>> reporter: two women brutally attacked in the sunset district of san francisco. one is fighting for her life. i'm bob redell. we'll fill you in coming up. >> fire torches a field in mountain view not far from big tech companies. what crews say sparked that blaze. >> steven colbert may make a run for president. what he did last night that is raising eyebrows this morning. >> a live look outside t golden gate bridge on this friday, january 13th. this is "today in the bay."

>> good morning everyone. the time 4:30. i'm jon kelley. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to this morning. let's toss it over to christina loren. >> good morning. happy friday to you. we made it to the weekend. we're going to see major changes next week, and as of sunday temperatures start to tumble. so, enjoy the warmth. it's cold now. we'll take you through the full forecast for the weekend and tell you when you can expect that rain. right now i'm going to send it back to you. >> it's 4:31, new this morning police trying to figure out who attacked two women in a san francisco neighborhood. >> one of the victims is 70 years old. it happened on 20th avenue in the golden gate heights avenue. that's where bob redell joins us live. what's the latest? >> reporter: two women, one who is elderly, were attacked last night. one stabbed, the other hit with a hammer. happened around 9:20 in that home behind me here on 20th.

someone attacked a 70-year-old woman who lives at this home, during the attack another woman happened to arrive at the home to deliver chinese food from a restaurant. the attacker then turned on her. she was badly hurt but was able to run back to the restaurant which is around the corner. her colleague saw how injured she was, then called 911. both women are being treated at sf general. we understand they are both in very serious condition. the elderly woman possibly even life threatening condition. the attacker did escape. police have not indicate what had they think the motive might have been. jon, laura. >> thank you, bob. it's 4:32. pg&e is investigating whether a blown transformer caused a huge fire in mountain view. we have video. he tells us at one point the flames were 20 to 30 feet high. crews say power lines fell into the brush on la avenida street

sparking the fire. crews were able to put out the flames by 11:30. pg&e says the fire knocked out power to 370 customers. several businesses have buildings in the area including google and microsoft. no buildings were damaged and crews say the streets in the area will open as normal this morning. >> more of that video posted on our website. head over to nbcbayarea.com for the latest updates. >> the california public utilities commission is a step closer to fining pg&e for the deadly san bruno pipe line explosion. members approved a scathing report that says that pg&e broke several state and federal safety laws leading up to the disaster that killed eight people in 2010. approval of the report begins the process that could result in massive new penalties for the utility. pg&e's president responded saying we are taking their findings very seriously. we are committed to raising the level of pipeline safety to new,

higher standards. >> a high school math teacher accused of having sex with a student will make her first appearance in court. marie johnson, a teacher in livermore charged with 24 counts of sexual assault. prosecutors say she had a six-month sexual relationship with a student under the age of 15. she is scheduled to be arraigned in pleasanton at 11:00 this morning. >> the man accused in a string of sexual assaults returns to court. a judge expected to appoint a lawyer for frederick dozier, facing charges of sexual assault and attempted murder. >> it's 4:34. high school students in morgan hill are starting a concert series in honor of their classmate killed in a drive-by shooting. students will remember her

tonight. she was with a group of friends outside an apartment complex in morgan hill back in november when she was shot. the high school is sponsoring the concert as a way to give a positive outlet for expression. the concert will be the first in a series. it starts at 5:30. >> education advocates say governor brown's budget proposal will hurt some of california's youngest students. the california kindergarten association says it includes cuts in funding for the state's transitional kinldser garten program, it's a type for children who turn 5 taf school's deadline. one senator authored the readiness act will join parents and teachers to discuss the future of transitional kindergarten. >> city workers in oakland bracing for 1500 layoff notices due to go out next week. however, fewer than 200 employees are actually expected to lose their jobs. the city wants to make sure that

everybody is prepared. the cuts are the result of $30 million lost in redevelopment funds. the state won a court challenge to take the money back from cities. >> it's a paradigm shift for the state of california. we have been ordered to dissolve redevelopment, and many other local governments and other cities are dealing with the same issue in their own way. >> notices will go out to employees in every city department except for employees in the police and fire departments. >> checking the weather department right now. who better to turn to, christina loren. >> we have a good looking first half of the weekend to look forward to. things start to change on sunday. so, you're trying to make outdoor plans, saturday is your day to do so. offshore flow continues until then. and what's happening is that ridge of high pressure not only bumping the storm track to the north pushing it into alaska, it's pushing all of the cloud cover out to sea. so, another day when it's hard to find a cloud in the sky,

we're going to see a cold start making way to a warm afternoon. in fact, this looks like the warmest day of the week. let's take through the forecast now. 34 degrees, it's chilly in livermore, 29 in gilroy. running a little warmer than we were at this time yesterday. by noon, temperatures climbing into the upper 60s in some cities. by noon, 67 degrees in gilroy, 65 in san jose. and we're going to see 70s later on today, 73 in gilroy, 70 in santa rosa. and 69 degrees even along the peninsula. so, here's the story. we have our first significant sierra snow in the forecast. i'll tell you when showers arrive at your doorstep. things look much different as we head into next week. we have a lot the talk about in the weather department. >> thank you very much, christina. 4:37 now. another candidate could jump into the presidential race. steven colbert. during last night's ep seed of the colbert report the comedian transferred his super political action committee to his friend and icon john stewart.

this would allow colbert to campaign as a candidate in his home state of south carolina. he only hinted at the possibility last night saying he was forming an exploratory committee for his possible candidacy. >> of course he is, why wouldn't he. >> actually could do well. >> he would get a lot of votes. it's 4:38 now. east bay college campus has a big problem. why officials at uc-berkeley warn of mountain lions near the campus. >> an apple store in a target store? the new concept being considered. >> republican presidential candidates changing their tune this morning, why they are dialing back their attacks on mitt romney. >> for your news, weather and traffic updates check us out on facebook. search nbc bay area news. >> searching for a beautiful shot we came up with this. a live look over san franciscoi

background. hey, your high speed internet here, at home... ...and on the go... ...with some really big news. it's b-i-g -- big. high speed internet from at&t at home... ...includes wi-fi access on the go. woo-hoo! [ together ] it's an unbelievable deal. well, gotta go. but wait -- there's more... [ female announcer ] go to the website below today and get high speed internet for the unbelievably low price of just 14.95 a month for 12 months with a one-year price guarantee. it's all the speed you need at a great price. you can chill online at a park. here, pidgie, pidgie. [ pigeon coos ] and surf the web at your favorite bookstore.

our internet at home includes access to the entire national at&t wi-fi hot spot network on the go. [ female announcer ] go to the website below and get high speed internet for just 14.95 a month for 12 months with a one-year price guarantee. that's all the speed you need at a great price. it's an unbelievable deal. so why wait? act now, act now! like he said... ♪

>> welcome back everyone. a good friday morning to you. taking a live look outside. hp pavilion, shark tank, in san jose. we'll look at the forecast, it's changing. 4:41. >> how about this, a kindler gentler republican race? the gop presidential race taking on a kinder, softer tone this morning. republican leaders concerned the attacks between candidates will only fuel president obama's

campaign against the gop nominee in the general election. for days mitt romney taking heat about his business record and time with bain capital. the romney camp fired back with its own ad. >> don't be fooled by it new's desperate attacks. >> i'm shocked at how defensive they are. >> the attacks on romney's business record don't appear really to be helping out the other candidates. today, the campaigns say they are toning down the negative attacks. >> meantime, four of the republican candidates in a fight right now to get their names on the ballot for virginia's primary election. rick perry, newt gingrich, jon huntsman and rick santorum filed papers to be included. the party requires 10,000 signatures in the state to be put on the ballot. only mitt romney and ron paul submitted enough signatures before the deadline. virginia's primary set for march 6. >> it is 4:42.

california stepping up its energy efficiency standards, this time for your home electronics. the energy commission is targeting the so-called vampires that suck the electricity even when you're not using them. the commission will require portable electronic devices to have energy efficient battery charges. it's expected to save $306 million a year in costs. >> wall street ended yesterday on a high note. we'll see if it can continue. for more on that and news before the bell, we turn to bertha coombs. good friday morning to you. >> hey, good friday morning. we're positive for the week, in the nasdaq the standout up about 2% going into friday. the markets actually extended the winning streak on thursday, even after we had bad economic news, jobless claims were up higher than expected last week, while retail sales were down more than expected.

for december. we get data on the trade deficit, import prices and consumer sentiment. jpmorgan earnings in line but business continues to be tough in banking. futures now are pointing to a flat open, the dow will be coming off after 21-point gain yesterday to 12,471. while the nasdaq was up 13 to 2724. and if you were curious, wall street does not suffer from fear of friday the 13th, which is actually friggatriskaidekaphobia. not easy for me to say. historically stocks end friday 13th higher. the s.e.c. is going to look at whether it's time to dump rules requiring cable and satellite providers to block out sporting events if teams don't sell out. a coalition of groups say the rules should be dropped because they prevent fans from accessing local games especially with ticket prices and unemployment

levels so high. the nfl and other major sport leagues generally oppose lifting blackout rules. target planning to test apple stores next year. a spokesperson didn't say how apple products will be displayed or whether there will be apple employees to help customers learn about the products. apple has stores inside best buy but expanding its presence to target makes it more accessible to shoppers who aren't necessarily just looking for electronics. did you see the apple i44s launch in beijing? they opened like an hour late. people were so upset they were egging, you know how apple has beautiful glass facades, they were egging it they were so upset. >> got to get them now. >> thank you so much. >> it was ugly. it was freezing, too. they went bananas. let's see what we're doing

outside. christina loren is back to talk about our friday forecast. i like saying that, friday forecast. >> we've had such spectacular weather, we're going to hold onto the trend. we have good looking weather for the first part of your weekend. things looking comfortable for saturday. then we see major changes starting on sunday. monday, tuesday, wednesday the rain chances ramp up. then thursday that looks like the day when we are going to get hammered with rain. it is looking more and more promising every time i check. and thursday also the day that we're expecting our first significant sierra snowfall. so, snowboarders, skiers, get ready. this morning it's hazy and cold out there. going to be a little on the poor air quality side as we head throughout day. we haven't had significant rain move through or wind, so watch out for that. you'll see that haze today. possible showers starting like i said monday, tuesday, wednesday. then thursday, that's the most promising for us to get significant rainfall. i'm talking about maybe up to a half inch right here in san jose.

that's pretty significant. 40 degrees now in hayward. 39 in oakland and 44 in san mateo. good morning to you there. 67 by noon in gilroy. you'll be at 62 at noon in fairfield and 65 in santa rosa. temperatures really climbing today. this looks like it will be the warmest day of the week. look at all of the 70s on the temperature map. 70 in san jose, 73 in gilroy, 70 in livermore. and up to 69 degrees in redwood city. the peninsula getting unseasonably warm later on as well. seven-day outlook tells the story. by monday the clouds will start to increase. tuesday we get north bay showers. wednesday the greater bay area gets light showers, then the rain arrives thursday. we'll talk about that, how much we expect in your city and how much snowpack we expect out of this as well. back to you guys. >> thank you very much. now i'm guessing this one wasn't on the curriculum but there was a study in big cats near uc-berkeley. that's right, mountain lion sightings in the hills above the campus are prompting a warning.

the latest sighting tuesday night next to university family housing where dozens of kids live and play. parents say yeah, a little too close for comfort. >> the dumpster is close over there. that's what's scary. i imagine they are going to look for generally we always assume they are so scared off by us but it's quiet at night. >> we're finding that's not the case. police say the tuesday night sighting follows another on lawrence road back in december. they say additional sightings last year along with several carcasses point to yes, mountain lion activity. officers reminding people not to walk alone in the hills and keep your eyes on kids and pets f. you see a mountain lion, here's what you do. stand tall, be loud, but don't run. >> probably first instinct. >> without question. >> 4:48. hollywood rolling out the red carpet this weekend for the golden globes. who is attending?

>> some of the goodies they get. plus, superstitious folks beware, it's friday the 13th. how a south bay landmark is using the day to honor its founder.

>> welcome back. a live look inside our control room. you see jon kelley there on the little monitor. the big people there, that's our director calling the shots. great, great crew. >> if they have time to stand up we would give them a standing o. the biggest city was one of the safest in the country. san jose city leaders want to regain that pristine status. the police chief says his department is operating on a tight budget which means officers will focus on less non-violent crimes and more on big busts and fluid situations like yesterday's botched bank robbery. >> today was a great example where we had a bank robbery, were able to take the subject into custody, took a lot of resources which if you have too many of those in one day it makes it difficult because you have other calls. but it was a great case. >> because of a spike in violent crime in san jose last year that caused the city to lose its

safest title. >> no question about it, big time weekend for the 49e taking on the saints in the playoffs at candlestick park. this is what the team's website looks like. it says, we're red. get loud, beat the saints. kickoff tomorrow at 1:35 at the stick. >> a lot of fun. there soon could be action on the a's request to move to san jose. bud selig says the issue is now on the front burner. during a news conference selig confirmed he received a report from the panel set up to investigate the move. he told a news group things will start moving forward quickly. >> it's friday the 13th today. while that might frighten the superstitious, a mystery house is looking forward to it. the house's bell tower will toll 13 times, 1300 hours, 1:00 this afternoon. the ceremonies honor sarah

winchester who had an obsession with the number 13. there are 13 bathrooms in the house, 13 steps on the stairs, starting at 6:00 tonight the mystery house will offer flashlight tours for an extra eerie experience. you don't want to go? >> i'm terrified. i'll go with you. 5:54. let's see how scary it is on the roads. mike inouye is here to tell us what is happening. >> you know what, jon, you don't need to be scared except of laura. looking at the freeways in the south bay. we have a traffic control situation for the on ramp at camden avenue to southbound 17. sounds like there is a disabled vehicle no. big drama as far as the commute. you can get on, you'll have flashing lights. the rest of the south bay looks nice. even flow of traffic throughout most of the area.

top of the screen, i want to call this out. construction goes on overnight, 880 at 237, usually eastbound 237 to northbound 880, like it is tonight, the reason being is because there has been a long term project there opening an express lane connecting the folks like we have in sunol where you pay to play for the express lane if you have one person in the car. that looks like things are continuing to progress. we may have things changing. the the sign says march 2012. we have word maybe late january. we'll continue to track that. we'll send it back to you. >> thank you very much, mike. >> the academy awards is the grand daddy of all of the aaward shows, but the golden globes, sunday is the 69th annual award show. >> always fun to watch. the third straight year ricky jer va will host. there is a close contest between george clooney up for best actor and that guy, brad pit for his

role. meryl streep's portrayal of margaret thatcher could bring her a big win for best actress drama. we have a special section on the golden globes at nbcbayarea.com. and of course you can watch it sunday night here on nbc. of course what would annie vent in hollywood be without serious swag. >> that's right. the swag bags also known as gift bags for celebrities and presenters, this year they revealed they are loaded. pretty sweet stuff. diamonds and precious stones from lebanon. eyelash formula from japan. >> mine comes from target. >> as well as designer beauty products. you can get everything at target when you add it up these hold up to $50,000 in merchandise. the celebrities fighting trying to get the bags. >> quite a gift there.

>> it's 4:56. a lot coming up on "today in the bay." san francisco's new sheriff could soon be facing domestic violence charges. why some are calling for his resignation. >> the latest on an overnight assault that has an elderly woman fighting for her life. what we're learn about the weapons the attacker may have used. >> make sure to check us out on facebook. 4

>> reporter: a hammer and knife attack sends two women, one who happens to be elderly, to the hospital. i'm bob redell. that story coming up. >> reporter: i'm damian trujillo live in mountain view where pg&e remains baffled as to what caused an explosion on one of its high tension lines. details coming up. >> charges could be filed today against san francisco's newest >>eriff.