Good Morning, Cleveland! It's Wednesday, December 17th, and here is what you need to know.
Settlement reached with Kia/Hyundai over theft protections
Ohio along with several other states, have reached a settlement with Kia and Hyundai over substandard theft protections in some of their vehicles that led to theft and damage. Over the past several years, vehicles manufactured by Kia and Hyundai were among the most stolen vehicles in the U.S. and here in Northeast Ohio. The lawsuit filed against the companies alleged that millions of vehicles nationwide lacked industry-standard anti-theft technology, which resulted in numerous thefts, joy-riding incidents and threatened public safety, according to the lawsuit. One of those anti-theft measures is an engine immobilizer that prevents thieves from starting a vehicle’s engine without the vehicle’s “smart” key, which stores the vehicle’s electronic security code. The settlement requires Hyundai and Kia to: Equip all future vehicles sold in the United States with industry-standard engine immobilizer anti-theft technology; offer free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors to owners or lessees of eligible vehicles, including vehicles that previously were only eligible for the companies’ software updates; provide up to $4.5 million in restitution to eligible consumers whose cars are damaged by thieves; and pay $4.5 million to the states to cover the costs of the investigation. News 5's John Kosich is breaking down everything you need to know this morning about the settlement.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Time is ticking away to the Christmas holiday and the first major shipping deadline has arrived. It's critical—so you can get those gifts under the tree in time for Christmas morning.
News 5's Mike Holden will be live from the post office in Rocky River this morning to break down the important dates you need to know and how to make sure your gifts are packaged properly.
Don't fall victim to fake online storefronts
There's no doubt that you're scrambling to secure that perfect Christmas gift. But we have a warning for you to be careful if you plan to shop online. New FTC data shows a $1.5 billion increase in shopping scam losses. Ohio reported $36 million dollars in losses in just the first half of 2025. Good Morning Cleveland anchor Mike Brookbank spoke to Ryan Molloy with The Senior List. Ryan says 62% of people 65 and older fell for what is one of the biggest scams out there, fake online store fronts. That's where you see an ad on social media, click the link and then you end up on what you think is the retailer's website.
NBA all-star voting begins today
It's time to "Let 'Em Know" the Cavs have some of the best players in the NBA. Voting for the 2026 all-star game starts today at noon. You can help get some of the Cavs' stars like Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen to this year's game. To cast your vote, go to the Cavs website or download the NBA app. This morning, the Cavs will join us live in studio with more on how to can help get those players to Los Angeles.
Powerball jackpot now at $1.25 billion
Feeling lucky? Tonight is your next chance to become a billionaire. It's only second time this year a jackpot of more than a billion bucks has been up for grabs. The last time a jackpot was won was on September 6th. You can watch the drawing right here on News 5 right before our 11 p.m. newscast.
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Your forecast
Finally, it is above freezing! Temperatures for most of Northeast Ohio are *30* degrees warmer than this time yesterday. A stray morning shower along the lakefront, otherwise cloudy with highs in the lower 40s.
Visit our News 5 weather page to see today's forecast.
Traffic impact
View our News 5 Traffic Map to see any road closures or delays due to weather or crashes.
