Neighbors said the brothers grew up at the home where the shooting took place and the family has lived there since 1976.

Fernando Olano was an electrician by trade and a musician at hear, neighbors said.

"This here is just shocking," said neighbor Harold Thyberg. "They were brothers. All brothers kind of fight, you know. Get into words. But this? I couldn't tell you. I have no idea how it happened."

Fermin Olano is being held in jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. He will be arraigned on Tuesday.

A motive wasn’t immediately clear. The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the medical examiner’s office.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s department’s homicide detail at 858-974-2321 or after hours at 858-565-5200.

A second, more powerful storm is gathering strength over the Pacific after a Sunday soaker that brought more than an inch of rain to some parts of Southern California.

Storm Photos: Send Images to isee@nbcla.com

The next round of rain is expected to arrive Tuesday morning and continue into Wednesday. Rain totals are forecast to exceed those of Sunday's storm, which dropped just over an inch of rain in Whittier, Agoura Hills and other communities.

"It will really start to hit us around lunch time Tuesday," said NBC4 forecaster Crystal Egger. "We'll be in and out of the showers all day."

Projected rainfall amounts include nearly 2 inches in Temecula and more than an inch in San Bernardino, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Malibu and downtown Los Angeles.

Partly cloudy skies are in store for Southern California Monday after a daylong rainstorm that continued into the overnight hours. Heavy downpours were reported overnight before the storm began moving out of the region.

Steady rains that totaled more than an inch weakened soil on hillsides above Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, causing mudslides that stranded drivers. About 10 to 15 vehicles were marooned at Sycamore Cove, west of Zuma beach, and crews said the road might remain closed through Tuesday for the cleanup.

In Glendora, residents stacked sandbags in front of properties below the Colby Fire burn area. A Yellow Alert is in effect for neighborhoods in the area, meaning rain-related parking restrictions are being enforced and residents should remove vehicles, trash bins and other items from streets.

The upcoming storm will likely bring rainfall and possibly snow to a widespread area of California, which has received only light to moderate rainfall since Oct. 1, the start of the drought-stricken state's water year. Three years of drought have left the state's water reservoirs at critically low levels as snowpack in the Sierras, a critical source of spring runoff shared by 25 million Californians, has diminished.

About 2 feet of snow is possible in the Sierra above 7,000 feet.

Nearly 80 percent of the state is under extreme drought, the second most severe category listed by the U.S. Drought Monitor. One year ago, about 28 percent of the state was under the severe drought category.

Significant drought relief would likely require a strong El Nino system, the tropical Pacfic Ocean phenomenon that affects weather patterns. Strong El Nino systems draw moisture into California, but a weak system probably would not generate enough rainfall this winter to significantly improve drought conditions.

The latest estimates place the chance of El Nino at 58 percent. 

Most San Diegans know Todd Gloria as the young, energetic Council President who stepped in and eased a tumultuous period in the city's history, taking over as Interim Mayor in the wake of Bob Filner's resignation.

But now, the popular Council President, responsible for getting the gears of City Hall to turn again and for colorful, bureaucratic phrases like "sexy streets," is facing removal from the top spot on the council, which gets to set the agenda for what comes before the legislative body.

Sources close to both Republicans and Democrats on the City Council and at City Hall say there is definitely a behind-the-scenes campaign to have Councilwoman Sherri Lightner take over the presiding position on the council.

Lightner did not return an email request for comment on the effort.

A spokeswoman for Gloria sent this statement:

"The Councilmember for District Three is interested in serving as the Council President should that be the desire of his colleagues. People have commented that his tenure of fair, civil and decisive leadership has served San Diego well, and he would be honored to continue in the post and make more progress for the city through his collaborative work ethic."

Council bylaws require the selection of the council president on Dec. 8. That's two days before the newly-elected Councilman Chris Cate is sworn-in on Dec. 10.

Cate said he wants to take part in the vote.

"I look forward to taking part in voting for our Council President and working with whomever it may be," he said in a written statement. "My priority is to be prepared for the transition and becoming the next Councilmember for Council District 6. My staff and I will be working diligently to make sure there is a seamless transition to ensure there is no interruption of service for the people of District 6." 

If the City Council tables the vote until after Cate is sworn in, then the make-up of the council is 5-4 in favor of the Democrats. Republicans, who have expressed anger over Gloria's minimum wage proposal, would need one vote to replace him as Council President.

It remains unclear if Lightner wants to take the position.

Lightner, who currently holds the second highest post on the council, is also chair of the Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

Council presidents are elected for one-year terms. Gloria was first elected in 2013 and then re-elected by his peers in 2014, according to his online bio.

National City Middle School was evacuated Monday afternoon after a fire sparked in a portable classroom's bathroom on campus.

The fire broke out at about 3:30 p.m., according to Sweetwater School District spokesman Manny Rubio.

The portable units have not been used for about three weeks, since the school held a ribbon cutting ceremony for new, permanent classrooms at the school.

Construction crews were in the process of tearing them down when the fire started, Rubio said.

Officials believe the flames may have been started by a student or were "student-related," but it is still being investigated.

All students and staff doing after-school activities escaped unharmed. Rubio said the evacuation was just a precaution.

A storm set to hit San Diego County on Tuesday could bring 1 to 2 inches of rain to the coast and valleys and another 2 to 4 inches to the mountains, according to the National Weather Service (NWS.)

“We have two elements to this system,” explained NBC 7 meteorologist Jodie Kodesh.

“When this plume of moisture is combined with the storm system and the two meet, we’re looking at good amounts of rain in Southern California,” Kodesh said.

NWS has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the county from 9 a.m. Tuesday until 10 a.m. Wednesday. The heaviest rain is expected to fall Tuesday afternoon and evening.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department is handing out free sandbags to people who live in flood-prone areas at the following locations:

• Fire Station 15 – 4711 Voltaire St. in Ocean Beach
• Fire Station 20 – 3305 Kemper St. in the Sports Arena area
• Fire Station 21 – 750 Grand Ave. in Pacific Beach
• Fire Station 28 – 3880 Kearny Villa Rd. in the Kearny Mesa/Montgomery Field area
• Fire Station 29 – 198 West San Ysidro Blvd. in San Ysidro
• Fire Station 33 – 16966 Bernardo Center Dr. in Rancho Bernardo
• Fire Station 37 – 11640 Spring Canyon Rd. in Scripps Ranch
• Fire Station 39 – 4949 La Cuenta Dr. in Tierrasanta
• Fire Station 40 --13393 Salmon River Rd. in Rancho Peñasquitos
• Fire Station 46 – 14456 Lazanja Dr. in Santaluz
• Fire Station 47 – 6041 Edgewood Bend Ct. in Pacific Highlands
• Lifeguard Stations in Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla Shores

There is a limit of 10 per household or business. Sandbags are only available when personnel are at the station.

Chula Vista residents can pick up sandbags between 6:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Public Works Center at 1800 Maxwell Rd.

The storm comes in the midst of a devastating drought. Eighty percent of San Diego County is experiencing drought conditions, compared to only about 28 percent last year, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Los Angeles area got a storm preview on Sunday. More than an inch of rain fell in Malibu, causing mudslides along Pacific Coast Highway.

A week after a grand jury declined to indict the white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed, black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, here's a look at what is next for the city and the country: 

What happened

Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown on Aug. 9, leading to sometimes violent unrest in Ferguson.

Weeks of protests broke out immediately after the shooting and again after a grand jury announced on Nov. 24 that it would not indict Wilson in Brown’s death. Rioting broke out, with some demonstrators shooting at police, setting cars and buildings on fire and looting shops.

Protests have spread around the country, with groups marching to Times Square in New York City, shutting down the 10 freeway in southern California and trying to disrupt holiday shopping on Black Friday.

Wilson resigned over the weekend and Ferguson Mayor James Knowles said he received no pay or benefits in return. The officer wrote that his continued employment might have put the city's residents and police officers at risk.

And during the first Rams' home game since the grand jury decision, five players raised their hands before the football game's introduction. Some witnesses told the grand jury that Brown had his hands up before he was shot, though others said he did not raise his hands at all.

What’s happening now

A group calling itself Ferguson Action is urging people to walk out of their jobs or classes in solidarity on Monday.

“What gives us hope in this moment of pain and anguish is the thousands of people who have poured into the streets of America to demand change,” the group said in a statement.

In Missouri, a 16-member commission created by Gov. Jay Nixon met for the first time Monday afternoon. A public comment session was scheduled.

The panel is charged with investigating the underlying problems that unleashed the violence in Ferguson following the fatal shooting of Brown.

It will look at social and economic conditions from failing schools to high employment to uneasy relations between the police and the community. St. Louis County is predominantly white, but Ferguson and other nearby towns are mostly black. However, the police force in Ferguson is more than 90 percent white.

Richard Rosenfeld, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis says Ferguson, a city of about 21,000, has pockets of economic disadvantage but also middle- and upper-income residents and has benefitted from recent growth in the northern part of St. Louis County.

Ferguson's unemployment rate rose from less than 5 percent in 2000 to more than 13 percent in 2012. Its poor population doubled so that now one in four lives below the federal poverty line.

The panel includes a Ferguson construction supply company owner, two pastors, a university professor, two lawyers, a 20-year-old community activist and a St. Louis police detective who is also president of the state chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.

President Obama, meanwhile, met Monday with his cabinet and civil rights activists, politicians and law enforcement officers.

The White House proposed $263 million in funding for body cameras for police officers, training and mroe engagement between police and communities.

The progam would need approval from Congress. It would provide a 50 percent match to states that purchase the cameras or $75 million over three years to help purchase more than 50,000 cameras.

NBC News reported that the administration would not make major changes to a program that transfers surplus military equipment to local police, but would try to make sure the equipment was used properly.

The president is also announced the creation of a new task force to prepare recommendations for 21st century policing.

The White House said the unrest showed the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local police and the communities they serve.

"As the country has witnessed, disintegration of trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve can destabilize communities, undermine the legitimacy of the criminal justice system, undermine public safety, create resentment in local communities, and make the job of delivering police services less safe and more difficult," the White House said.

What's next?

The U.S. Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation that could result in a separate prosecution though numerous experts have called that unlikely.

It has also initiated a broader investigation of the Ferguson police department that will look at the conduct of the entire department over the past several years.

Police officers in Ferguson have been the subject of a handful of lawsuits filed in recent years claiming that excessive force was used, NBC News reported.

The San Diego City Attorney’s Office has slapped “Jackass” prankster Steve-O with a $239 traffic citation for a prank aimed at SeaWorld In May.

Stephen Gilchrist Glover — a.k.a. Steve-O — chronicled the shenanigans in a YouTube video published in August. In it, he is shown trying to scale a rope and then a ladder to reach the exit sign along southbound Interstate 5 in San Diego.

Over the word “Drive,” he taped up a “SUCKS” banners so the sign said “Sea World SUCKS” for a time.

In the clip, the animal rights activist explained he did it to put “my foot down for Shamu” and asked others to share the video.

Caltrans says when they ripped off the tape, it pulled off the reflective material on the sign. For that reason, the California Highway Patrol originally submitted charges of vandalism and trespassing against Steve-O.

The TV personality responded in an Instagram post, writing "The California Highway Patrol has requested that the District Attorney file charges against me for helping out this sign. Bring on the publicity, because #SeaWorldSucks #yeahdude #freesteveo."

Instead, on Monday, the city attorney settled on a traffic citation that is comparable to a stop-sign or speeding ticket.

“It is an infraction because distractions such as this can cause accidents, just like running a stop sign,” said Gerry Braun, director of communications for the city attorney’s office. “It was not a smart thing to do to place drivers and their passengers in harm’s way. Had anyone been injured, it is likely Mr. Glover would have faced a felony or misdemeanor depending on the seriousness of the injury.”

Steve-O is set to be arraigned in traffic court on Dec. 22 and can settle by paying a $239 fine.

But whether the fine was $239 or $2,390, it won’t come out of his pocketbook.

PETA has vowed to pay any fines incurred by the prank, which the organization calls “spot on.” Steve-O has taken part in PETA campaigns in the past.

The man accused of running over his estranged wife with a pickup truck, killing her, has been taken into custody at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Cesar Castillo, 37, surrendered to authorities at the San Ysidro Port of Entry around 2:15 p.m. Monday, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.

He is accused of killing is wife, Leonor Castillo, also 37, by repeatedly driving over her.

Leonor Castillo was run over around 7 p.m. Friday in the 1100 block of Elm Avenue, where neither the suspect nor the victim lived.

Investigators believed Castillo fled to Mexico in a white 1998 Chevy Silverado.

A small makeshift memorial in the spot where Leonor died continued to grow Monday. A friend who stopped to light candles did not want to go on camera but said Leonor had three children and that her family is devastated.

The memorial is just steps away from a chain-link fence that was badly damaged in the incident. Neighbor Russ Anderson, who owns the fence, says seeing Leonor’s body is something that will stick with him forever.

“I was on the fire department for a long, long time, so I’ve seen lots and lots of cases like this,” Anderson said. “But to have one in your own backyard is just an awful thing.”

Castillo was employed as a maintenance worker in the Mission Bay area.

The day after Thanksgiving generally means the hunt is on for the best Christmas tree. But California's severe drought has some tree farms warning customers that they may not see the quality they have in past years.

The Meyer family was out shopping for a Christmas tree on Friday in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They saw first hand how the drought has impacted the quality of the trees.

"A lot of them are find, but a lot of dry spots," Joel Meyer said. "Just gotta pick and choose and clear them out and go for it."

Tree farms across the state are warning customers that trees over 5 feet are showing stress because they did not get much water or growth over the last year. In addition, the trees might not be as full.

The Kloppel family saw the effects of the drought at a local tree farms near Moss Landing.

"We have plenty of tree farms, but the drought really hit all the farms and our trees are dry," Mari Kloppel said. "So we decided to come to the mountains where the trees are a little fresher."

The owners of Frosty's Tree Farm above Los Gatos said the drought did have an effect this year, but still believes most of its trees are fine and healthy. Owner Johnny Cerrito recommends shoppers put the tree in water right away.

"Just make sure to keep it watered in the first week or two," Cerrito said. "That'll absorb most of the water. So they really do need to maintain the water."

As members of Congress returned to Washington on Monday, they were nagged by a troubling question: What are the odds of another government shutdown by next week?

Ten days are left until a deadline to fund federal programs and operations going forward.

So far, no specific threats to jeopardize spending legislation have been issued.

But many GOP lawmakers are still boiling over President Obama's unilateral action on immigration issues.

A key to averting real trouble is whether House Speaker John Boehner will be able to lower their heat index and rein them in from pushback efforts that could scuttle bipartisan support on appropriations.

Brian Bilbray, a former San Diego-area congressman, said the immigration issue is a fight that can be picked later.

"Implementation of the executive amnesty is not going to happen in the next month, and so there's time to address the budget situation this month," the Republican veteran of six terms in the House told NBC 7 in an interview Monday.

"So you can approve everything, and then address this issue with the Homeland Security budget."

The president's backers also have time, and the numbers, to foil a challenge to his immigration order.

“Now, anything the House did is not going to be approved of in the Senate, for obvious reasons,” says Democratic political strategist Jon Elliott. “The Democrats will flex their muscles up until it's the last minute."

Elliott thinks Boehner would offer this warning to party dissidents: that the Republicans would shoulder the bulk of the blame if the government goes on hiatus again, as it did for 16 days last fall.

"Do you really want to be silly enough the shut down the government after you supposedly told us people want you to get things done?” Elliott asked, rhetorically. “I don't see how that strategy would benefit them at all."

And what strategy would most benefit the White House, long-term?

"The president has to decide what he wants to do in the last two years of this administration,” said Bilbray. “And if he wants to do anything that last from now on, he's got to find a common ground with the senators and the congressmen who have to pass the laws to be his legacy."

Dec. 11 is the deadline for legislation to bankroll government operations.

Whatever the fate of immigration reform and affordable health care, Bilbray believes the man in the Oval Office is "on notice": "Now he's got all of Congress saying: 'Look, we will work with you, but we're not going to work for you. And those are co-equal. The president now has to understand what Bill Clinton did -- and did very well — of reaching out and saying 'OK, what can we agree on?'"

Meantime, the five members of San Diego County’s congressional delegation were asked to weigh in on the situation Monday by phone or email.

Said Frederick Hill, spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa (R-49th): “Rep. Issa does not envision a government shutdown happening.”

Duncan D. Hunter (R-50th): “The Speaker is looking at this situation from several different angles and the conference is sure to discuss the options in more detail over the next several days. There’s consensus that the President has overstepped but how to address the issue — in order to maximize the opportunity for success — is something we’ll have to consider more closely.”

Juan Vargas (D-51st): “I am hopeful that the House Republicans will work together within their own caucus to avoid a government shutdown. With his Executive Action, President Obama did what he could within his legal authority to fix our broken immigration system. If the Republicans are opposed to this measure, we are eager to work in a bipartisan fashion to pass a comprehensive immigration bill, and prevent a government shut down.”

Scott Peters (D-52nd): “I do think that the prospect of a shutdown is unlikely. And that obviously didn't go too well for them last time. I think they learned their lesson, and I think we ought to at least be able to fund the government through the end of the year."

Susan Davis, (D-53rd): "If the Speaker truly cares about having bipartisan substantive achievements, there’s nothing to stop him."

The FBI and Department of Homeland Defense issued a new advisory this week, warning military members and people connected with the military to be careful about what they post online.

They are concerned certain social media posts might attract the attention of violent extremists who may commit ISIS-inspired attacks, though officials say the warning is not based on a new stream of threat information.

"Attacks and plots over the past three months -- involving alleged ISIL supporters acting in several Western countries after calls for attacks by group member -- suggest that ISIL's September 2014 endorsement of attacks against members of the military, law enforcement, and government personnel could embolden some violent extremists,” the advisory states.

One Iraq veteran, who spoke with NBC 7 on the condition of anonymity for protection, said many of his friends in the military are taking precautions online.

“I know quite a bit of them removed their Facebook posts, like they have albums from deployments; they've removed all the photos,” the veteran said.

Some have changed profile pictures and others deleted their accounts completely, he said.

The recent killings of Canadian soldiers by men inspired by ISIS have prompted additional awareness in the U.S.

A senior government official told NBC News that ISIS is consistently trying to inspire "homegrown" attacks.

Many service members don't want to take any chances.

"I've had friends that have removed their entire Facebook, pretty much went blackout on social media entirely so they don't put their families at risk," the veteran said.

The Navy suggests using the following precautions when on social media:

• Make sure your privacy settings are up-to-date; know who can see your posts
• Don't discuss specific deployments and schedules
• Do not use geo-location apps or post addresses or phone numbers.

Above all, the Navy says be attentive and vigilant, but not fearful

Later this week, law enforcement agencies and military experts like NCIS will meet with military members and families looking for advice on social media safety.