to faking more than 40 articles wants to represent you in court. and we give you a live look outside at the golden gate bridge. a relatively warm start today. feeling good out there on a tuesday, december 27th, this is "today in the bay." you can certainly feel the difference outside today. >> no doubt. definitely warmer. good morning, it's 5:00. i'm laura tellez in for laura garcia-cannon. >> good morning, everyone. i'm jon kelley. let's check in with christina loren to find out how nice and mild it really is. >> good morning to you. we're going to see a nice day today. temperatures are climbing already in some cities. they're kind of going up and down where the clouds are moving over, the winds are picking up. the ingredients for dense fog formation are calm winds and clear skies. this morning i don't think we're going to see all that much fog. so because we're starting out so mild, temperatures today in the

mid-60s in many cities across the bay. i'll take you through the forecast, and we'll show you what 2012 holds weather wise. 5:00 a.m., he's back. hi, mike. >> good morning, christina. overall, not a lot of fog. i'll call out where there has been an issue. as far as chp is concerned. a good amount of fog through american canyon, as you're approaching the bridge. also in the same area there's an accident just off of the bridge. i'll give you more details. no one is injured. i'll let you know where to expect that. >> thank you, mike. 5:01 now. know someone who has been coughing a lot lately, guys? it could be our unhealthy air. bay area skies are filled with more smoke than usual. christie smith is live with more on the unofficial spare the air day. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, marla. the smoke pollution got so bad over the holiday weekend across the entire bay area that it

created some really unhealthy conditions lingering even today. this is especially true for people who have asthma and other breathing problems. so today the bay area quality management district is asking people not to burn wood in fair places or wood stoves to try to help the bay area skies recover from all in. it's not necessarily illegal today if you do. but that request is tout there to go ahead and try to help your neighbors who have those conditions. what they're saying is that pollution levels are similar to what we would see with a major forest fire nearby. there's not a lot of wind going onto move it along. there are warnings and fines up to $400 on a spare the air day. today this is more of a request but certainly an important one. that's the latest from here. reporting live in oakland. i'm christie smith. john and marla, back to you. >> thanks, christie. bullets hitting one man in the east bay during an overnight shooting. they were called to 39th and

international boulevard in oakland before 10:30. that's not too far from the fruitvale bart station. police say one man was rush odd the hospital with gunshot wounds, but he is expected to survive. so nfar the suspects are still n the the loose. a tragic end to the holiday season for an east bay family. a 2-year-old boy was run over and killed by one of his own family members. antioch police say the little boy tripped and fell just as the car was pulling out of a driveway. this happened on pembroke court yesterday. he later died at the hospital. police say it appears to be just a tragic accident, not a crime. well, san francisco firefighters holding a fund-raiser to support a family which is going through a difficult time this holiday season. firefighters raising money for the funeral costs of 15-year-old who died of leukemia last friday while being treated at ucsf

children's hospital. fire crews grew very close to the family through the city's fire toy program. the fund-raisers will be held on 11th street in san francisco today at 5:00. california executions remain on hold. the state is nearing its sixth year without an injection, and now state leaders are dealing with the a judge's order that concludes they failed at drafting up a new and legal method of putting condemned prisoners to death by lethal injection. the execution by a three drug combination prompted judges and experts to demand a change. it's 5:04. a once popular shopping destination in hayward undergoing a facelift. they are partnering up to revitalize foothill boulevard. back in the day that strip was the shopping destination in hayward. but when southland opened up in the '60s, tenants started leaving. the plan is to improve the area and they are repainting shops,

addsing new facades and staggering front gates. -- including some of our own representatives who have hundreds of millions of dollars. damien trujillo joins us live with a look at the numbers. >> reporter: good morning. we're here at the mini gourmet in san jose. the cooks here have to work if overnight shift. they have bills to pay. they have a lot of things they need to do. and they weren't too happy to hear that congress members are getting richer. now the times and the post did extensive research on congressional pay, and their findings reveal there's a millionaire club on capitol hill that involves half the members of congress. 250 of them. the revelation comes as congress debates unemployment benefits, a millionaire's tax and a potential cut to food stamps.

the report cites numbers for moody's. it says the same worth dropped by 8% for average americans. this is a kind of information that's fueled the occupy movement. now they have ammunition in their claim that congress is part of the 1%. and the cook here at the mini gourmet is not very happy. >> it's insane. it's really insane. i can't believe that they don't step up and help out. you know, i think if i had a lot of money, if i won the lottery and stuff, i would help, you know, somewhere. >> among the top breadwinners on capitol hill, our very own nancy pelosi, former speaker of the house, california congressman darrell issa and senator john kerry from massachusetts. what do we pay the members of congress? their salary is $174,000 a year. so obviously these investments

that congress members make on the side are helping fuel the increase in their benefits and their pay, whatever you want to call it. not very happy, the cook here at the mini gourmet. he says if you come in here he'll treat you with a smile. damien trujillo, today in the bay. >> 5:07 right now. we're getting the feeling we're going to end 2011 on the mild side. meteorologist christina loren is here to fill in the blanks. >> we can only hope for more rain in 2012 because it's been bone dry this december, and our opportunity for rain chances later this week just dwindling every time i check. 46 degrees out there. enjoy, though, the warmer start we have for you this morning. almost 50 degrees in san jose this morning. and because we're starting out so warm, we're going to see a really nice day, easily jumping by 10 degrees as we head throughout the afternoon. i'm thinking a 15-degree spread from where you are now to where you'll end up later today. mid-60s definitely likely across the board. the difference is we've got a

very, very light area of low pressure here. we call it a dry trough. as it swings through the bay area, it's providing moisture, it's providing cloud cover, that's what keeping us mild, and it's kicking up the wind. the wind will prevent the dense fog from settling down to the surface. that's good news for us. we'll see a really nice day as a result. a little bit of sunshine. but overall looking good. we'll lose the fog between 8:00 and 10:00 this morning. the sun will shine through. if you're going to travel through the central valley you want to take it easy. they have a dense fog advisory in place until noon today. as we head throughout the noon, 63 degrees late december. 65 in santa rosa. 61 in santa cruz. if you need to get outdoors, take down the christmas lights or anything, you can do so comfortably later on today. i'll take you through the seven-day forecast. i'll show you what 2012 holds in my next report. people back to work today. >> some people. probably not a lot until

tuesday. a week from today we expect a big bump in the volume. we want to make sure you don't bump into anything here. talk about fog drifting in the area. chp calls out interstate 80 around 37 and 29 because of fog in the area over the last half hour. we're also looking at an accident that occurred 20 minutes ago still affecting the onramp to eastbound 37 off sonoma boulevard, and there may be slick roads. a car went off the mud into the roadway. so no injuries and no major slowing on 37 or interstate 80 across the carquinez bridge. for all the routes on the caldecott tunnel, the earlier construction has cleared. and a live look at the san mateo bridge crossing westbound. a smooth drive in that commute direction. no problems coming over off of 101 with the headlights either. a smooth drive right now. back to you. >> all right, mike. thank you very much. this is a cautionary tale for journalism students across the entire country. >> now a former journalist

caught writing phony magazine articles is fighting to become a lawyer in the state. steven glass says he can be trusted, and he's hoping the california supreme court agrees. you may know his story from the movie "shattered glass" which dramatizes glass' time at the new republic magazine where he faked all or parts of more than 40 articles during the '90s. glass went to law school at georgetown university and passed the california bar exam in 2009. he now works as a clerk at a beverly hills firm. >> it is 5:10. coming up, here's a question to think about. does your boss own your twitter followers? the local lawsuit that will have a big time impact on the way you tweet. and toyota unveils the latest hybrid. we'll get a sneak peek during a live report from cnbc world headquarters. and a live look at the golden gate bridge. not a lot of traffic now. very smooth flowing, but it's still early.

for the latest news, traffic, whether asa goo wdtion converittionsaith jon kelley, find us on facebook at nbc bay area. [ coin drops ] [ high-pitched voice ] thanks. [ normal voice ] you're welcome. get a free quote at progressive.com.

this is san jose hauf in the distance with sparkling lights this tuesday morning. the time is 5:1 people out with a nice surprise. they are asking us not to burn because we're starting out so mild. we do have mid level clouds out there. that is helping the fog from settling in. ten miles of visibility in san

jose. we're looking good there. six miles. not too bad in san francisco and oakland. what a difference a day makes there. we have a quarter nile in napa and down to a quarter mile in santa rosa. throughout the morning hours we are expecting fog until 8:00. then we start to see it clear. it will clear rapidly. we have a trough of low pressure trying to push through the bay area. these are false echoes. it looks like moisture that evaporates before hitting the surface. don't count on showers. that's what the grain is popping up on the radar. 44 in oakland. 47 in sunnyvale. and you're at 39 in santa cruz. so on average we're about 15 degrees warmer, especially in san jose. easily climbing to 57 by noon. warmer than seasonal averages this time of year. livermore is looking good. 63 there. 65 in santa rosa. the true view shows you a fair amount of cloud cover for the first part of the day. more sunshine for the second half. all right, it starts to get a little interesting as we head

through your wednesday. maybe some showers in the north bay. right now not looking very promising areas south of the golden gate bridge. and i don't think the showers are going to make it as far south as marin county. i think they'll stay sonoma and north. we'll ring in the new year with comfortable conditions and maybe, just maybe a little bit of rain overnight as we head through saturday. i'm going to talk about that coming up. right now he's back. maybe you've got to get back to work. what's out there this morning, mike? >> not a lot. that's great news. you know you want that. i'm happy to tell you. the northbound speed sensors are fine through the south bay. no accidents, incidents or major construction throughout this portion of your map. livermore to 580. we're look at a 14-minute drive. christina has talked about the central valley and the fog that will linger throughout the morning. keep that in mind. and starting january 1st, a double fine zone between

livermore and brentwood. good driving practices right now. oakland, 880, nothing kicking in for the drive past the coliseum. we did not have closures or traffic breaks this morning because there hasn't been significant construction between the coliseum, and so no slowing up to the bay bridge toll plaza either. and another look at a bridge across the bay. this is the golden gate bridge. an easy drive north to the north bay. southbound side equally smooth to the toll plaza. no major issues. but spotty fog in areas around napa and american canyon. do you tweet socially or professionally? if it's for work, does your employer own your followers? that's the question unfolding in federal court. oakland writer noah kravtis is being sued by a former employer. he took his followers with him and changed his twitter handle. phone dog says they're each worth $2.50 per month.

the company is after eight months of use for a total of $340,000. but he says phone dog new about the handle change. >> you can click a link to show every one of the people who is following me. it's all in the public. >> a judge will make the final decision in this case, addressing new questions about who owns professional social media accounts. back in business. this morning wall street back in action after a nice three-day holiday weekend. for more on that and the news before the bell, let's turn to julia boorstin live at cnbc world headquarters. good morning to you. wall street will look to add to last week's gains. right now the futures are mixed. the s&p 500 and the dow would be opening lower. nasdaq would be opening a fraction of one point. now the markets logged the best four days since september last week. and historically this week, the final week of the year is when we see a traditional santa rally

occur. since 1969 the stocks have posted average gains of 1.6%. today asia and europe are higher and it will be a late week for economic data. we'll get reports on home prices and consumer confidence and unemployment and manufacturing information will come on thursday. the nasdaq added 19 points on friday to 2618. toyota has rolled out the latest hybrid model, the aqua. the car will be sold as the prius "c." it boasts fuel economy as 84 miles a gallon, outstripping the 77 miles per gallon of its cousin, the regular prius. the starts price is set at $22,000. and now the is letting a tax credit for installing chargers

expire this saturday. the credit lets people deduct 30% of the cost of chargers installed in their garage after $1,000. prices do vary. gm's charger for the volt runs about $490 and installation can cost as much as $1,000. so if you want to take advantage of the tax credit, it looks like you should do it in the next week. guys, back to you. >> all right, julie. thank you very much. 5:19. the the number one and number two men in charge of the country are both officially on vacation. vice president joe biden leaves for the u.s. virgin islands today for a week long vacation with his family. as for our president, he's still in honolulu, but he's not totally off the clock. the white house says he's still getting his daily briefing. president obama has spent a good portion of his vacation visit mag re marines and other troops stationed in hawaii. so far no public appearances scheduled for today. on the gop side of things republican candidates for

president making their final push for support in iowa. all starting bus tours throughout iowa today. each trying to make their case as the alternate to front-runner mitt romney. meantime, ron paul is starting to make gains. recent polls have him closing in on the lead. the iowa caucuses starting january 3rd and we'll have more on the republican presidential race coming up in a live report from capitol hill in 20 minutes. a new investment group has completed the purchase of the media group that owns the chicago sun times. reports llc says a transaction to buy sun times media holdings closed monday. the sun times media filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and earlier this month sun times media rolled out a system to begin charging heavy users of the the website. the sun times won a pulitzer prize this year for local reporting. coming up, volunteers were

busting out the pruning shears. we'll show you a sneak peek of the round the clock preps for the rose parade. plus, you just unwrapped your presents and already san francisco wants your tree turned into woodchips. how the city is spreading the word about tree recycling just ahead. beth! hi.

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after a month of strong winds and extreme weather, everything is coming up roses for the rose parade in pasadena. but there's plenty of unfinished business as volunteers put the finishing touches on the floetds. floats.

in the rose parade debut. beyond noteworthy floats, there be the year the created a new challenge for the organic beauties. >> when we moved in the floats, there was issues with trees that are with down. the city has been great in trying to clear the route and make sure we had clean access to the facility. this mother speaks of her late son clint, a multiple organ donor featured on the float. >> five people benefitted. three children and two adults. so somewhere out there it was hard. no lives were lost in the wind storm of 2011. when i started driving around town the following day, there were so many trees down.

so many streets were blocked. it's just been amazing. for the visitors coming into town, they won't know that they had all the winds blowing a few weeks ago. >> well, that was beverly white reporting. of course, you can watch the 123rd annual tournament of roses parade here on nbc bay area. well, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. a ride range of bird species when it comes to winters in san francisco. over 100 seasoned bird watchers are scheduled to surround the area for the 29th annual christmas bird count. the event is a census like count, assessing the state of the bay's bird life, and during the last year holiday events,

observers in san francisco counted 177 different bird species and more than 57,000 individual birds, ranging from pigeons to more exotic species, such as the red rope. it may seem too soon to some. maybe not soon enough to others. san francisco will turn christmas trees into woodchips the first week in january. they will see the official launch when they gather for the 25th annual ceremonial chipping of christmas trees in a giant chipper. trees should be stripped, of course, of all the tinsel decorations, plastic bags, stands, fake snow and the likes. trees taller than six feet should be cut in half. still to come on "today in the bay", if you want to buy

booze, you have to do it the old fashioned way. plus, mark zuckerberg rides a buffalo on his christmas vacati vacation. where the facebook ceo is spending billions. >> home on the range. good morning to you. we're looking good this morning. it's warmer than we were yesterday in every city across the bay. that means we'll see mid-60s. we'll let you know when your city is fair game for mid-60s in your full weather report. >> and anywhere is fair gameess r gobues but i'll give you a look at the usual suspects. i think you'll like what you see. [ mom ] hey guys.

guys... [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls with cinnabon cinnamon are an irresistible sunday morning idea. nothing calls them to the table faster. sunday morning ideas made easy. [ younger brother ] oh, do you want it? yeah. ok, we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light... ...buttery and flaky... this is half. that is not half. guys i have more. [ female announcer ] do you have enough crescents? have you noticed the smoke filled skies across the bay area? not exactly a spare the air day, i'll have the story in a live report. i'm live at the mini gourmet in san jose.

the cook is not happy about it. >> plus a pay bump for minimum wage workers in san francisco. do the extra dollars and cents make business sense for employers? >> less fog. more warmth in the forecast. good morning, everybody. thanks for being with us. >> good morning, everyone. i'm jon kelley. let's check in with christina loren to see what's happening with the warmth flowing along. >> it's going to make getting up and getting out the front door easier for you this morning. temperatures anywhere between 5 to 15 degrees warmer. that will make a warmer

afternoon. first to mike inouye. >> we have a couple of cars. those trucks slowing a bit in the fast track lanes. but nothing reported. and they are cleared. a couple of incidents on chp to update you regarding the north bay. that's coming up. >> thanks, mike. you could call it a spare the air day. >> kind of. today you have the right to light up the logs in the fireplace. air quality officials are asking you, please don't do that. >> good morning to you, jon. it is warmer this morning. it's been cold day after day after day. it certainly seemed like the traditional thing to do and to light it in the fireplace. woor left with smoke filled skies across the bay area.

real stagnant air. it's gotten so unhealthy it's almost like the conditions we saw after a major wildfire in 2008. with traditional spare the air days, people who burn wood in fireplaces and wood stoves can get warnings and fines up to $400. today is more of a request. not to burn by the bay area quality management district. we spoke to one man who said we can understand why. >> i noticed the haziness around the whole area. and the difficulty with -- my grand baby has asthma. she is having difficulty breathing and things like that. yeah. >> for people who do have asthma and other breathing problems, the hope is that if people don't burn, this will help clear those smoke-filled skies out. reporting live in oakland.

i'm christie smith jon and marla, back to you. calfire has put an open ban on burning. the burn ban applying to several counties around the state, including alameda, san mateo and santa cruz counties. burning fire for training and agricultural purposes can proceed with a special permit. a san jose man accused of killing his estranged wife is expected in court. he shot 29-year-old valerie casillas to death. a road worker found her body in a row mote area of east san jose. that was in october. just this month police found the gun used in the killing at another crime scene.

he's expected at 1:30 this afternoon. on january 1st, the city's minimum wage will be $10.24 an hour. right now minimum wage workers make $9.92 per hour. san francisco, one of the few big cities that sets its very own minimum wage. back in 2003 voters approved a law that calls for automatic yearly wage increases. by the way, this year the federal minimum wage will not change. it will stay where it is $7.25. also in the new year you won't be able to buy alcohol hat the self checkout stands at grocery stores. you have to buy and sell liquor the old fashioned way, face to face. state assemblywoman who represents part of san francisco says the new law puts alcohol on par with spray paint, cigarettes, and prescription

medicine. the millionaire club on capitol hill keeps on growing. a new report shows half of the members of congress have e massed seven digit figures despite a struggling economy. damien trujillo is live with more on the story. good morning, damien. >> reporter: good morning, jon. a lot of anger here at the mini gourmet in san jose. not a big sur prize. the cook says he has to work the overnight shift. a second job may be in the works to make ends meet. a report by "the new york times" and the "washington post" suggests nearly half of congress is part of the exclusive millionaire's club. 250 of them. and their bank accounts are growing. while the account of most americans is going in the opposite direction. it angers critics most is that this revelation of the wealth of congress comes at a time when senators and representatives are

debating whether to cut the food stamp program. a millionaire's tax is also on the table. the cook who works here says enough is enough. you work to get dplr 400 or $500. and that's working full time jobs. >> san francisco congresswoman nancy pelosi at $196 million. that's her net worth. darrell issa of southern california. between 195 and $700 million. that's his net worth. that's the disparity that they can give in reporting what their net worth is.

they are making their own money on the side. the cook here at the mini gourmet is a little upset. he promises to make you the best food in town. 5:37. let's check back to warmer forecast with meteorologist christina loren. it is normal. we have clouds rolling in ahead of an area of low pressure that just might bring showers to the north bay. you have a 20% chance of showers. areas north of the golden gate bridge through tomorrow, a little bit of a chance on thursday. better chance on friday. when it comes to fog, you need two ingredients.

the onshore is really starting to increase. we have fog out there. everyone else reporting good visibility. quite a difference from yesterday. 44 degrees in oakland. 44 in hayward. the sun will be out by 8:00 a.m. round out the day in the 60s. help you plan the wardrobe for new year's eve. >> i always consult with you, christina. shoes very important. that may be because of very thick fog because of the bridge reported by chp. they said there was a very thick pocket through american canyon. let's get a look at antioch where there are no reports of slowing. a smooth drive for highway 4. a little slowing in the area.

>> 5:38 now. the people of vietnam, maybe they can't access facebook, but they had a chance to meet the founder. >> mark zuckerberg is spending his christmas holiday in vietnam. this is according to state-run tv. he spent christmas eve hat the popular tourist destination. local news stations say the 27-year-old billionaire spent christmas day at an eco lodge in northern mountain town and road a buffalo. >> why? because he can. it is 5:39 now. coming up, on the road again. republican presidential candidates make the final push for the iowa caucus. and a deadly helicopter crash claims the life of a doctor and two others. did it crash a transplant patient's hope for a life saving organ? we'll explain just ahead.

welcome back, everyone.

the iowa caucus is just one week away. right now ron paul is leading in the polls. but it's been a volatile race for republicans so far. brian mooar is live in washington. a lot can happen in seven days. especially the last seven days. >> yeah. marla and jon, this has been a wild preprimary season. but the republicans are about to face their first official task. one week before the iowa caucuses ron paul is leading the presidential pack. >> they're not completely defined until close to the end. >> while rick santorum is hunting for votes. >> you're electing a leader. >> michele bachmann is ready to hit all of iowa's 99 counties. rick perry released a new attack ad. but it's aimed at washington. >> let them get a job like everybody else back home. >> thank you so much. >> mitt romney is still trying

to convince iowans he's conservative enough. >> i'm going to do something to government. i'm going to make it simpler and smaller and smarter. >> newt gingrich failed to make virginia's primary ballot, and days before iowa, that's a setback he can't afford. >> well, we're disappointed, but it was our fault. >> the primary is now a side show. i can't imagine anybody paying much attention to it. >> right now all eyes are on iowa where anything can happen. establishment republicans may be uneasy with ron paul. right now in iowa he has the organization that is tough to beat. marla, jon, back to you. >> brian, thank you. in other news gay rights activists are mourning this week the death of a pioneer. john lawrence showed standing on the left died of a heart condition back on november 20th at his home in texas. he made national headlines when he and his partner were arrested and charged with sodomy. that let to a landmark ruling in

which the u.s. supreme court struck down the texas law. lawrence was 68 years old. 5:43, a california soldier shot at his own homecoming party continues to fight for his life. 22-year-old christopher sullivan was shot in the neck trying to break up a fight over football. he is now in critical condition and paralyzed. sullivan was on leave from a military hospital where he's been recovering from injuries received during a suicide bombing in afghanistan. the suspected shooter turned himself in late yesterday. a babysitter facing murder charges in the death of an indiana girl. 39-year-old will appear in court today. police say he was watching his neighbor's 9-year-old daughter before she disappeared last friday. search crews found her body just yesterday. investigators have not said how the girl died. he has a criminal record in several other states. a transplant team has died

in a helicopter crash in florida. a surgeon, a technician and the pilot were killed during a flight to retrieve a heart at a hospital in gainesville. the surgeon was supposed to help a patient at the mayo clinic in jacksonville. the patient will have to wait after the heart that was supposed to be used was destroyed as the viability expired. a new painkiller in the works has addiction experts worried this morning. drug companies are working to develop a pure and powerful version of the nation's second most abused medicine. the new pills contain up to ten times the amount of the drug in the painkiller vicodin. addiction experts say abuseers might crush the pills down to get the high they do like they have with the most abuse d

medication in the u.s. a statement from the safety administration's website says an expert review identified mildewed feed as the cause of this toxic milk. the agency is ordering both dairies to destroy the tainted products. it says the contamination should stop once the cows stop eating the rotten feed. time to check back in with christina loren to find out how the rest of the week will go. nice start today. >> nice start today. another nice start tomorrow. and temperatures as a result of these very mild starts are going to be pretty warm today. i think it's going to be a really nice day. you can see the difference. clouds moving in. yesterday we had that thick fog. our atmosphere is swirling around out there this morning. and we have enough wind for the time being to keep the fog from settling to the surface. we have deep pockets in the north bay where they're not getting as much wind. overall we're looking good.

ten miles in san jose, six miles in livermore. eight to ten miles in san francisco. fairfield, ten miles. take it easy. pockets of fog until noon today. a mile and a quarter in santa rosa. a quarter mile in napa. this is where you really need to proceed with caution. santa rosa, you're starting out warmer today. you'll see a nice afternoon. probably the warmest city across the bay area before all is said and done. you can see from the future cast we lose the fog by 10:00 a.m. let's talk about what's to come. this area of low pressure should ride to the north, producing the 50s, places probably south of san francisco as we head through friday, saturday and sunday. north bay showers are possible. as we head through the next few days we'll stay dry, and the clouds will make for comfortable

afternoons. let's check your drive and see how comfortable you're getting on the drive with mike. >> don't get too comfortable. you'll have a quick drive. not a lot of chance to settle in. or sit in the parking lot and enjoy the radar. northbound speed sensors just fine. no construction to report through the area all morning long. overnight pretty clear here. we're looking to the peninsula. 101 and 280. an easy drive in san mateo into and out of the city. two freeways. and a live look at the golden gate bridge. a nice smooth flow out of the north bay as well. fog and visibility are not a problem for the golden gate bridge. a quarter mile visibility in napa. let's see how the bay bridge toll plaza is shaping up. we see the cash lanes with a few cars waiting in line. my guess is at least one of the lanes probably isn't open. these cash lanes will continue to fluctuate.

the fast track lanes are not a problem. out to livermore valley at 580. and a 14 to 15 minute drive. a little slow out of the altamont pass to greenville. starting january 1st, that will be what's called a double fine zone for speeding and other traffic violations. you should be practicing safe driving right now. but in case, you've got time to practice for the next week through that area as well. back to you. >> 5:49. you might soon be able to hold them instead of fold them when it comes to internet gambling. in a legal opinion posted last week, the justice department said online betting unrelated to sporting events falls outside the reach of federal law. the u.s. government had long considered such gambling illegal when it crosses state lines. internet poker is only currently legal in nevada. how about this story in the vegas winnings of a texas gambler putting a colorado man's

character to a big test. mitch gilbert found $10,000 in two unmarked envelopes. gilbert didn't keep it. instead, when he got home he called the airport and eventually got in touch with the man from texas who had reported the money was missing. gilbert says he returned the money because he wanted to step up and show his children it was just the right thing to do. >> he definitely did the right thing. otherwise karma could have haunted him. >> good story. i like the honest policy. coming up, travel wars. a search option for cheap fares has travel sites flying off the handle. and scouting for talent in silicon valley. why the intern pool is getting younger and younger. and a live look at downtown san jose. very calm and peaceful. and if you've been outside you will notice a little bit warmer. christina loren will tell you about it coming up. [ female announcer ] help i need a holiday party idea.

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zynga -- industry analysts say social media companies so far have failed to make a lasting impression on wall street. and that could stifle the wealth generating effect initial public offerings can have on bay area jobs, housing and retail purchases. it is 5:53 now. google's new push to online travel is irking competitors. competing websites like expedia, orbitz and priceline say google is abusing its power in web searches to promote the travel program over others. google is placing its flight service at the top of general results, which means they appear

prominently above links to competing websites. the new search feature delivers interactive charts that show the cheapest air fares. here's a new twist, the new way to ride share may be through facebook. they now require users to have a facebook account. they say it's an extra level of security because it gives people a better idea who getting into their car. the company hopes facebook will help ride share become more mainstream by letting drivers and passengers learn more about potential traveling partners. 5:54. a new type of war is waging here in the silicon valley. more tech companies are looking by hiring more interns. some are thinking of hiring high school students. bay area tech giants google and facebook have both hired record numbers of interns in 2010 compared to past years. >> well, getting good grades and

strong test scores won't guarantee you a spot at uc santa cruz, if you're an incoming freshman next fall. why? that's because uc santa cruz is now using a new method on admissions. they're emphasizing personal achievement in determining who they accept. other factors include special talents or whether a student from a weak school took advantage of every educational opportunity. full-time to check the forecast. good news. it's warmer outside. you're not going to freeze your you know what off this morning. >> whoa. it's a family show, marla. getting crazy on a tuesday. we're looking good. she's right. it is significantly warmer in some cities. we've got more clouds moving over the bay area as we speak. we are headed to a gorgeous

afternoon. you're at 47 in san jose. you'll hit 63 later today. 63 in livermore. 64 in santa rosa, where we had a very cold morning. i'll take you through the seven day as we head through the important 6:00 hour. that means more people are hitting the highway. let's check the drive with mike. >> let's take a look at the maps through livermore. 580 is an easy drive right now. the 50s have cleared. that's why we're back to green instead of yellow. we have reports of debris around the spring town exit. it sounds like everything is isolated to the exit itself. if that is your offramp, keep that in mind. another update is coming up. we are just days away tr the biggest party night of the year. >> that's right. and several public transit agencies are giving you a free ticket to ride to make sure you get home safely. that word always gets people's

attention. they will all be free for travelers late night on december 31st until early morning january 31st. if you're going to check out the fireworks on the embarcadero. tickets still at regular price with extra service from new year's eve until 3:00 in the morning on new year's day. city ahead, why air quality experts say you can fire, but you should think twice before you do. [ male announcer ] it's a rule of nature.

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okay-y... okay??? i've been eating progresso and now my favorite old jeans...fit. okay is there a woman i can talk to? [ male announcer ] progresso. 40 soups 100 calories or less. new this morning, have you noticed how smoky bay area skies are? today is not exactly a spare the air day. i'm christie smith. i'll tell you what it isin