new this morning, finally free after months trapped deep underground, miners in chile take their first breath of fresh air. the world watches transfixed at live pictures this morning. and a lively debate that left voters with a lot to think about. we'll show you what's next for the candidates for governor, this wednesday, october 13th, "today in the east bay." from nbc bay area, reporting what matters to you, this is "today in the east bay." good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. it is 4:30. we have a very hot day on tap.

here is rob. rob, take it away. >> yeah, especially in the east bay later on. right now 62 degrees in oakland. the winds have backed off a little bit so some spots have dropped off into the 50s. right now in concord light winds, 61 degrees. livermore at this time yesterday close to 70 degrees. so without the wind we'll start off a little cooler but heating up for the afternoon. unfortunately, the tri-valley seeing the worst of the air quality. sen unhealthy for sensitive groups. livermore 93. as we head into the inner portion of the east bay we still have an excessive heat warning today for places like oakland and hayward. today i think the last of the truly hot days, we'll get some relief starting tomorrow. a look at the extended forecast in a few minutes. let's turn to mike inouye. a little bit of trouble. >> an overnight accident that happened in martinez just west of interstate 680.

this is at alhambra avenue. an overturned vehicle, reports of initial injuries but it sounds like everything got sorted out, just property damage. still the chp report it's still in lanes just west of 680 south of the benicia bridge. the carquinez and benicia bridges moving very slmoothly. westbound highway 4 doesn't start to show slowing until 5:15. an hour from now we'll see the sensors change. it's a spare the air day so we're encouraging people to take mass transit or car pool. developing now, an amazing story of survival and limitless nature of the human spirit. you are looking at live video out of chile this morning. as of right now nine of the 33 chilean miners are back above ground. do you see that wheel moving at

the top of your screen there? that is the elevator, the small rescue capsule moving down a half mile to rescue the next miner. in case you went to bed before all of this started, it was about 8:00 last night. here is a look at the first miner being rescued. the capsule acting again like an elevator car comes up from the ground and out steps florencio avalos wearing a helmet, sunglasses and a smile. why the sunglasses? the miners have not seen light since the 5th of august. we will continue back with this live picture as it warrants throughout the morning to bring you the remarkable story. you'll recall after the mine first collapsed, rescuers didn't think they'd get the guys out until christmas. now to decision 2010. the candidates for california governor both claiming victory after their final debate of the

campaign. the heated face-off touched all kinds of big issues in the campaign. the kind of debate that can help undecided voters make up their mind. today in the east bay's jodi hernandez has a rundown of the issues and some of the extras that took center stage. >> reporter: the debate started with a handshake but it didn't take long for the fists to start swinging. one of the first topics that got both candidates fired up, meg whitman's plan to eliminate the capital gains tax. >> i'd like to ask you, how much money will you save if this tax breaks were in effect this year or last year? >> you know what? i'm an investor and investors will benefit from this, but so will job creators. my business is creating jobs. your business is politics. you've been doing this for 40 years. >> reporter: brown says his lifetime of experience in public office gives him what it takes to take on the state's challenges, including the budget

mess. he says he'll tackle the budget right out of the gate, cutting 10 to 15% from the governor's office. >> if he cuts 15% out of the budget, he's going to save $2.7 million, which is less than one-one hundredth of 1%. if that's your plan, we have really big problem as head of us. >> she doesn't have a detailed plan. she said 40,000 people, doesn't say who, where or what departments. by the way, you've got to get the legislature on board or nothing happens. >> reporter: things really heated up when brown responded to the audio taped sexist slur made by one of his campaign aides. >> i think every californian and especially women know exactly what's going on here, and that is a deeply offensive term to women. >> could i just interject. have you chastised your chairman, pete wilson, who called whores to the public sector unions? >> you know better than that,

jerry, that's a completely different thing. the fact that you are defending your campaign -- >> reporter: then whitman found herself in the hot seat when moderator tom brokaw asked her about the housekeeper flap. >> if you couldn't find someone in your home was undocumented or illegal, how do you expect businesses to be able to do that? >> this is why we need a very good e-verify system that allows a business of every size to look at the documentation and know whether it is real or not. >> i think it's kind of a sorry tale there. after working for nine years, she didn't even get her a lawyer. at least i could tell you that could be done. >> reporter: both candidates left the debate feeling good about their performance, energized for three more weeks on the campaign trail. >> do you feel like you won this? >> i feel like i did really, really well. >> it went great. i want to get an answer to my question that -- how much money is she going to make from her central economic plan. she wants to propose a plan for california which in fact is a tax break for herself.

i think she owes it to the people of california to tell us. >> that was jodi hernandez reporting. a relatively smooth debate inside but outside a different story. protesters from all sides were out there last night. every group had a bullhorn and an emotional slogan. opponents and supporters of both candidates waving signs, making sure their voices were heard. >> well, we're from oakland. we know nothing happened with jerry brown in oakland so we're here to make sure that meg wins so we can have something happen to our state. we need our business back, we need our jobs back. >> i think jerry brown is doing real good and getting his point across to the working families in california that his main goal will be to set forth and create more jobs in california. >> now, many of the protesters were from the green party. their candidate, laura wells, protested with them until she was arrested and escorted off site. she allegedly tried to use a bogus ticket to try to get inside the event.

well, a warning, there are so many things to vote on in alameda county, if you plan to vote by mail it's going to cost you extra this election. you'll need at least 78 cents for postage, because this year's ballot is jam packed, it's full and a bit heavier. let's go back to rob. rob, a very hot day, some fire danger, particularly in the east bay. >> yeah, we're still seeing enough wind to keep the red flag warnings up until about sunrise. now we have a spare the air warning for folks in the east bay. 63 in oakland, not much wind. our temperatures running a little cooler. out towards fairfield and livermore you can see upper 50s outside. some of our east bay weather headlines, breezy and dry in the hills. once again, 80s and 90s for highs and specifically it's the inland east bay valleys out to the tri-valley seeing the worst of the air quality as we're now seeing ground level lows.

the chemical soup that's over our head kind of bakes. it's a solar reaction to air level pollution. so today places like dublin and livermore, you may find your lungs if you have asthma or allergies, it's going to be a little tough if you're outdoors so try to cut down the afternoon activities both for the air quality and the hot temperatures again today. even san francisco around the peninsula upper 80s to low 90s. oakland close to 90 degrees. low 90s further inland. the tri-valley staying pretty close to 90 through tomorrow. then we cool off rapidly for the weekend. 60s and 70s for highs and maybe even a few showers early on monday morning. now "today in the east bay" traffic with mike inouye. >> all right, folks, it's 4:39. we're getting a look at livermore. rob told you about the spare the air alert. keep that in mind. try to car pool. it will also reduce the number of cars making westbound 580 more smooth.

both directions have a little construction right there where you see those yellow chicklets but right now not a big issue. we won't see slowdowns there for another hour and a half or so. sunol, you saw this some yellow there, that's just lighter volume of traffic traveling through the area but no major slowing. hardly any cars to see. the south bay with the northbound direction showing speeds close to the limit, that exclamation point right there 85 at saratoga, a car did hit a deer and that will be an issue for folks traveling through the area. a reminder, it is spare the air day so if you can take mass transit, there's a station here past 880 and the nimitz freeway moves very slowly. you see the light volume northbound with the taillights going up through downtown with no delays at the toll plaza with no backup. it's a wednesday, we should see a pretty moderate flow. but so far no issues coming through the maze. all the way over and across the bay getting into the city for the morning commute. coming up, oakland goes head to head with notorious gangs. what the city plans to do today

to fight the violence. plus the package looks legit but you are buying a fake. not just dangerous, it can be deadly. learn what to do to avoid giving your pet phony medications. and know what the codes and numbers and letters on your plane ticket mean? we'll show you the secret. the time now is 4:41. you're taking a pretty look at the bay bridge this morning. we'll be right back. reporting what matters to you, you're watching "today in the east bay." with scott mcgrew and africa with mike inouye. [ male announcer ] carly fiorina. as ceo, she laid off 30,000 workers and shipped jobs to china. china. india. russia. poland. i know precisely why those jobs go. [ male announcer ] because fiorina shipped them there. to shanghai instead of san jose. bangalore instead of burbank. proudly stamping her products "made in china." 30,000 workers gone while fiorina took $100 million for herself. carly fiorina. outsourcing jobs. out for herself.

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it is 4:44 and you are looking at a live picture of  oakland. look at the temperatures there. pleasant hill 93 degrees, oakland, what is that, 89, pleasanton 94, it's going to be hot. we'll check in with rob. medical marijuana users in oakland could soon have twice as many options to get their supply. an oakland city committee voted unanimously to increase the number of medical marijuana dispensaries from four to eight. they also voted to increase the annual fees paid by the clubs from 30,000 to 60,000. city staffs say that's a more realistic estimate of the cost to oversee the clubs. the full city council will vote on the plan on tuesday. oakland city leaders getting ready to announce their next step to squeeze out one of the most violent gangs in the city.

the city attorney and police chief want another injunction against the group. our general policy is not to name gangs specifically to deny the notoriety. if blessed by the courts, this move will restrict the gang from committing crimes in a safety zone. they can't carry guns, they can't gather, threaten witnesses, recruit members or even just hang out on the street at night within the zone. all right, folks, look out here at highway 4, the westbound direction. traffic is still moving close to the limit. we're very nicely flowing past willow pass road where there is an accident just reported but it's a hit and run accident. the person that was hit over on the shoulder, anybody that saw anything please keep that in mind. as you move further west there was an earlier accident around martinez right around alhambra avenue. property damage after an overturned vehicle had been

there a few hours, cleared up nicely. southbound as well as westbound 80, coming across the carquinez bridge all the way down the east shore freeway to the berkeley curve, no major issues. things are moving very nicely here as well. keep in mind this is also an area taken over by bart parallel to the freeway so use that if you can because it is a spare the air day, rob, and it's pretty warm out there. >> yeah, and we're seeing some temperatures this morning in the 50s and 60s outside right now. 58 in livermore. the winds have backed off, so that means we're starting off cooler in some of the inland tri-valley but you'll also notice it will have an impact on air quality coming up later on. 56 fairfield, 58 livermore, 64 hayward. notice the wind still slightly offshore but not as gusty as yesterday morning. we still have a red flag warning up for the north and east bay hills until sunrise today. there you see the air quality. the reason why we do have a spare the air day, the worst air quality up and down the tri-valley where we'll see temperatures pretty much in range of what we had yesterday.

low to mid-90s out towards livermore. san francisco, just a notch or two cooler today. upper 80s to low 90s. oakland close to 90. low 90s inland. tomorrow out to the tri-valley still near 90. we'll see cooling around oakland and everybody cools off for the weekend as the sea breeze turns stronger. highs back in the 60s and 70s. scott? new this morning, good news for your bottom line and those who like to talk on cell phones. for that and more news before the bell, let's welcome back courtney reagan, feeling a little bit better at cnbc headquarters. >> reporter: yes, good morning, scott. thanks. futures are higher ahead of the open and it's probably partly due to the intel effect. the chip giant reported really strong earnings last night and higher demand from business customers. intel is a tech bellwether as most of its chips power the world's computers. now, wall street rose slightly tuesday after minutes from last month's fed meeting signalled the central bank is set to take action to boost the economy

sooner rather than later. asian markets road overnight. the dow was up 10, the nasdaq up to 2417. the fcc will propose new rules thursday requiring wireless companies to alert customers either by voice or text message when they have reached their monthly limit. that way users don't have to worry about hidden costs, confusing billing practices and what the fcc calls bill shock. back to you, scott. >> all right, courtney, thank you much. despite the downturn in the economy, it is likely you are making some fairly decent money if you live in the bay area. a new study says household incomes in san jose and san francisco are among the highest in the nation. that's partly because of steady demand for government and high tech work. now, at the same time, households in many of the fast-growing areas during the housing boom like colorado and nevada still taking big hits. well, ever notice that series of numbers and lettering

on your airplane ticket? knowing what they mean could save you money, at least help you get on the plane. an nbc reporter in dallas says he's figured out the code. he said if your ticket has a y, you score a big chance of getting a free first class upgrade. it's an indicate you paid full fare. that y also means you probably will not be bumped from your flight. if you have an l or a v, you probably paid less and you have a greater chance of being bumped, so check in early to secure your seat. now for a look at what's coming up later "today in the bay" let's say good morning to laura garcia-cannon who's in the newsroom. >> the last time i saw first class was when i walked through it. >> with three babies? >> not yet. i don't want to scare people. thanks so much. good morning, everyone. we have 20 days to go until election day and the candidates are ready for the home stretch. we're going to tell you what's coming next with political analyst larry gersten. he's going to join us live.

pg&e also sits down with the victims of the san bruno disaster and more people living on top of dangerous pipelines. later today we'll look at what they're expected to say. those stories and we are going to take a look at what the latest ruling on the military's don't ask, don't tell policy will mean later on "today in the bay." saving money on pet prescriptions, more people turning online to find deals on everything from flea medication to pain relievers, but the fda has just issued a warning that some online companies are selling phony or even contaminated medications. as "today in the east bay's" vicki -- vicky nguyen shows us, it could harm pets. >> reporter: 63% of american households include a pet and they account for more than $10 billion of spending a year just on medication. >> we've been on pred sewn and cephalexin and other things for

sicknesses they have been through. >> reporter: but even the most well-meaning owners can fall prey to bad medicines that come from unlicensed on out of country online venldors. >> i've had a couple of reactions from the products. >> reporter: dr. monica thompson says one of her patients went online to buy frontline. the problem is the product was bogus. these photos show an expiration date and a made in australia label, two things the real frontline wouldn't have. >> there's a company who is copying the frontline, the packaging is very close but not quite close enough and they are producing it in australia. the true frontline is made in france. >> i actually don't remember the website but i remember it was australian. >> reporter: he bought advantage for his dogs from an australian website. it cost half of what he nearly pays but it took six weeks to arrive and it didn't work. >> i still get e-mails

constantly saying do you want to reorder, do you want to reorder. no, i'm going to stick with what i know. lesson learned. >> reporter: lucky for both owners there weren't any lasting effects from the counterfeit products. but it's tough to know which sites to avoid because there's no database of who's doing bad business. best advice, stick to nationally known sites like 1-800-pet meds or pet care rx and always consult your vet. some will match the online price or at least approve the site you're using. >> i try to help my clients find cheaper alternatives because in this economy i'd want the same thing. >> they say avoid online pet pharmacies if it isn't licensed by the state board of pharmacy or the prices are a lot lower than other sites. certain medicines are at higher risk. non-steroidal inflammatory drugs are prescription-only medicines. if given in the wrong dose ajs, they can be deadly. >> don't try to save a buck

trying to buy something you're not sure of. go with what you know. >> reporter: to make sure the pills your pet pops will help and not hurt. vicky nguyen, "today in the bay." a warning as well about the weather. we have a spare the air day, red flags, high temperatures coming to the east bay. kris sanchez is live in the oakland hills with more on what could be a dangerous day. good morning, kris. >> reporter: good morning, scott. we've been holding our breath because we've had this red flag warning going since day before yesterday. it's going to expire around sunrise today but that doesn't mean the fire danger disappears just like that. still a reason to be cautious because the temperatures will continue to be warm. rob mayeda said the winds have died down a little bit so that's good news there. we're looking at video of the 1991 firestorm here in the oakland hills and this is a very painful reminder for folks that it is so very important to be prepared. that $1.5 billion fire cost 25

people their lives and about 3400 people their homes, their apartments, their condos. so what firefighters here in the oakland hills, east bay hills, north bay hills are finding is that the people who choose to live here because it's so beautiful and hilly and warm, they are heeding the warning to be ready for the fire danger that also comes with living in these hills. they say that they are finding that people are keeping space around their properties and making sure to mow in the early and late-night hours and they are very careful about planting foliage like this which stays green when things are quite hot so they don't increase the fire danger. the red flag warning continues until sunrise but the fire danger will stick around a little longer than that. kris sanchez, "today in the bay." giants fans flying high this morning but bay area baseball fans will have to wait a little longer for the giants' banner to

fly high over atlanta's city hall. atlanta's mayor is getting ready to hoist the orange and black flag when it arrives in the mail. the two made a friendly bet the loser would have to fly the winners' flag. we are told the flag would have to arrive today. meanwhile the phillies already practicing game one saturday night in philadelphia. the giants took yesterday off to catch some well-deserved zs after the braves series. they'll be back at it on the diamond today. nbc bay area and comcast will bring you comprehensive giants coverage. the only way to see it is csn. they will join the sportsnet central team live from philadelphia. you can switch over from fox to comcast after the final out on saturday night. now "today in the east bay" weather. >> and "today in the east bay" weather off to a cooler start. the winds are starting to back

off, which is good news as you just heard from kris sanchez. as the winds back off, the air quality is taking a little bit of a hit today. weaver a spare the air day. tri-valley, we have unhealthy for sensitive groups. this is what happens. you have a strong ridge of high pressure, air quality suffering a little this afternoon and you may be suffering from the heat. low to mid-90s inland around dublin and pleasanton. there's an excessive heat warning right there near richmond over towards san mateo. a lot of folks don't have air conditioning. on days like this you really need it. tri-valley temperatures still close to 90 tomorrow but oakland and the inner bay cools off thursday. everybody cools down heading into the weekend. scott? california women leading california politics. we'll take a special look at whether 2010 can be the year of the woman in sacramento and cities around the bay. and the bay area university with a peeping tom masquerading as a woman.

find out where. i leave you with a live look at the bay bridge. it is 4:56. [ male announcer ] carly fiorina.

as ceo, she laid off 30,000 workers and shipped jobs to china. china. india. russia. poland. i know precisely why those jobs go. [ male announcer ] because fiorina shipped them there. to shanghai instead of san jose. bangalore instead of burbank. proudly stamping her products "made in china." 30,000 workers gone while fiorina took $100 million for herself. carly fiorina. outsourcing jobs. out for herself. [ barbara boxer ] i'm barbara boxer, and i approved this message. leaves residue behind? finish jet dry rinse agent removes residue and dries dishes better than detergent alone

two times better. for a brilliant shine every time. finish jet dry rinse agent. finish. the diamond standard. this morning fresh air and freedom. right now chilean