right now at 5:00, excitement ahead of today's solar eclipse. a rare one. ahead, we're going to take a look at how cities across the u.s. are preparing, from the path of totality to right here

in the bay area. plus, nbc bay area responds. >> if you have eclipse glasses, you can test them out before the big show in the sky. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. an astronomer will show us how next. >> good morning. thanks for joining us this monday morning. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. let's get you started with a look at what's going on with that weather. meteorologist kari hall is tracking what we can expect. it was not a bad weekend. it was pretty nice. >> it was a nice weekend, and from here it gets warmer. we're going to see the sky continuing to clear out, and this week we'll have a mostly clear sky, lots of sunshine over the next several days. our temperatures will warm some of our inland highs, and we may reach up to 80 degrees by the end of the week. friday it starts to cool off as rain chances increase. now we are getting ready for that partial solar eclipse for the bay area and the sky is

clear. we do have some great viewing for that. of course, we've been following that in the path of the total eclipse, there's some storms, there will be some clouds in some of those spots, so we'll continue to monitor for that. for us, it looks good in the bay area. we'll talk more about that in a few minutes. we're going to continue talking about that solar eclipse, expected in just a few hours. while the bay area is nowhere near the path of totality, there will still be a partial eclipse to enjoy, and conditions should cooperate. >> "today in the bay"'s ginger conejero saab is live for us in san francisco this morning. ginger, i am sure that you saved us a spot at the rooftop. >> reporter: absolutely, i did. here is a seat for laura and here is one for marcus. guys, this rooftop, others like it and a whole host of viewing parties across the bay area and in san francisco, those are the places to be starting at 10:00 this morning. that is when the moon will kiss

the sun, as one astronomer put it. she broke it down in simple terms, whether you're into science or not, you're going to want to pay attention to this morning's event. >> you're still part of this planet and this is a planet that orbits a star and has a moon. and our moon is going to pass in front of our star, and hopefully remind us that there's so much of humanity that has experienced this throughout history, and you get to be part of something very special, and hopefully you are able to take a moment if you're in any sort of path, and be able to look up. >> reporter: and there will be many people looking up here across the bay area at today's partial solar eclipse, including several locations in san francisco. there's exploratorium and the academy of sciences at san francisco and san francisco state's observatory. people are getting together at

the lawrence hall of science in berkeley where our bob redell is and he'll let us know what is going on there in half an hour. there is the robert ferguson observatory and oakland's chabot and science center. their event is sold out. the solar eclipse has created very high demand for one essential item. if you want to look up and experience this eclipse. >> i am holding a pair of eclipse glasses that have been our best selling item for the past few weeks. we've been selling about 100 pairs a day. >> reporter: that's a lot of sunglasses -- or glasses, i should say. you want to make sure they are the proper ones. the next total solar eclipse that can be seen here in the u.s. won't be until 2044, so you can understand why there's so much excitement around this, particularly for scientists, because there's so much to take

away. we'll have more on that, what scientists are looking at when it comes to the eclipse and what they're learning from it. back to you. >> pretty exciting. >> thanks, ginger. will your eclipse glasses work when you need them today? astronomers say you can check them right now. >> consumer investigator chris chmura shows us how. >> with reports of counterfeit and fake eclipse glasses, you might wonder about yours. are they legitimate, dark enough to protect your eyes, too dark that you won't see the eclipse. snap this qr code to see if your glasses are on the list. also look for this stamp, iso 12312-2, it's an international science standard for looking at the sun. >> anybody can print eclipse glasses that their product meets that standard. how do you know that it really does? the only way to know for sure is

that it's gotten tested. >> this doctor is on the eclipse task force. he said you can run a basic test on your eclipse glasses at home. step one, start inside and put the glasses on. if they block out everything, you should be okay. now on to step two. step outside. >> take them out and take a brief glance at the sun through them on the next sunny day. if the sun is comfortably bright, you're almost certainly fine. >> what if you go outside for a test run and your eclipse glasses block the sun? >> if you can't see the sun, you know you've gotten defective glasses. you should try to get them replaced if there's time, but we're getting so close we're kind of running out of time. >> if you can't find a new pair, borrow someone else's. doctors say do not try everyday sunglasses. they're not strong enough to safely watch an eclipse. >> good advice, thanks. we will have special coverage, this is going to come right here on nbc bay area and it's going to begin around 10:00 this morning. so if you want to know more,

like the best ways to take a picture or anything like that, just go to our website, nbcbayarea.com. you can also click on the solar eclipse link in the trending bar to see all of our stories ahead of the eclipse. now to other headlines this monday morning, a recovery in downtown san francisco will be one of the major talking points of a panel discussion today in sacramento. at the state capitol, mayor london breed will be at a meeting for downtown revitalization efforts in the wake of the pandemic. lawmakers formed the committee two months ago with the aim of re-energizing commerce in the state's troubled downtown business districts. happening today, the chair of the fcc pushes to restore neutrality to the south bay. she will meet with public safety leaders today in campbell. it comes ahead of the fcc vote planned for later this month to bring back net neutrality. this is a policy repealed during

the trump administration. net neutrality standards require internet service providers to treat all data equally and ban so-called throttling of data throw. supporters say they're restoring the oversight and it's critical. starting a brand new workweek with a live look outside overlooking downtown san jose. kari has a peek at our forecast. >> it looks really nice as we go into the next several days, and we're heading back to spring, after a little taste of winter that we had. as we take a look at san francisco, here is what to expect as we go throughout the day. starting at 50 degrees, and we're headed for the mid-60s going into later today. mostly sunny sky across the bay area, with concord looking at a high of 73 degrees, also 73 in martinez. a lot of these numbers will be a big jump compared to what we had over the weekend, where most of us were in the 60s and we did have a little rain here and there. we're up to 75 today in santa rosa as we continue to dry out.

i'll have another update coming up again in a few minutes. >> thanks, kari. coming up, honoring the man who left his heart in san francisco. coming up on "today in the bay," the special exhibit for tony bennett opening up at a nob hill hotel. how you can eventually own a

piece of history there. reports say that tesla will drop plans for a lower cost car, but it is lowering prices on the cars it has. marking a celestial moment for the perfect photo. we're going to tell you how the we're going to tell you how the snap the best she got that dress with the extra money she saved

using our brand new grocery outlet app. it's been really fun seeing what everyone's doing with the extra money they save. nice shirt. just got back from vacation. a butler? super nice guy. i got to start using the app. good monday morning.

right now at 5:12, we're getting a look at our day planner for mountain view. at 8:00 it's in the upper 40s and we will have a chilly morning across the bay area. looking at lots of sunshine as our temperatures here stay in the upper 60s for the afternoon. feeling nice and comfortable and warmer than yesterday. we'll talk about the warming trend in the forecast coming up. as you head out on the road, i want to give you a look at drive times as we get a look at the tri-valley. we're seeing it slowing down just a little bit on westbound 580 from grant line road to 680. this is the usual spot where we start so see things slowing down early. i'll keep an eye on that and a look at another view of the commute in a few minutes. good morning. happy monday to you. so the markets have been struggling lately, and if you're a regular watcher of "today in the bay," you know they're struggling because the economic data has been so good lately. we got another blowout jobs

number on friday, more than 300,000 jobs added. the unemployment rate fell. that does have investors worried the fed will not cut as soon or as often this year. that causes a lot of red arrows. the taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, the white house is expected to announce a $6 billion grant under the chips act for the chip maker to build a $65 billion facility in arizona. treasury secretary janet yellen wrapping up a trip to china, no major policy changes, but america and china are trying to balance competition and cooperation. it's her second trip in nine months. president biden is expected to announce huge changes in student loan forgiveness, including forgiving all accumulated interest for some loans. we'll talk more about that as we talk politics coming up. reuters reporting that tesla has dropped plans to make a

lower cost car. tesla ceo elon musk says that's not true. we will point out historically when reuters says something and elon musk says something else, reuters is usually right in the end. the bigger model y now costs as little as the less expensive model 3 did when it was introduced. a judge in brazil is launching a criminal investigation of elon musk after he said x would not obey a court order and remove certain accounts that spread false news about brazilian officials. musk said the company's actions violating the order would result in, well, we'll probably lose all revenue in brazil and shut down the office, but principles matter more than profit. and two lawsuits against tesla begin this week in northern california. the most watched will be the case of walter wang, an engineer

who died on 101 in mountain view after his self-driving tesla hit a concrete barrier at more than 70 miles an hour. the ntsb says the driver was playing a video game on his phone at the time and he had complained to friends several times in the past that his tesla would head toward that barrier. no one is going to argue that he was in the right. what they're going to argue is that tesla calls it full self-driving and he believed them. >> right, i remember that accident. >> that's going to be the issue. a lot of cars will do lane keeping or something like that. they don't call it full self-driving. >> keep your hands on the wheel. thanks, scott. >> i like to be in control when it's trying to pull me this way or that. it's 5:16 right now. did you catch this? college basketball star caitlin clark coming up just short in the final chapter of her historic journey.

>> sweet redemption. undefeated south carolina has won its third national championship. >> yeah, caitlin clark's team there, iowa hawkeyes fell to south carolina in yesterday's women's national championship game. but south carolina had a magical run this season, going undefeated in their win, their third title in school history. clark broke college basketball scoring record for women and men, so there. it's expected that her next stop will be the wnba. >> the coach gave her a shout-out thanking her for what she did for the sport. trending this morning, the start of a heartfelt tribute to a legendary crooner who first left his heart in san francisco

years ago. ♪♪ >> i just love to sing, and as far as i'm concerned, i never worked a day in my life. >> the feeling of that, right? tony bennett, a life well lived, opens today at the fairmont hotel where the late singer always had a close connection. so this three-day exhibit is going to feature artifacts from his life, including a cable car bill the city gave him in 1980. there's also a jacket he wore during the 2010 world series. all of the items can eventually be yours. they're being shipped to new york for an auction once the exhibit closes. ♪♪ ♪ i'm blinded by the light ♪ talk about a photo opportunity there. today's eclipse for many will no

doubt be a moment to hold on to forever. >> the pictures from your phone may not turn out so well unless you take a few steps first to try to get that best shot. for one, try using your eclipse glasses to filter your lens. you can also buy a special sun filter for phone lenses which can help capture a clear shot. you may want to adjust the exposure or get a tripod to minimize movement. don't zoom in too much. that can decrease quality. experts say it's important to wear the proper gear. >> so you do not want to look at the sun with your naked eye, even for a few seconds. there's a very serious chance that you will burn the retina in your eye and that can cause permanent damage. >> whether you're watching in the path of totality or right here at home in the bay area, you will need some special eclipse glasses to look up to the sun. we put together a breakdown on

what to look for and how to make sure that your own are working properly. just point your camera to the qr code on your screen and it will take you straight to nbcbayarea.com, that way you can verify everything and check things out. >> or just watch from the safety of home. we'll be on air with it. meteorologist kari hall has us covered when it comes to the forecast. a beautiful one today. >> it looks great for us. if we were only in the path of totality, we would be able to get a clear view. but as we take a look at what to expect here, once again, the clouds are peeling away after the system that moved through over the weekend, and we can see that quite a few of the clouds and another storm system is continuing to move across parts of the midwest. so we can see the rain all the way from minneapolis, extending down into texas, with the cold front kind of bowing out. so looking at the path of this as it moves through texas, that will be happening at about 4:40 this afternoon, right over waco and continuing to make its way

through dallas, and then moving toward the north and east, little rock, kansas, arkansas, through missouri. here we are at 6:05 their time, eastern time, it will be approaching indianapolis, and then moving over to toledo, ohio, and then all the way up to buffalo, new york. that's at 6:18 this evening. for us, that's 3:00 in the afternoon. and then looking into parts of the northeast, they're going to see it moving off the coast of maine at 7:35 p.m. so of course we'll be watching that on national news, really interesting to see that happening. we're looking at warmer temperatures across the bay area. we're headed for 71 in novato, san francisco today 66 degrees, 71 in fremont and 71 in los gatos. tomorrow it's even warmer. we have upper 70s for much of the east bay, with concord up to 77 degrees, and look at that, some 80s in the forecast for

wednesday. such a big change from the weather we had last week. and it continues to warm up through the middle to end of the week. after that, just in time for the weekend, you guessed it, more unsettled weather. so off and on rain in our weekend forecast, much cooler temperatures will be moving in. then we'll see it warming up once again. that seems to be the trend. by the time we get to the weekend, those temperatures go down and then it looks like we could have some spotty rain. but today, once again, for the eclipse, it is going to be all clear. just make sure that you protect those eyes and if the kids are at school, maybe they'll be doing a project to view it safely. we'll be in the low 80s as we head toward the end of the week, and then look at the weekend, we are back to the 60s. here is a look at san jose as you're heading out for traffic and a look at the richmond-san rafael bridge. everything looks smooth right now and across the bay area not seeing any sensors that are showing any big slowing, even in

the south bay, parts of the tri-valley. looking at the bridge drive times, it's eight minutes to get you on westbound 580 to the richmond bridge. on the bay bridge, it takes about seven minutes to get across. so it looks good dark and early. i'll have another check in a few minutes. >> waiting for the sun's arrival. thank you very much. 5:22. advancing the search for a cure. next on "today in the bay," the all new recovery researchers have made about

welcome back. it's 5:25. new this morning, the number of alzheimer's patients is expected to double within 30 years. one new study seeks to help slow down the disease. the ahead study is testing a new fda approved drug. researchers are looking for people who show no symptoms yet because they say brain changes related to alzheimer's can start up to 20 years sooner, and for african americans and hispanic americans, the impact is almost three times as likely. advocates want to change that by making research and care more readily available for minority groups. >> these historically underrepresented groups don't have the same level of access to care than other populations, the predominant population.

alzheimer's disease, especially on drugs to treat alzheimer's disease, it has been predominantly on the wide population, so we need better studies that consider everybody. >> the ahead study targets people between the ages of 55 and 80. 5:26. next, the top stories we're following, including gas prices climbing yet again. we're going to tell you how much you can expect to pay and the reason prices might not drop any time soon. the texas hill country, one of the first places the eclipse will be visible in the u.s. i'm j

hopefully we're going to have some good skies and i'll see my first total eclipse ever in my life. >> right now at 5:30, awaiting today's solar eclipse. here in the bay area people should be able to get a glimpse of something special. from the dos to the don'ts to the how to, we have you covered on all fronts to enjoy the best experience. and a live look outside. ahead, meteorologist kari hall is breaking down what actually occurs during a solar eclipse with a look at how the skies should shape up for the bay area's partial eclipse. this is "today in the bay." a total eclipse of my heart this morning. want to say good morning to you all. i'm marcus washington. >> how many times will people

sing that song today? i'm laura garcia. thank you so much for joining us. so many people across the bay area plan to stop what they're doing today to take in today's solar show. we're live this morning at a place that should be actually packed with people watching. >> "today in the bay"'s bob redell is live for us over at berkeley hills. this is at the lawrence hall of science. bob, i would imagine the excitement is growing. some folks are probably still asleep, but that's going to be the place to be. >> reporter: yeah, we've got a few hours left before that eclipse happens here in the bay area. good morning to you, marcus and laura. yes, the lawrence hall of science, which is not too far here in the hills over berkeley, they're having a viewing party. so is the chabot space and science center in oakland. that event is sold out. we spoke with an astronomer who tells us that his event is sold out. hundreds of people are expected to watch the solar eclipse, which will start around 10:15

this morning, with the maximum at around 11:14 a.m. you obviously don't want to look directly at the sun. mckeegan will be putting a special filter on the telescope for people to look at the sun safely. you can also buy an inexpensive pair of eclipse glasses that block out about 99% of the sun's rays. >> we have a balcony and we have our own telescope, but they told us that we should use these because we can't look at the sun, we would need a special lens for that. >> reporter: unfortunately, we here in the bay area will only have a partial solar eclipse. as you can see on your screen, other parts of the country, namely the midwest and northeast, will experience total darkness. airbnb says nine out of ten rentals inside that corridor are sold out. the lawrence hall of science here in berkeley will have a viewing party.

the robert ferguson center, the chabot space and science center, which is sold out. the skies are clear as we're looking over berkeley and the rest of the bay, and it is expected to stay that way through the eclipse, which is great. reporting live in the hills over berkeley, bob redell. >> it's really great, especially in the bay area where we can get that cloud cover. thanks, bob. only people in the path of totality will get that full experience of today's solar eclipse. >> let's bring in meteorologist kari hall to explain what happens. >> solar eclipses happen when the sun, the moon and the earth align, and the moon passes between the earth and the sun. temporarily blocking the sun's light. therefore, casting the moon's shadow on earth. a total solar eclipse happens when the moon is fully obscuring the sun and the umbra is the inner cone shaped part of the shadow. it is the part in which the

light has been blocked and all of that light is blocked during the partial solar eclipse, it means that it just blocks a portion of the sun's face with the moon appearing to take a bit out of the sun. the moon will block the sunlight for about two hours from start to finish. for the bay area, the most the moon will block the sun will be 35%, starting at 10:14, peaking at 11:13, and ending at 12:15. we will have a mostly clear sky, but others in the path of totality in the heartland are not so lucky. for more on that, i'll send it back to you, laura and marcus. >> thanks, kari. >> it's going to be a very exciting time. >> it doesn't happen often. although we did see one in 2017. before that, i think it was '79. then, what, the next one is, like, 20 years from now? so, yeah, take advantage of it. it is truly something -- i know

a meteorologist in maryland taking his son, who was supposed to go to texas. but the weather there is -- the coverage, anyway, so he's going to new york now. >> there is a swath where you can see it. here we're supposed to see 34% of it. >> which isn't too bad. >> we're also going to cover it online and on air, so any time you want to join us there, you'll certainly be welcome. >> we also talk about some of the things that -- you know, the fun things or cool things. so make sure you stick around for that. >> everybody is so excited, more than 30 million people expected to be in the path of totality we're talking about for today's eclipse. that means a short period of total darkness. >> provided that the weather cooperates, there may be no better place to see the junction between the sun and moon and earth than junction, texas. that's where we find "today in the bay"'s jay gray, live for us this morning. jay, how is the weather looking ahead of the big moment out

there? >> reporter: the eclipse begins its u.s. journey in texas, and in the heart of the hill country history getting a proper lone star welcome. riding and roping. picking and grinning. a washer's tournament and sipping eclipse wine from a texas vineyard. the festival turning the eclipse into a three-day celebration. >> for those coming for the eclipse, we wanted to give them something to do while they're here. >> reporter: games, goods, local royalty, eclipse chasers coming from across the country and around the world, hoping for that rare glimpse of the moon, completely blocking its powerful rays. >> it's incredible. it's something to remember your whole life. >> reporter: the path of totality moves from the pacific to the atlantic across 15 states, home to more than 31 million. but forecasters warn a big part of that path could be covered in

clouds. the exploratorium museum in san francisco teaming with nasa, will stream live across the globe. after two years of research and planning, their telescopes and cameras are surrounded by hay bales. >> we talked to weather folks and it turns out this is the best place in the united states in terms of weather. >> reporter: everything along the path of the eclipse hoping they'll be left in the dark in just a few hours. jay gray, nbc news, junction, texas. >> thank you, jay. as i mentioned, we will have special coverage on air, beginning around 10:00 this morning. if you want to know more, like the best ways to take a picture, head to our website, nbcbayarea.com. you can click on the solar eclipse link. you'll find it in our trending bar to see all of our stories ahead of the eclipse. new overnight in san francisco, firefighters mopping

up after an rv caught fire outside an auto shop. it started a little after 2:30 this morning on newhall street. damage was limited to the rv and firefighters saved a nearby warehouse. no one was injured. as temperatures start to warm up, gas prices so far show no sign of going down, or cooling down. the national average for regular unleaded is now at $3.67 a gallon. of course, it is much higher in california, by nearly $2. and the latest survey suggests prices will rise another 10 cents within days as more americans get ready to hit the roads and refiners transition to the less polluting summer blend. aaa says that gas is now averaging about $5.44 a gallon in san jose. in oakland, we're seeing about $5.48.

in san francisco, $5.59 a gallon. prices are 30 cents higher than they were just one week ago. >> just in time for your summer travel plans. tenants rights groups in concord are angry over plans to upend newly approved protections for renters. protesters gathered yesterday, showing their support for a recently passed rent stabilization and just cause ordinance. among other things, it caps annual rent increases at 3% or 60% of inflation rates. it applies to all multi-family complexes built more than 30 years ago. now opponents are calling for the council to allow voters to have the final say, and until that's resolved, the ordinance is in limbo. >> i mean, let the citizens of concord, which includes everybody, vote on the ordinance. that's all we ask and that's what the referendum is about. >> by preventing high rent increases, renters will be able to save money. >> opponents are in the process

of collecting enough signatures for a referendum this fall. the mayor there says within the next couple of weeks voters should know if it will qualify for the ballot. continuing coverage along the central coast, where convoys are expected to continue today to assist locals and tourists trapped one week after the shifting terrain destabilized an area on highway 1. caltrans and engineers are keeping an eye on the road making sure it's safe enough for convoys to pass through. they're also working on a plan to temporarily stabilize the roadway. it is 5:39 on your monday morning. waiting for the sun's arrival. we take a live look outside overlooking san francisco. nice and clear on this monday morning, kari. >> it is a nice, clear start. it's going to be a beautiful day. in fact, we have some nice spring-like weather coming in over the next few days. it is still chilly as you head out. we're at 46 in oakland, 44 in walnut creek, and we're seeing

mainly mid to upper 40s. as we get a look at san jose, there will be a nice little warming trend happening. we're going from 44 at 6:00 to 65 degrees at noon, and eventually reaching into the low 70s for today. we'll see low 70s for much of the east bay into the north bay, up to 75, the warmest spot will be in santa rosa. we'll talk about that warming trend for the rest of the week coming up. let's get you out for the commute. we're starting to see a few more cars approaching that bay bridge toll plaza. metering lights not yet on. we are seeing a steady flow of traffic across the san mateo bridge, and we're also not seeing any major problems. so far, no accidents. so that's the great thing. as you're heading out on this monday morning, hopefully you have a safe drive to work. i'll have another look at what to expect, weather and traffic coming up again in a few minutes. >> thanks, kari. for some people, today's eclipse should mean a whole lot more than a few thrilling moments. coming up, let's just call it a

lifetime of thrilling moments. we're going to tell you about a couple using today's event to mark something that lasts a lifetime. maybe bright skies for students. president biden is expected to president biden is expected to announce yet more student loan ( ♪♪ ) you made a cow! actually it's a piggy bank. my inspiration to start saving. how about a more solid way to save? i'm listening. well, bmo helps get your savings habit into shape with a cash reward, every month you save. both: cash reward?

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you can see the store's inventory. so you guys really have mangoes in stock? yup. what about frozen pizza? here they are. fresh salmon. too easy. coffee? yup. good monday morning. the time is 5:44. let's get a look at our day planner in gilroy. starting at 41 degrees at 6:00, and it is going to be nice and

sunny. a gradual warm-up as we head for the low 70s today. we continue to warm up as we go through the week, so we'll talk about that and if there's any rain chances in the forecast. as you're heading out on the road, here is a look at what to expect as you're driving through contra costa county. we are seeing a bit of a slowdown as you go from highway 4 to 680. from pittsburg to walnut creek takes you about 29 minutes. kirker pass from pittsburg to walnut creek takes about 20 minutes. we'll get a look at what to expect in our full microclimate forecast and traffic coming up in a few minutes. tensions are growing in san francisco, this is as the city gets closer to that new permit policy for sidewalk planters. the debate over those planters has sparked a lot of controversy. some people believe they're being installed in areas like the mission district to deter the unhoused from camping on sidewalks. plant lovers argue it's unfair to require a permit process, with the rules requiring

unobstructed sidewalk space. the mission neighborhood association says the program will be a big step backwards. >> personally, i don't think you should have to get a permit to love your neighborhood. i think it would be nice if the city showed us a little more love and responded to the issues we have. >> now, we did reach out to the department of public works, but did not hear back last night. in an email to the group, a department spokesperson said that the permit is free, but they want the planters to be registered so they know who to contact if there's a problem. it will cover many projects, including planters, benches and small libraries. the city says the new rules and regulations are close to being finalized. president biden is expected to announce yet more student loan relief today in a speech in wisconsin. >> so scott mcgrew is here. we have heard the president

announce the relief before, but you say this time this one is particularly big. >> it's been a bit piecemeal so far. this one is going to cover more than $1 billion in loan relief. the prediction is more than seven out of ten people who owe on student loans will get some relief. among the details we have been able to figure out, among the simplest solution, people who have not applied for relief will just be given that relief anyway. those who have been paying for undergraduate loans more than 20 years could see their interest rates erased and their loans erased. especially those who have been faithfully paying, but are losing ground because of interest, could see the interest portion erased, at least. and then, finally, those experiencing financial hardship, at this point we have no idea how they're going to define that. the president will also talk up the economy. on friday, the march jobs report was yet another blowout, more than 300,000 jobs added to the

economy. wages are up, gdp is up, inflation down, well below its highs. yet many americans still think the economy is doing poorly. part of that is high interest rates and gas prices. interest rates and gas prices go up in a strong economy, they go down in a suffering economy. add to that former president trump who has been painting the economy as a suffering economy, but, again, the data just don't support that. the biden campaign says it raised $90 million last month, has $192 million on hand. the trump campaign has not yet reported its march fundraising total. former president trump held a campaigning fundraiser at mar-a-lago over the weekend. >> it's going to be the most important, i believe, election we've ever had. i think it's going to go down as the most important date in the history of our country, that's november 5th, it will be the most important date in the history of our country. >> over the weekend, mr. trump

announced he would reveal his abortion policy today, saying a truth social the issue should be left to the states, there should not be a national ban on abortion. he also said exceptions should be made for rape, incest and the life of the mother. the abortion issue is fraught for the trump campaign. many in his party have been pushing for a nationwide six-week ban with no exception. they will not like his position and many american voters, a majority, in fact, support a woman's choice. and finally, fcc chair will be in campbell today to push for net neutrality rules. her fellow commissioners will vote later this month whether to bring back net neutrality, a policy canceled during the trump campaign. she'll be joined by the department that saw internet communications throttled by the internet service provider because it used too much data, the way a teenager might watch too many videos and see the

family's internet slow down. at the time, santa clara county was helping to fight the mendocino complex fire and it was a rough time. >> very much so. thank you very much, scott. it is 5:49. another bay area athlete -- whoops, that was my coffee mug there. let me tell you about a bay area athlete punching her ticket to campus. she qualified for her third summer olympics. the 33-year-old rower won the bronze medal in the quadruple skulls at the 2012 london games. then in tokyo, she placed ninth. way to go. nbc bay area is your home for all things olympics. our jessica aguirre will be in paris bringing us reports about our local athletes. it's right around the corner, july 26th, right here on nbc bay area. ♪♪ ♪ once upon a time i was falling

in love ♪ ♪ now i'm only falling apart ♪ ♪ there's nothing i can do, a total eclipse of the heart ♪ >> couples getting ready to show their love that it span to say the moon and back. >> the biggest mass wedding is happening under a total solar eclipse today. couples flocked to russellville, arkansas, this weekend. they got a marriage license in preparation for today. so this is all part of a three-day eclipse festival and the celestial ceremony is scheduled for just minutes before totality. >> it's cheaper, too, really. >> it's going to be the coolest wedding ever. >> apart from the marriage license and the ring, the wedding is free with the purchase of two $100 festival tickets. they'll be providing decorations, cake, and a bottle of sparkling fruit drink for all

couples. if you're feeling a little bit of a fomo of not being in the path of totality today, scientists say don't be too bummed. they say the eclipse may happen about every 18 months. the reason this one is getting so much attention is because it is visible in the u.s. and across a relatively large part of the country. the future eclipse may be just as brilliant. you'll have to travel a little farther. the path of the next solar eclipse is 2026. it's going to run mainly over the arctic ocean. some of the best viewing opportunities will be probably in greenland, iceland, russia and spain. >> you could have a little vacation. we've been talking about the special glasses you'll need to wear during the eclipse, but what should you do with them after? some states are setting up recycling bins. here in california, you can drop your eclipse glasses off at by warby parker store.

they'll be donated to astronomers without borders. the organization will send glasses to schools in latin america where there's an annual eclipse happening in october. put them to go use. >> get them reused. yeah, i was thinking, i'm going to have to tell my boss i'm going to be traveling to spain to see the eclipse. >> take "today in the bay" on the road. >> but i think sometimes watching it with your family and everyone on tv can be just as fun. even though we're not going to be in that path of totality, and then going out and seeing what it looks like for us. we are going to have a clear, sunny day. really nice weather. after a chilly weekend, we're going to be warming up. some of our temperatures in the inland areas are headed for the 80s. and then by friday it starts to cool off, with rain chances for the weekend. so here is a look at the view across the region, once again it is all clear for us. but there is a storm system that's moving across the midwest in some of the same areas that

are in that path of totality. you can see that there are some showers and lots of clouds in those areas. so as we take a look at what to expect, how it will look for much of the country, yes, we're on the very outer fringe of that, where we only get 35% coverage of the moon's shadow over the sun. and looking at the areas farther toward the east, once again, looking in spots very iffy. now, we're going to see temperatures here in the low 70s, a nice little warm-up after a chilly weekend. if you've been looking at the seven-day forecast at the bottom of the screen, wednesday is the peak of those temperatures. we're still pretty warm on thursday as well. we could even see low 80s in spots like fremont, san jose, morgan hill, and upper 70s for parts of the north bay on wednesday. our warmest day of the week. and just in time for the weekend, the next storm system and cold front dives in. it starts on friday, continues through the weekend, with some

off and on rain and more sierra snow coming our way. cool temperatures to start out next week. it's looking light here, most of it happening on saturday, and it's anywhere from 2 inches in tahoe city up to 9 inches of snow in kirkwood. in our seven-day forecast, it shows a significant warm-up and then cooldown. so a lot of big changes here. as we go throughout the next few days, we're up to 81 on thursday for inland areas. we talked about those low 80s. then only in the 60s for friday into saturday, and slightly milder as the rain starts to taper off on sunday. then looking at san francisco, also, we're going to see a big warm-up with the warmest day here on wednesday. as we get out on the roads this morning, we're starting to see a backup in the south bay. this is looking at 101 in san jose. it's about that time when we typically see things slowing down. then looking at the richmond-san rafael bridge, it is looking

pretty clear there. we are looking at the map overall, and we are seeing a clear view, but just starting to see that accident popping up. that may be what's causing some of the slowing that we're seeing in the south bay. i'll see what's happening there. but overall we've seen a smooth flow of traffic around the bay area, and slowing more going from pittsburg to walnut creek, about 30 minutes, and from pittsburg to walnut creek there on kirker pass, 22 minutes. the benicia bridge to walnut creek, about ten minutes, which is at speed. looking at our bridge drive times, the bay bridge is slowing down, takes about 11 minutes to get across. so just slightly slower. and we'll get a look at what's changing around the bay area with our traffic. i'll have another update in a few minutes. back to you. >> thank you so much. happening now, the bay area's commercial dungeness crab season ends today. state fish and wildlife ended it early after starting months late

due to the migrating whales in the waters. there are concerns that the whales will get trapped in crab netting. the whales are migrating north again after migrating south to birth their calves. our continuing coverage of the solar eclipse continues. if you have glasses, there's a crucial step you should take to make sure they're safe. we'll break it down. local events you can join in on. nbc bay area streams 24/7. nbc bay area streams 24/7. you can watch us on

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right now at 6:00, excitement ahead of today's rare solar eclipse. we take a look at how cities across the u.s. are preparing, from the path of totality to right here in the bay area. if you have eclipse glasses, you can test them before the big show in the sky. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. an astronomer will show us how next. will nature cooperate enough to see the cosmic phenomenon? we're tracking all the visibility across the