A CROOK IS WATCHING: Federal agents are...

A CROOK IS WATCHING: Federal agents are investigating the loss of at least $100,000 from Bank of America ATM customers, mostly in the Valley. From nearby vans, thieves used long lenses to secretly film customers punching in personal identification numbers. . . . Then all they needed were counterfeit cards using account numbers printed on discarded receipts--a practice the bank is halting, as other banks had earlier (D3).

SPEAK NO EVIL: The news media owe a big apology to Elliot Singletary, who was arrested for questioning and then released in the Valley molester manhunt, contends columnist Howard Rosenberg (F1). . . . Televising such arrests and identifying suspects by name identify them in viewers’ minds with crimes they may never be charged with, he argues, calling Singletary an example of an innocent citizen abused by overzealous reporters.

DUCK COOKING: There are wizards of holiday cooking, whose turkey is golden, whose cranberries never knew a can. If that’s not you, relax. Even die-hard non-cooks can serve a mouthwatering, positively Norman Rockwellian spread by calling on chefs and caterers eager to prepare dinner for those who’d rather just heat and eat. See Valley Life! Page 10

FOLLOW-UP BLOW: If you’re looking at a slope left bare by the firestorms, it’s time to start worrying about whether to start sandbagging. Weather forecasters say “a pretty strong storm” building up in the Pacific should bring heavy rain Saturday (B1). . . . Warning from a county official: “There’s an extreme risk confronting some homes.”

KIN OVERLOAD: Friction over who in your extended family goes where for the holidays? Or when? Organizational experts advise discussing which traditions are truly important and reaching compromises. . . . Says one: “You end up regretting it if you try to make everyone happy.” See Valley Life! Page 36

* The Top of Today’s News is on A2