good morning. fedex has its busiest shipping day yet. how they are sorting it out here in oakland this morning and information on how to get your package there under the tree on time. >> and just before christmas, a couple of bay area companies announce they will lay off hundreds of workers. a live look outside at the toll plaza on the bay bridge. the rain on the way back. there it is, december 14th, today in the east bay.

>> good morning. it is 4:30. we start with rob and look at the live picture. was there rain on the ground? >> that was accurate. around the 880 commute around san leandro approaching cal state east bay. the north bay seeing most of the rain and this will fill in throughout the morning commute north to south and this is a lot of moisture. we could see up to an inch of rain in the wetter locations around the coastal hills and the north bay. from the east bay and beyond, it will be cool and breezy. highs in the mid- to upper 50s. 56 in mo raga and upper 50s around concord and pittsburgh. we will talk more about a series of storms on the east bay in the seven-day forecast in a few minutes. >> thank you much.

troub trouble? >> it's over on the east bay. we have to find a name for the tunnel. the posey tube is closed that will take you from alameda to oakland. that construction lasting until about 5:00 this morning. another half hour there, but you can take the park street or the high street bridges. report of an accident at grand. that's at the top of your screen and we don't know if it's east or westbound. we have wet roads. the live shot past the coliseum. off to the left side of the screen, the off-ramp from the southbound side has construction going on there until 5:00 a.m. where folks are working on the rain. they work hard overnight so we don't have to have the blockage during the day. >> we will check back. parents a buzz about a second attack on a little girl in a store. the 28-year-old is accused of

sexually assaulting a little girl. the 8-year-old was shopping with her family and wandered into the toy section when the attack happened. malcolm mason tackled the suspect and kept him until police arrived. >> if i hadn't been there, he would have been gone. wal-mart is very busy. you have a lot of people going about their business. things happen like that. you just have to be prepared. >> investigators say is took a few seconds. he is not a registered sex offender, but has prior arrests for parking tickets and making a terrorist threat. a plan that is supposed to stop gangs has oakland neighbors upset. the city attorney wants to file injunctions throughout oakland. they are designed to stop gang members from gathering in certain parts of the city designated by safety zones. they are supposed to make the

city safer, but neighbors say they don't work and they plan to ask the public safety committee why they want to prioritize funding gang injunctions over social programs and services they say would target the root causes of violence. while you were sleeping, it has been a busy morning at the fedex hub from the busiest day in company history. today in the east bay's christie smith is live. i'm sure it's hectic. >> we're to scoot out of the way. there so many trucks they are driving and moving all of the boxes. we talked about how yesterday was basically the busiest shipping day for fedex. all the boxes are being sorted overnight and into this morning. this is the western hub. everything ships through fedex on the west coast and comes

through here. here with me is robin. how do you do it? how do you make it happen? >> a lot of people put time and planning into the season and make sure it works for the customers. the weather to the people who will plan the flights. >> scott mentioned busiest shipping day for you guys. why is that? what's accounted for? >> we like to think the economy is picking up, but the online retailer business picked up. we are starting to see a lot of business come through that way. last night was a big indication of that. >> yesterday and into today, busiest shipping day. what do people know if they got stuff they need to get out. >> key day to remember is this friday the 17th is the last day for fedex ground. if you want to use fedex express you have until december 23rd.

fedex.com is a great avenue for answers or call 1-800-go fedex. you guys delivering anything on christmas day? >> we are not delivering anything on christmas day. we will have operations wrapped up and the packages in the customer's hand on the 24th. >> you heard it here. you have a couple more days and that's it. live in oakland. >> you answered my question. with amazon having the free shipping, i'm ordering stuff for myself. it's fantastic. no wonder they are so busy. it's all me. >> absolutely. we will check back with you in about an hour or so, but i have to get out of the way. these things are swinging around the corner. >> be careful out there. an unhappy holiday for bay area

workers. yahoo expected to lay off employees today. most of the cuts will be in the product area like engineers and product managers. most of the jobs concentrated in the u.s. it will be the fourth lay off at the company in the past three years. wells fargo said 137 workers in concord will be losing jobs. they are closing the wholesale lending site in the city. work will be moved to irvine, california. they are asking to give top priority to the workers from concord. the job cuts come at a time when they lost more than 19,000 jobs over the past year. the grinch is busy in the east bay. police are on the look out for thief who is stole from the 3200 block of thompson avenue in alameda known as christmas tree lane. someone is trying to take the holiday spirit out of a

tradition. >> they have been doing this for decades and it's just another thing to put in the ground. >> chris olsson lived in alameda for most of his life and lighting up his home is a family tradition. >> to have someone take it away from us, it's a shame. >> a shame that thieves ripped off dozens of items between late friday night and early saturday morning. one victim was hit twice. olsson's home was vandalized last year and this year. >> a recession, the unemployment rate. i'm sure our lights maybe went to help feed someone's family. >> there have been carolers and displays on thompson avenue for over 60 years. he has been doing it for a decade. >> kind of sad. he goes through all that work and the money and everything and

someone comes and ruins it. it's terrible. >> it's really sad and pathetic in this day and age that when people are trying to do right for the kids to enjoy santa claus and christmas, they steal the lights. >> home owners collect money to pay for electricity and other costs. police don't have a clue who did it. residents are hoping it was a kid prank. he is more sad than angry. >> during a season when sharing and not doing things like this, not stealing from people. >> today in the east bay. >> teachers and employees in the mount diablo district plan to distress in all blue and rally at a meeting. the blue rally designed to express anger over limited work hours and the rising cost of health care. the unions made concessions and the further cuts make it impossible to provide safe and clean classrooms as well as good education. tonight's meeting at 7:30.

east bay groups are reaping the benefits of an oil giant. chevron totals $1 million to nonprofit organizations. the groups are the latina center and the strit catholic charities. that's at 10:00 a.m. this morning. >> let's check in with rob. it's going to be a rainy commute. >> already shaping up that way. we have been watching the rain moving into oakland and san leandro and arriving in the last hour or so, what it looks like is somewhat reduced visibility. a hazy looking headlight with light rain and southeast winds at 10 miles per hour. breezy and damp for this morning and a lot of moisture off of the pacific and you get lifting action to it by the mountains or the upper level winds. the coast will ring out quite a few raindrops for areas around

the trivalley northward. mid- to upper 50s and winds out of the south at 10 to 20 miles per hour. probably the heaviest around midday into the early evening. coming up in the seven-day forecast, we will catch a break into tomorrow and thursday and friday into the weekend, periods of heavy rain and gusty winds. scott? >> coming up, real fur? fake fur? can you spot the difference? our hidden camera reveals the truth about faux fur and how to spot the real thing. the king of pop back from the brave. when you can get your hands on it. that's going to go right in your glove. ohhh.

oh. see that? great job. ok, now let's get ready for the ball... here it comes... here you go. good catch. perfect! alright now for the best part. let's see your pour. ohhh...let's get those in the bowl. these are way too good to waste, right? oh, yea. let's go for it... around the bowl and... [ male announcer ] share what you love... with who you love. mmmmm. kellogg's frosted flakes®... they're g-r-r-reat!™ good catch, dad. [ laughs ]

you are looking at a live picture of the oracle arena. get all the right words from rob. let's talk to mike who has been updating the maps. >> it is your commute direction, although it's early. only 4:44 this morning and we don't have a lot of traffic. westbound at grand avenue as you are approaching off to the shoulder, but the people involved, no injuries, but they are getting wet.

it's rainy in the area and we told you about the closure that should be clear by the time you get there even if you are leaving the city. head over to park street. full confirmation that everything is cleared out. further north, the bay bridge and we will look at the toll plaza and the live shot. water off the roadways and puddles and the mist with the headlights. that's the big story. >> thank you much. let's check in with rob and we will talk about the puddling and the fogging and the misting. >> in the east bay around 880 towards the bay bridge toll plaza. it will be wet so plan extra time outside. breezy too over the mid-spans of the bridges. you will want to hing from a quarter of an inch to an inch of rain. the heaviest totals and for mid-week we catch a break and more rain towards the end of the week and the weekend. your east bay from oakland to

san leandro, showers from west to east and further south, we will see the light rain in union city and heading into fremont. the moisture which is for the most part aimed in on the north part of the state. you will need your umbrella not just for the morning, but the afternoon. highs today mid- to upper 50s and 57 around richmond and out to the solano county and the delta. wind gusts up to 25 miles per hour. that's going to get your attention across the carquinas straight and into fairfield this morning. the seven-day forecast will show we have rain today and catch a break. wednesday and thursday with the outdoor plans. the weekend is looking downright soggy. >> thank you much. the deal to keep your taxes from going up january 1st crossed a major hurdle. could be up for a final vote today. tracie potts explains what it could mean for you.

>> a sense of surgency. >> we are down to the wire and need to act. >> senate democrats in a test vote. >> we are having trouble with that report. meanwhile word of another potential black eye for an auto making giant. for more on the story, let's go to courtney reagan. good morning, courtney. they are not reacting too much. not right now. however moody's said the long-term deal could threaten the aaa bond rating.

markets were slightly mixed. we have a trio of economic reports with prices and inventories. they hold the final meeting of the year with no move. the dow rose to 11,428. the nasdaq slipped to 2624. toyota is recalling 110,000 2011 minivans due to the risk the drivers could damage the brake system when using the parking brake. toyota said replacement parts will be ready in february and honda is checking 2011 accords and crvs because of a possible oil leak. we will keep you updated if a recall is issued. >> thank you much. we were talking about taxes and i think we have that story ready for you now.

>> having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to. >> that's what compromise looked like in washington. feeling a sense of urgency. >> we are down to the wire and need to act. >> senate democrats and republicans in a test vote overwhelmingly passed president obama's tax compromise that keeps taxes low for the middle class and the rich and gets unemployment checks flowing again. >> i'll vote for it, but it's not what the people said they wanted done on november 2nd. >> plain and simple, this compromise is about creating jobs. >> the vote drew praise from the white house. >> this proves that both parties can in fact working to to agree our economy and look out for the american people. >> no one is completely happy with the deal. >> i held my nose in many ways. very expensive. there is goodies in there i'm not pleased about. >> like the 35% estate tax that would have been higher without

the deal. some house democrats said unless it's stripped, they will never vote yes. >> a number of members have said that, but by no means the majority of the democrats. >> the final vote can happen as early as today. tracie potts, today in the east bay. >> the regular today in the bay starts in a few minutes. we turn to brent cannon. >> the regular one in a little bit. an east bay city will decide whether to honor the man accused of breeching national security and releasing documents to wikileaks. they can name bradley manning as a hero. one city could put something in your drinking water no matter how you feel about it. the awards season kicking off in a few minutes. the golden globe nominees are about to be announced. who is up for the big awards coming up in a little bit. >> what are if you learned that the fake fur you are wearing is

the real thing? the humane society said they used a fur from a raccoon dog which is neither a raccoon or a dog, but it is a real animal. a legal loophole has many buying real fur without knowing it. >> it was easy to spot the item that store after store in san francisco's union square. >> a lot of people buying these? very popular? >> it wasn't so easy to find out if they were real or fake. even when signs were posted saying faux fur and even when we asked the sales people. >> it's a polyester. >> that are means it's not real? >> uh-huh. >> they said they were wrong every time. >> 100% real. >> we bought samples center

nordstrom and burlington coat factory and assures the fur was fake. >> we're asked if they were fake or real. what's your best assessment. >> 100% wrong. the boots are real fur. >> the investigator shows the animal skin behind the fur, fake fur would be skimped into a fabric backing. this is rabbit and this is raccoon dog, a member of the dog family raised for its beautiful and cheap fur. >> raccoon dog fur is the most commonly misrepresented type of fur on the market. the reason people want to know whether there is real fur is so many of them have seen the absolutely horrific ways these animals are being raised and killed. we have seen footage of raccoon dogs being skinned alive. >> whether people are anti-fur or not, they should know what they are getting. the problem is federal law only

requires items to be labeled if they contain fur valued at $150 or more wholesale. >> woor he an outpouring of support. >> they are introducing a bill to close the loophole and require all garments containing real fur to be labelled with the species and country of origin. >> if they want to buy raccoon fur or rabbit fur, that's their choice, but they should be informed. >> it's real. >> no! >> it could be coyote or raccoon or raccoon dog. >> consumers were stunned when he told them they were wearing real fur. >> do you know if it's real or fake? >> fake. >> you are sure? >> with these, that's a signature characteristic of raccoon dog. my best guess is raccoon dog fur. you kidding sidney. >> okay. i didn't realize. >> that are could be raccoon dog. >> did you know you were wearing

dog? >> i didn't know. >> do you know how to tell the difference? price is a dead give away. >> it's a myth that fur is always expensive. it can go for as little as $1a piece. >> i definitely think there should be labeling so that you know. that's the only way we know. >> consumers can check before you buy. look at the tip of the hairs f. they taper to a point. >> it's real. >> if you can see the hide, a tell tale sign the fur is real. tests you have to do yourself. as we found, you can't be sure otherwise. >> congress just passed the truth in labeling act. if the president signs t all items containing fur would have to be labeled no matter the amount. we contacted the stores for their responses and nordstrom said they are asking vendors to label all fur items and

reeducate sales people about the importance of knowing the products they are offering to customers. burlington coat factories said they didn't label because the law doesn't require it and loehman's declined to comment. search fur on our website. nbc bay area news. michael jackson lives on in a new album. the album released by the record label against the wishes of his estate. it features tracked with rapper 50 cent and lenny kravitz. he died last yore in his l.a. home. the a's are expected to introduce their newest player. the japanese slugger has reportedly signed with oakland. we don't know the terms, but it's said to be multimillions. matsui played for the angels, hitting 21 home runs as the

designated hitter. he was the world series mvn 2009 for the yankees. a heavy dose of reality after a sizzling start. the warriors lost 14 of their last 16 games. last night was no different. falling to utah. they don't have time to dwell on the lossment they are back on the court against minnesota. the way you shop in one city could change. what you want to bring along to save money the next time you go shop figure leaders have their way. plus, what's on the menu? archaeologist discover what they believe is a 2400-year-old pot of soup. where they found it and wha t s t in t recipe? brent and laura on the back side of this break. in

many say he's a traitor and others call him a hero. it's up to the berkeley city council to decide. the controversial wikileaks story coming up. >> the man at the story of a nationwide manhunt and kidnapping case prepares to make an appearance in a san francisco courtroom. >> the border war on the peninsula is heating up. supervisors are set to work out a toll to get into the city while a lawmaker tries to stop the war before it really starts.