>> reporter: be very careful when you step off the curb in the city. it turns out san francisco is an unusually dangerous place for walkers. i'm christie smith. we'll be talking about a new study and why it's that way coming up in a live report. plus an east bay officer loses his badge. his alleged ties to crooked cops. and where is allison bayless. another sleepless night for family and friends of a missing danville girl. a live look outside, the beautiful bay bridge this morning. folks already making their way across the span. we'll check the commute. it is wednesday, may 25th. this is "today in the east bay."

good morning, everyone. i'm laura garcia-cannon. scott mcgrew is on assignment this morning. it's 4:30 right now, very early, but time to check the forecast with christina loren. >> boy, it is early. good morning to you, laura. good morning to you at home. we've got some showers right now but they're north of the east bay as well as the north bay. they are going to push to the south as we head throughout the morning. i've got your full forecast. i'll let you know when they're headed toward your city and what that means for the rest of the day coming up. we had windy conditions a couple of days ago. we got the rain coming in a little later on but right now livermore and the altamont pass are moving nicely. a smooth drive through livermore towards the dublin interchange. north of there you find a lane or two construction in both directions as you're passing up by bollinger canyon road.

by crow canyon road, the lighting equipment is in one of the middle lanes so be careful. no word if they have to do any traffic break but watch it through the area. how safe are you when you're walking down the street? this morning the bay area is getting mixed reviews when it comes to pedestrian safety. christie smith is across the bay bridge live in san francisco this morning with the bay area's report card. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. well, this study is kind of a double-edged sword. on the one hand san francisco is very dense and rated very walkable. you can get from the ballpark over to the embarcadero without a whole lot of trouble. the problem is that according to this study san francisco has a higher than average rate of pedestrian fatalities compared with other large cities. now, the study is done by a group called transportation for america. in most big cities people who walk account for about 12% of all traffic deaths, but here in

san francisco it's nearly 52%. the group behind the study's coalition of transit and planning groups and they say the high rate could be tied to the city's efforts to transform streets from busy thoroughfares into slower moving roads, which could actually make it safer for drivers but not so much for walkers. they found that in their opinion money is key to improving things and mayor ed lee has approved or is pushing for a $250 million bond for better roads and street scape improvements. they think that is the key for making it safer for people who walk. reporting live in san francisco, christie smith, "today in the east bay." well, this morning an east bay officer is out of a job after being charged with stealing drugs and selling them on the streets. san ramon's police chief says 38-year-old lewis lombardi is no longer a city employee but did not say whether lombardi was fired or quit.

lombardi had been on administrative leave after being arrested for stealing cash, drugs and guns from police evidence lockers and selling them to police informants. police say they believe he became involved in the scheme while working for the narcotics enforcement team. the leader of the team is also facing charges along with an east bay private investigator. two days and still no sign of allison bayless, the danville teen who took off on her bike and never came home. dozens of volunteers fanned out on the shadow of the bay bridge not far from where her bike was found. her family searched her computer and found directions to the bart area parking lot. they say they're worried that she planned to hurt herself. >> it's very difficult. i know the family must be feeling just horrible about the situation. so that's kind of why we're out here, see what we can do to help. >> volunteers are posting flyers and comments on a facebook group

profile dedicated to finding the teen. rescue crews will continue to search for her this morning. a candlelight vigil is planned for tonight in danville. this morning a southern california mother is coming forward and defending her son against charges of beating giants fan bryan stow. soledad gonzalez says her son is willing to take a lie detector test to prove he was not at dodgers stadium the day of the attack. in fact she says her 31-year-old son wasn't at the opening day game because he was with relatives in l.a. >> please to be sure to check all those videos, all those videos on the stadium. on the dodgers stadium please check and be sure it is not my son. >> police are still looking for a second beating suspect and the woman who drove the getaway car. in the meantime the stow family is filing a lawsuit against the dodgers, claiming the team did not provide enough security on

gameday. so far no comment from the dodgers. a rally held to bring students at neighboring high schools together grew violent. a fight broke out around noon following a rally. the rally has held because hogan students will attend vallejo high school in the fall after the campus closes. but it looks like the fight isn't the result of campus rivalries, instead it appears it was started by two former high school students who drove to the campus. this morning an antioch teacher will face charges of molesting an eighth grade boy. at another hearing. 63-year-old middle school teacher charles redman is pleading not guilty to those allegations and child pornography charges. several boys say he touched them inappropriately and made lewd comments. police say he fled to xime after he got wind of the investigation at park middle school. he was eventually arrested in san diego. inside the mind of a

suspected serial killer. this morning a judge could release new information about suspected serial killer joseph naso. they say some of that information could come from thousands of documents seized from his home in nevada. reportedly outlining torture plans and lists of targets. the 77-year-old is accused of killing four women, including two from contra costa county during the '70s and the '90s. he's also acting as his own attorney in that case. all right, let's switch gears right now and get a look at the forecast. a little rain in the works? >> yeah, a little rain out there. good morning to you. it hasn't reached the bay area just yet but it's only about an hour away. as you can see we've got a pretty strong front pushing into northern california right now and then spotty air behind it. mostly cloudy out there, it's kind of mild overall but will turn cold later on today and the showers move in, maybe 6:00 a.m.

in the north bay, more like 8:00 a.m. in the south bay and peninsula region. shower activity to the north of ukiah so give yourself plenty of time. our temps are mild this morning and we are headed towards the 70s in the east bay because i don't think you're going to see a lot of that rain. we'll talk more about your forecast and what's to come for the weekend coming up. let's get you to work right now with mike. >> we had overnight wind advisories for the bay bridge that has been cancelled and the approach now looking really good, just an 18-minute drive from the carquinez bridge and down past the richmond-san rafael bridge. the east bay looks really good with 580 and 880 coming through oakland the commute directions. a little blip here and there for westbound 580, typical as more folks hit the road. we're looking at a good flow of traffic to the san mateo bridge. laura, the last couple of days the camera has been shaking on

the hayward side of the bridge but right now it's steady so that's great news if you're headed over the high rise. we'll follow this and let you know. >> thank you very much. well, from teacher to nigerian freedom fighter, a cal state east bay professor has survived an assassination attempt and an arrest all while running for governor of his home country of nigeria, but his future remains uncertain. his wife says her husband is alive but his bid for governor is becoming increasingly dangerous. a week and a half ago his director of media relations was killed when their convoy was ambushed. >> he is being accused of making false statements to the public about the killing of his media adviser. if his safety were really in human hands, he wouldn't be alive today. >> he lost his bid for governor last month but he's contesting the outcome because he says

pulling him out of the -- polling put him way ahead of the incumbent. oakland's controversial jonestown memorial heads to court this morning. today a judge will consider whether to grant a preliminary injunction to stop further work on the memorial. a senior pastor in los angeles filed the lawsuit to stop construction. she says it's not fair to her family to honor the reverend jim jones who led more than 900 followers to commit mass suicide. almost 30 of her relatives died in the 1978 tragedy in south america. this morning's hearing is at 9:00 at alameda county superior court. coming up -- >> it's another killer tornado. it went across highway 81 and it almost got us. >> death and destruction as more terrifying twisters tear through the heartland, and the threat looms large this morning. plus elizabeth smart confronts her kidnapper face to

face. and will a tequila shakeup leave jose cuervo on the rocks?

and this is a live look outside, beautiful bay bridge this morning. we're going to get a little bit of rain. we'll check in with christina in just a bit. she's got a look at the full forecast. this morning the death toll continues to climb in southwest missouri after more massive tornados ripped through three states overnight slamming into buildings and blasting through neighborhoods. >> it's another killer tornado. it went across highway 81 and when it intensified and it almost got us. >> frightening pictures there. this time the assault from mother nature targeted oklahoma, arkansas and kansas bringing the overnight death toll to nine. in joplin, missouri, at least 120 are dead as rescuers comb through rubble looking for survivors. >> if you're alive and you got out of this, you had a miracle. >> world war ii i. this is like just a bomb dropped

on us. >> the tornado was described as an ef-5, with winds gusting more than 200 miles an hour. so sad. well, this morning president obama is expected to defend progress in the middle east as he speaks before parliament in london. we've got new video taken just hours ago of the president arriving at ten downing street, the home of british prime minister david cameron. the president is expected to point to a drawdown of troops from iraq and afghanistan and the killing of osama bin laden. he's also expected to urge continued pressure on moammar gadhafi's forces in libya. the president will host a lavish dinner for the queen before heading to the g-8 summit in france. people would rather go through pain at the pump than go electric. plus will a new tequila deal leave wall street feeling shaken or stirred? for more let's turn to nicole lapin who's straight up at cnbc headquarters. is it friday yet? it's 5:00 somewhere.

>> reporter: listen, laura, i wish. i've got to tell you that futures are on the rocks this morning after a choppy session yesterday, stocks falling amid further signs of economic weakness. despite a boost in oil and commodity prices. we do get some data out this morning, demand for durable goods or big ticket items like airplanes and heavy appliances. the dow losing 25 points yesterday, 12,356 is where we closed. the nasdaq gave up 12 points, 2746. so we'll be watching today if we are shaken or, indeed, stirred. many people don't go electric. they don't even want to these days. nearly 60% of folks in a new usa today poll say they wouldn't even buy an electric car no matter how high gas prices get. edmunds.com said all electric cars are niche vehicles but they still question things like the range for charge or the time it

takes to recharge a battery. electric cars also cost thousands of dollars more than gas-powered counterparts. here we go, it is happen hour somewhere. reports say the adult beverage company is in talks to buy jose cuervo. they already have distribution rights for the tequila brand so if it strikes this deal it will be the company's biggest acquisition in years. i wish it were friday, but this were a very adult beveragy themed business update for you, laura. >> no kidding, exactly. we'll check back in an hour. nine years after she was taken at knife point, raped and held captive, elizabeth smart will publicly confront her kidnapper for the first time today when he is sentenced in federal court. brian david mitchell snatched smart from her bedroom in salt lake city when she was just 14 years old.

mitchell faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. his case stalled for years after state court ruled him mentally unfit to stand trial. in the meantime a judge will decide if a suspect in the tucson shooting rampage is competent to stand trial. loughner is charged with opening fire at a political event at a tucson grocery store, killing six people and injuring 13 others, including congressman gabrielle giffords. the 22-year-old college dropout spent five weeks undergoing mental exams at a federal prison hospital in missouri. we want to take a look at the forecast today. rain in the works but not as bad as we thought? >> every time i check it turns into more of a dud. we're not looking at a whole lot of rain today, but certainly cooler weather. it's one of those days you probably want to stay inside if you can. if you've got the day off and wanted to do some jogging or take the dog for a walk, you'll be able to later on today.

we've got a pretty strong front pushing into northern california, but it's colliding with this big ridge of high pressure. so right now we're on the warm side of the front. cold air will push in later on today. take a look at what's expected to happen as the system continues to push in. we'll see cloudy conditions to start you out. then as it slides south, it really breaks apart. by 11:00 a.m. this is all that will be left, just a little cell located between the east bay and the southernmost portion of the peninsula so not expecting a whole lot of rain. like i said, though, probably one of those days where you want to stay inside if you can, especially if you consider the fact we've got a lot of sunshine in store for you as of tomorrow. 51 right now at concord, 48 in livermore. yeah, we're going to see a couple of 70s on the temperature map in the places that see the least amount of cloud cover and that will be the east bay. i think that front will really break apart before making it to you. we've got the full forecast coming up in just moments. laura, back to you. well, coming up, school is

out for summer. why are so many college students clamoring to spend their breaks in the classroom. the summer school enrollment boom just ahead. and 4:00 in the afternoon will never be the same for some. we have the inside scoop on oprah's last show. plus don't mess with becks. the soccer star handling security on the field. and we're looking on the a lot of cars coming past stone ridge over on the left there. i'm browsing for any slowdowns. i'll let you know what's coming up. ar

welcome back, everyone. gas prices are dropping here in the bay area just in time for you to hit the road this upcoming three-day weekend. california energy commission says drivers could see prices drop another 20 cents or so before the long weekend because of the price of crude oil that's been dropping since april. keep in mind gas prices are still up a dollar a gallon since last year. aaa says more than three and a half million californians will hit the road this weekend, down since last year. air travel is expected to be up this weekend, even though plane tickets are 14% higher than last year. >> you've been wondering where scott mcgrew is this morning. here is your answer. he's hitting the road for our special may around the bay series.

he joins us live this morning in redwood city. good morning, scott. >> good morning. i had so much fun with you in san mateo, i thought i want to do this again. >> but you left me. >> so i'm living every 14-year-old boy's dream. i'm at electronic arts, the world's largest video game maker. we are going to talk about video games all morning long. we're going to talk to peter moore, he's in charge of ea sports, and find out what it's like to work here, because when you work here, you get to play video games, so what's that like? we'll take a look as we do may around the bay coming from redwood city. >> sounds like heaven for a lot of folks. thanks, scott. uc berkeley says enrollment for summer school is booming to record-breaking levels this year. more than 15,000 students, including 2700 international students, are expect ed to sign up for the summer school session. a big reason for the uptick, the financial incentive. summer session is not subject to

the fee hikes that will take effect in the fall. that means they can take two summer school courses for a total of $2200 to $2900. it is 4:54 right now. i want to take a look at the morning commute if you're headed out early this morning checking in with mike. >> we'll take you out to antioch where we have overnight construction on highway 4, the eastbound direction. a full closure over at love ridge but it's not extending all the way to summersville today. you'll look for the local detour and flashing lights. the commute direction just fine right now. a look at the carquinez and benicia bridge, no wind advisories for the area. we have construction also from westbound highway 4 onto eastbound 80. if you're headed towards the carquinez bridge, take the skyway until 6:00 a.m. with the connector ramp reopening. there's some moisture in the air but christina is following the storm coming into the bay area.

we'll see what's going on a little later in the commute. right now it's an easy drive past o.co. well, the secret is out. turn down your volume if you don't want to hear what happens on today's final episode of oprah. today's final guest is -- no one. insiders say there were no celebrities or news makers on stage with the talk show queen. instead the show only features oprah sharing her life lessons and revisiting clips from the last quarter century. several friends were in the audience including maria shriver, tyler perry, trainer, best friend gayle king and long-time partner steadman graham. well, soccer superstar david beckham might want to trade in his cleats for a badge. have you seen this? he does a little security vehicle on his own. yeah, the guy does everything.

an unruly man rushed to the field. beckham is there to round him up. well, coming up, outrage over the jonestown massacre memorial. why a judge could saphe project. plus the 411 about possible changes to the 408 area code. 22222222

20 cities in 20 days. may around the bay's tour is in the home stretch. this morning we are in redwood city. redwood city is the home to one of the best-known video game companies in the world. we'll take you behind the scenes to try to figure out how you know whether employees are working or playing, perhaps doing both. redwood city also home to dreamworks, makers of animated movies like "shrek" and "kung fu