breaking news. a powerful blast rocks beirut killing at least five people including a former ambassador to the united states. dozens are hurt. what officials say caused the explosion coming up. >> plus t family of a 13-year-old jahi mcmath wants her moved to another facility for care while officials at oakland say they won't do a critical procedure necessary for the move to take place. >> unemployment benefits for millions of americans expires tomorrow. what lawmakers are doing today. >> a look out to the bay bring. the lights shining, a nice day, but a spare the air day too. it's friday, december 27th, this is "today in the bay."

good morning everyone. it is 4:30. i'm terry mcsweeney. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to this morning. let's check the forecast and traffic this morning. >> double duty. mike inouye you know, we love him, he deserves a day off once in a while. maybe you have the day off, you have the family home with you. temperatures are going to be comfortable. 40s now but we're headed to the 70s across the bay area. we'll see about 69 in the south bay, 68 in the peninsula and 68 degrees in the east bay today. i have to point out off the bat it is another spare the air day but we're looking toward better air quality into this weekend. let's switch gears now and take a look at the morning drive. overall we're not expecting much as a lot of people have the day off. to the map this is morning, we head throughout the afternoon, temperatures are going to be comfortable, we expect more people to wake up later on this

morning and head out and about later today so count on traffic then. right now, it is light. the only thing is 101 northbound, you want to travel cautiously as you approach sierra point parkway a. box is reported in lane 2, so you want to stay to the left through there. and travel cautiously. we're looking pretty good. a look at i-80 through emeryville, a light drive this morning. that's what we're counting on. you can see you will not be alone out there. we'll keep tabs on the drive and the weather. back to you, terry and laura. >> thanks very much. breaking news out of lebanon, a powerful car bomb rocked a business district of beirut killing five people including an american. also among the dead is the former lebanese ambassador to the united states. more than 70 people are injured. the blast sent smoke billowing in the commercial district as you can see. the army is cordoning off the area.

lebanon has seen a wave of bombings as tensions rise over syria's civil war. that's because sunni and shiite communities in lebanon support opposite sides of the war. >> new details around the 13-year-old oakland teen on life support. the family of jahi mcmath wants to move the girl out of children's hospital oakland. the family found another bay area facility willing to care for jahi. the family asked the hospital to perform surgery so a feeding tube can be inserted if jahi were moved. the hospital said no. the family attorney says he will ask an outside doctor to help in the case may end up back in court. >> if children tries to block that then we'll be back in court seeking to have what we call a writ of mandate to make them. >> the judge did not authorize or order surgical procedures for transfer to another facility. children's hospital does not believe performing surgical procedures on the body of a

deceased person is an appropriate medical practice. >> the family is not releasing the name of the new facility at this point. doctors say jahi is brain dead. she has been on ventilators for weeks following complications. the court order mandating the hospital keep her on a ventilator expires on monday. >> police say a man arrested in a shooting is also linked to several armed robberies in the city. 20-year-old james brisker allegedly shot a 22-year-old man on december 8, the victim was in a coma until a few weeks ago. brisker was arrested monday along with jaymon matthews. they searched the cars and found stolen property. matthews is facing armed robbery charges. >> a follow-up to a story we brought you yesterday morning. a connection with a homicide is in jail. police arrested ernesto

rodriguez. they found him near the crime scene. the female victim was dead in his family's apartment christmas day. police say the victim had a restraining order against rodriguez. >> a busy intersection in fremont is back open following a crash involving an alameda county fire department suv. police say the vehicle had its emergency lights and siren on when it collided with a toyota. both drivers were treated and released. the crash happened at about 5:00 last night. the intersection was closed more than six hours as crews worked to clean up the crash. the cause is under investigation. >> after what became an all day hearing the future of san francisco city college and the 80,000 students enrolled now in the hands of a san francisco judge. supporters of the college filled the hall of superior court yesterday after the accrediting commission wanted to pull the city college accreditation next

year on july 1 due to extensive financial problems. attorneys asked the judge to stop the process until a trial can be held saying the threat of that has devastated the college's enrollment. >> with this accreditation continues more students are going to leave, then we're going to continue to see a drop in finances for the college. >> if the accreditation is pulled, the school would likely be forced to shut down no. word when the judge will make a final ruling. lawyers for the commission say the injunction is a nunnecessar >> a community is coming together to bring cheer to an unlucky family. >> the family woke up christmas day to find their house robbed and christmas presents under the tree gone. >> as one police officer put weet all have children and we can put ourselves in those shoes

and they did. first by raising $100 which was matched by the police association, then alameda fire station stepped in rounding up presents from their holiday drive and soon the whole community was on board. the sheer excitement of unwrapping presents is arguably the best part about christmas. reverse this 24 hours and jonathan and jimmena didn't have gifts. >> to see a child. >> your heart broke. >> yes, it did. >> but this year santa claus wore navy blue alameda county fire suits and a newark police badge, collecting money and presents that shocked this family into thinking maybe christmas wasn't taken from them. >> the other officers on the shift and myself felt sorry for the children, pretty bad timing on the crime. most of us have children and we can kind of put ourselves in

that place. >> reporter: the officer estimates thieves nabbed about $3,000 of items from the home on christmas eve no less including the christmas gifts. material things can be replaced. but it's the thought behind them like mementos, decades from her father, that can leave a gash. >> i think because that's memories for me when i was little. that was going to be my present for my daughter. >> for that reason all of the presents in the world can't provide to the family what one community's generosity has already done for their hearts. >> the only thing i can tell them was thank you very much for everything that you guys did for them. my kids were really happy. >> reporter: not just smiles. the children were ecstatic testing out the toys. on a sadder note, though t thieves also managed to grab jewelry given by her dad which

she planned on giving to her daughter. obviously that's not going to happen. but everybody is still grateful on this day. sam brock, nbc bay area news. >> happy ending there. turning to the weather. today is yet another spare the air day as the fifth in a row t 20th so far this winter season compared to just ten in all of last year. live look at san jose with air quality expected to be among actually some of the worst. >> christina loren doing it all, she does it all every day but today really doing it all, has the weather and who knows what else. >> you sacrifice for your friends. mike inouye, we all think he deserves a day off, do we not. the man works hard. and actually he has the day off and i kind of got stuck with it but i'm happy to do. temperatures are mostly in the 40s. 45 in san francisco. north bay at 33. 37 in the east bay to start the day and the south bay is kicking off a friday. you made it to the end of the week if you're like us and

working this week, temperatures have been comfortable. they are going to remain comfortable for your final day of the work week. 68 in los gatos, along the peninsula temperatures range from the mid to upper 60s, so not quite as warm add yesterday but comfortable. 55 degrees pacific heights. santa rosa, the mid-60s, the east bay t tri-valley looking good, mid-60s for today with a mix of sun and clouds. clouds increasing as we head throughout the afternoon. there is a weak disturbance on the way, and this is going to bring in moisture, also going to stir up winds which is great news when it comes to our air quality. today spare the air day. through saturday, sunday and monday, we're back in the moderate range, so that's the good news. better air quality on the way. switching gears a look at the drive. nice and green, really no areas of trouble at this point. we're going to keep tabs on it all morning long and let you know if anything crop up. we're counting on a lighter than normal commute.

a lot of people have the day off. so watch out, 101 northbound as you approach sierra point parkway. there is a box in the lane number 2 so travel cautiously. there is a crew on the way. right now back to you. >> thanks so much. still ahead on "today in the bay" millions stand to lose unemployment benefits. >> what ups is promising customers this morning in order to make up for thousands of delayed holiday packages.

a live beautiful look, washington, d.c., capitol hill. a nice start to the morning. busy place. got to get things done a. lifeline for more than 1 million americans without work for more than six months expires tomorrow. the extension of long term unemployment benefits failed to make its way into the bipartisan budget bill signed by president obama last night. nbc's danielle leigh is in capitol hill where the fight is brewing to reinstate those benefits. >> what you are going to lose. >> reporter: the emergency benefit created in response to the recession five years ago has

given millions of americans unable to find work the cushion they needed. come tomorrow long term unemployment insurance will disappear. >> once their state benefits run out, that enables them to pay their mortgages, pay for heating, buy food, those benefits will come to an abrupt end. >> reporter: economists warn the cuts won't just hurt the unemployed. it could slow the country's economic recovery. >> you know who had a merry christmas. >> reporter: the group americans united for change is out with this ad. attacking republicans who largely oppose extending the benefits as part of the budget deal reached this month. >> democrats will continue to stand strong. >> reporter: in january senators are expected to vote on a bill that would extend the benefits for three months. many republicans are already promising to oppose it. >> the people think we need two years of unemployment insurance, they should come forward and say we want to raise the taxes and the contributions of employees and employers. >> reporter: critics of the extension say the economy is

improving and worry continuing these benefits will only increase dependency on the government. according to a new poll 55% of americans want congress to extend the benefits, only 33% do not. in washington, danielle leigh, nbc news. ups and fedex are working overtime to finish delivering thousands of holiday gifts that didn't make it in time for christmas. the ups says it will make good by offering a refund on shipping charges. fedex says it will work with customers who had trouble. the two shipping companies say bad weather back east caused problems. another culprit was a rush of last minute on line purchases zlxt we had a shortened holiday season, six fewer days, then a surge in online demand particularly accelerated by mobile devices. i think mobile contributed about 40% of all internet sales. >> fedex says it handled more than 275 million shipments and

99% of ground deliveries glot on time. the company took matters in their hands and headed to the ups center to get their gifts. >> it's from florida. my father livers there. we haven't seen him in how long, three years. and i don't know what's in the package, actually. >> ups is not saying how many packages were delayed but most are expected to be delivered by the end of the day. amazon offering refunds to customers affected by delayed package delivery. it will give $20 toward a future purchase. just how many packages amazon shipped t company sold 426 items every second on cyber monday. >> speaking of a late christmas present. travelers got an unexpected gift when they went to book their next trip on delta airlines,

talking fares as low as $3. we turn to hampton pearson live at cnbc's washington, d.c. bureau. >> yes, futures are higher after stocks hit record highs thursday. following reports showing an unexpected drop. it's up nearly 4% over that period. there is no major economic data or earnings reports out today t dow jumping 122 points to close at 16,479 t nasdaq adding 11 to close at 4167. the head of the national retail federation tells cnbc he is confident holiday sales will hit that group's target of an increase of 3.9% despite challenges such as bad weather, shipping problems and six fewer shopping days. sales through this year up 3.5%

versus less than 1% in 2012 tanks to heavy spending in the final days and the stores use higher discounts and promotions to attract more customers. delta airlines says it will honor the really cheap fares sold by mistake on thursday. among them a round trip flight in february for $25. that's usually at more than $400. new rules from the department of transportation aimed at truth in advertising require airlines to honor any mistakes. guys, minneapolis is a great city, and those people do things outdoors in the winter that you and i would not even think of but i don't know about minneapolis in february, even at $25. >> even at $25. why can't the deals be available when i log on? >> there you go. >> thanks a lot, hampton. >> let's check in with christina loren, see what's going on weather wise. she is doing it all today. >> there is the quite a bit

happening. a lot of people traveling across the state of california. if you are one of those people, know big weather concerns, gusty winds at the mountain passes. pretty good in northern california for today. all the way throughout the weekend. in the 30s and 40s. you made to the friday. hopefully you had a great holiday. san jose, 40 degrees. there is plenty of haze, another spare the air day. again we're going to see an unseasonably warm afternoon with temperatures approaching the 70-degree mark. san francisco hit 72, 66 for you today. north bay 65. and 69 today in the south bay a. big event at tropical storm park. football at at&t park, washington state takes on byu. comfortable conditions out there. that's pretty cool. never seen football throughout before. looking forward to that. new year's eve a preview.

your seven-day forecast here at the bottom of your screen. san francisco is a big city across the entire united states. for people to see the spectacular fireworks. you'll be able to see it this year, it will be hazy. we're counting on better air quality this weekend. 54 degrees tuesday night into the new year which is wednesday. we'll look at traffic. now back to you. >> power in the northeast united states and canada slowly being turned back on after last week's ice storm. officials say they expect more power outages as tree branches weighed down by ice snap and damage additional lines. people who have been without electricity since saturday are relying on generators to supply light and heat. about 79,000 people in michigan don't have power and 100,000 homes and businesses in canada. >> connecticut state police will release their full report a few weeks after the first

anniversary of the sandy hook massacre. adam lanza was portrayed as obsessed with mass murders, but his motive may not be known. the report on the investigation into last year's shootings that killed 20 students and 6 educators will be released this afternoon. >> after 11 years a familiar face for fans on both sides of the bay stepping away from the game.

he was one of the most sought after free agents on the market in the national football league a few years ago. now she leaving the game. the former raider and 49ers defensive back is retiring from professional football. he will retire as an oakland raider and expected to make it official later today. he was in the 49ers starting lineup this year. the former cal star played 11 years after being selected 31st by oakland in 2003. >> hard to believe the holiday flying by, new year around the corner. we're going to get our look at the giant ball that will drop on new year's eve. >> technicians are assembling the waterford crystal ball, 12 feet in diameter and weigh 12,000 pounds when they have it together. the first ball made out of iron

and wood weighed 700 pounds and covered in 100 light bulbs in 1907. >> it's the latest installment of the san francisco tradition, macy's holiday window displays are filled with adoptable animals through the new year. >> people can stop by till january 5 to maybe bring home a new pet. you can see the cats and dogs online. more than 280 animals have already been adopted. the display has been -- has raised about $60,000 for the spca. the window always attracts. >> people's reactions are priceless. everybody has a different one. everybody loves cats so they get so excited. the smiles on people's faces. it's wonderful. >> so much fun. fees range from $125 for a kitten to $250 for puppies but discounts are available for those adopting more than one and

also there is time to bring a furry friend home. >> still ahead on "today in the bay." the family of a 13-year-old wants her moved to another facility for care. children's hospital says they won't do a critical procedure necessary for the move. >> poor air causing headaches for people across the bay area. when things are expected to get better coming up in a live report. ?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w?w

>> reporter: good morning. i'm chase cain outside children's hospital in oakland. the family of jahi mcmath wants to move her. what the hospital has to say about that. >> reporter: i'm marianne favro, we're headed for another spare the air day. why the south bay is often hit the hardest. >> light wind in the forecast for today. that is part of the reason we're sparing the air. also some light traffic here over the bay bridge this morning. we're going to take a close look at the morning drive and your

weekend forecast. after all you made to the friday and i think you're going to like what we have in store for you. >> a live look outside right now. it is a no burn not a slow burn day. it's friday, december 27th and this is "today in the bay." good friday morning. thks for joining us. i'm terry mcsweeney. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. the family of an oakland teenager who remains on life support following tonsil surgery may have found a place that will take care of her. chase cain joins us live at children's hospital in oakland with reaction from family members. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it looks like we are headed back to the courtroom again, a judge is likely going to have to get involved in this, even the family's request to move jahi mcmath elsewhere is not coming uncontested from the hospital because the hospital continues to lean on the judge's ruling and the findi