was the bay area woman the victim of a vicious and possibly deadly prank known nationwide as the knockout game? the neighborhood on alert after a random attack. could be a break in the case. new information oakland police are expected to release today. they hope will catch the suspects who gunned down a man seven months ago. and caught on camera, the crystal clear surveillance video that has homeowners on the peninsula on high alert. >> a live looking looking out from oakland towards the bridge. overcast, warmer this morning than it has been for weeks, i think. we'll check in with christina loren about that. it's wednesday, january 8th. it's "today in the bay."

good morning. it's 4:30. i'm terry mcsweeney, i'm waking up, i'm laura garcia-cannon. what is it out there? >> you know, it's a little bit of both, laura garcia-cannon. but your vernacular, very impressive. we have an active pacific ocean out there, on shore flow. what it is, is thick, low clouds over the bay area. steady drizzle. we'll keep you updated all morning. remember, a little bit of moisture on the roadways, could be a slow drive. mike inouye. >> should be a slow drive, or slower because we've been talking about a long dry spell that left grease and oil that settled on the roadway. turn the cameras towards the truck scales in fremont, it's hard to see. glowing lights.

we see glowing lights southbound heading past the truck scales. truck scales itself, for a while, able to see the sheen on the road. throughout fremont, i had to use windshield wipers, there's enough mist in the air. noance dents through the area, but a slower drive, as some folks are starting to hit the road. a crash outside the roadway, a smooth drive to the tri-valley. watching at conditions change. back to you. >> thank you. investigators in the upscale town of los gados are trying to figure out if a woman was the victim of a disturbing and painful prank known as the knockout game. the prank is happening across the country, where a person goes up to someone at random, hits them in the head while someone else videotapes it. police say monday afternoon, a woman was dropping her daughter off for dance practice at a studio on blossom hill road when a man came up, punched her in

the face, knocked her down, took off. police say the attack happened for no reason they've been able to determine. teachers at the studio say they're on edge because they don't know where the man came from or why he did what he did. >> it was shocking. i make sure i try to keep teaching so the kids are feeling safe and everything normal. but it was shaky, because we are not used to it around here. >> police would love to talk to anyone who saw that attack. they say the suspect ran away from the scene wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, and a backwards white baseball cap. the victim's cheek was red and swollen but refused to go to the hospital. 4:33. oakland police will release new information about a deadly shooting seven months ago. expected to release a photo of a car they say involved in a cash that ultimately led to killing of aya nakano, shot to death on market street june 12th. he was leaving a basketball game

when rear-ended by a car. two men got out of the car and dpront confronted before shooting and killing him. his mother hopes $100,000 reward will lead to an arrest. >> i'm hoping that somebody is able to grow a conscience and, for once, do the right thing because oakland is known for no-snitch culture. i believe somebody out there knows something and money's a powerful incentive. >> rewards time are posted posted across the east bay. police are investigating another deadly crash involving ache pedestrian on van ness and grove street. the victim was in a fight on one side of the street. trying to run across the street when he was hit and killed. police say the driver is not at fault.

the victim's the third pedestrian killed in the city in the past week. new this morning, police hope neighbor have surveillance video showing who broke into a hillsborough home and stole thousands of jewelry and coins. the burglary happened on alberta way, 10:30 in the morning and 12:30 p.m. the suspect broke a glass door in the back of the home, stole an estimated $100,000 worth of valuables. the house has an alarm system but was not on at the time. looking for two men who broke into a belmont home, despite this security camera and a barking dog. investigators say the suspects broke into a home near ralston middle school friday. police released a portion of the video. homeowners said the suspects were in the house two to three minutes and took small things they could carry, like laptops, iphones and juliry. both suspects described as black males, late teens to early 20s. first wearing a red beanie,

maroon hoodie, black nike shoes with pink highlights and the second wearing a black beanie, sweatshirt with the phrase "new jack" dar jek jeans and basketb shoes. police in the south bay need help tracking down this brazen bank robber. the thief hit five banks in last two months, three in milpitas two in san jose. the latest at a comerica branch in milpitas monday. despite the video, police are not sure if the suspect's woman or man disguised as a woman. tellers give alternating accounts of who they think that is. this robber is armed and dangerous, for sure. there's an 11,000 reward for at rest. charges could be filed for a man admitted to kidnapping a girl from her own driveway. the suspect spoke to us from inside the jail yesterday about the moment he grabbed that girl. >> when i picked her up, she

told me she was scared, i said, i'm scared, too. we were both shaking okay? we were both shaking. >> douglas watched the parking lot of the walmart for days looking for the perfect victim. he came close to kidnapping three different children before following the 7-year-old and her mother home. the kidnapping was a cry for help, claiming people from the government have been following him for years and told him to do it. >> i said i am supposed to take you, i just know that i am, for some reason or other. these people want to see this happen, i don't know why. i said, why don't we both try to calm down, first, and then we'll talk about it more in a minute. >> douglas says he never touched the victim but says he was in the backseat leaning over her when police showed up. turning to the weather. nearly 200 million people still feeling the freeze this morning. temperatures expected to warm,

just a little bit today. temperatures in the east and deep south shattered records that, in some cases, stood for more than a century. the mercury plunged into the single digits and teens from boston, new york, atlanta, birmingham, nashville, little rock. thousands without power and heat. workers are putting in long hours to bring furnaces back to life. >> hunker down, working a long day. you can't leave people without heat, you can't do it. >> passengers nationwide faced delays and cancellations of airlines, de-iced planes and cleared runways. at least 21 people have died because of the cold, 7 in illinois. >> speaking of cancellations, this was the scene inside sfo where 18 flights were canceled yesterday. result, you see it there mounds and mounds of luggage sitting near baggage claim, just waiting to be picked up. a spokesperson says there were delays and cancellations across the country. like oftentimes, luggage gets separated from passengers as

people get shifted around from flight to flight. take a look, one minnesota man is using the freezing temperatures to draw attention to his need for a kidney transplant. >> wow. >> jim carved a seven-foot kidney out of snow. next to it says "kidney wanted" with his contact information. he first received a kidney 13 years ago but that's failing. he's trying to stay positive, adding it will take a good june thaw to melt the sculpture. >> that was unique. we know the extreme cold can be dangerous to pets and plants but bad for your smartphone. the battery drains faster and the screen, more suspeceptible cracks. it can stop working altogether. say it's no so, whatever would we do? >> you've got a backup, i know. >> yeah, talking. for example, iphones should only be used down to 32 degrees. samsung's smartphones can be used in temperatures as negative 4 degrees, something to consider

headed to a cold climate. >> our phones in this area are safe. >> i think so. >> christina would know. is my phone safe to use? >> you are a north bay gentleman, up there we dip into the 20s, as you know. unless you're out there 7:00 a.m. making long calls, i think you're okay. but, mhey don't forget about mo. showers on the radar, well to our north. but we're getting soupy conditions and some drizzle on the radar right here in the bay area. yeah, not a lot but enough to show you on the radar. south of the bayview district in san francisco. there it is. i know, i know, i blew your mind on a wednesday morning. temperatures are going to be cooler. the great news about the preuptation precipitation, this is it's goning. tracking showers for the next few days. we'll go deeper into that. right now, slick out there in

spots. just south of the -- you saw mike inouye. >> showing that little bit on the radar, as you know, and folks call you if you don't point it out, there's enough mist and drizzle that it will show up on roadways. i've turned the camera a way from the freeway. tesla, right there very wet in the parking lot. that sheen, i drove through the area, not tesla, but the freeway -- in my tesla, i wish -- wish list, mr. tesla folks -- it could be slick. smooth drive all of the altamont pass. an incident north, a car fire. the car not just overheated brakes but on fire. no injuries and it's out of lanes but a distraction. he closer to livermore, closer drive, approaching the dublin interchange. see that orange block right there by union city? that register says fog, moisture

in the area. we'll see orange and green wet road drift through the maps as well as sensors adjust. looking at oakland, 880, smoother drive new york problem. road work using a couple of lanes north of the coliseum. >> thank you. ahead on "today in the bay," it will get worse. stern warning this morning from health officials after a second person in the bay area dies from the flu. privacy concerns taking center stage in washington, d.c., today. what the president is doing to re-evaluate the country's surveillance programs.

welcome back, everyone. there's a second flu-related death in the bay area. contra costa county health fishes say a 48-year-old woman with an underlying medical condition died in the last few days. last week a 41 dwr-year-old wom died from the same strain, h1n1. officials say the flu is an aggressive strain of h1n1. much like the 2009 strain that killed thousands. in minnesota, officials say the flu sent 96 people to the

hospital just this week. in texas, at least 19 people have died. it's not just the old and sick who are at risk. >> we're seeing a lot of people who are previously healthy in 30s, 40s, 50s getting very sick with flu. >> centers for disease control reporting widespread flu activity in 25 states and says, it will get worse, as we get closer to february. doctors suggest getting the flu shot, eating right, plenty of sleep, washing your hands. today appears to be the start of surveillance program reforms in the united states. president obama will meet with member of the intelligence community and later with member of the privacy and civil liberties oversight board as he re-evaluates the country's surveillance programs. tomorrow, he'll meet with congress to discuss the same topic. he's set so to unveil a package of reforms that include changing how the nsa collects evidence. ceo of ford is saying thanks, but no thanks, to microsoft. we turn to bertha coombs live in

new jersey. good morning. >> good morning. it's a bit of a story of, how come you're flirting if you're still with us? before we get to that story, futures are pointing to a higher start. stocks rallied on tuesday with the s&p 500 snapping its three-day losing streak. hopefully wall street can snap the freezing streak. dow erased all losses for the year. investors taking an optimistic stance ahead of friday's u.s. jobs report and earnings season which kicks off next week. data from adp on consumer credit and minutes from last month's fed meeting, when the central bank decided to cut back on stimulus efforts. dow start as 16,530. nasdaq 4153. ford ceo puts speculation to rest, saying thanks, but no

thanks, he'll not be taking the top job at microsoft and will stay at ford through this year. he had been rumored to be the lead candidate to replace steve ballmer who is retiring this year. big investors in microsoft had been courting him. microsoft reportedly has narrowed its list to a handful of people. if you get i hankering for pizza on your way home, stuck in traffic, wish you could order one, have it waiting for you? there's an app for that. consumer electronics show in las vegas, the app will work with the activated my think system. customers able to order and pay for pizza from behind the wheel, perhaps on the way to pick up the pizza and on the way home. 40% of sales come from online orders. imagine that the interwebs will be very busy for the super bowl. >> exactly.

>> i said no anchovies, make sure you annunciate. >> i've come around on the anchovies. >> really? learn something new about bertha every day. >> send them to her. >> now i know. >> let's check in with christina loren. >> how do you take your pizza? >> pepperoni, meat lovers, actually. 50s on the board. good morning. 48 to start the day in the north bay. san francisco so fogged in, you can only see the red light blinking here. east bay, a cool picture of the eastern span of the bay bridge which gets encompasses by the fog. as you head through the next couple of hours, it's going to continue to lower, so visibles will drop off. a dangerous drive shaping up for you. give yourself plenty of extra time. it's also slick out there. a steady drizzle, especially along the peninsula and south bay. i had to use my wipers.

heading towards the 60s. a cooler day headed our way. temperatures in the south bay in the 60s. talking about upper 50s. some peninsula cities like san mateo today. san francisco, cloud cover today, highs in the 50s. five to eight degrees cooler than yesterday. basically, jacket weather for the next 48 hours. drizzle today. then a promising shower chance as we head through thursday and another one into the weekend. seven-day forecast at the bottom of the screen. tri-valley and east bay, temperatures same deal, 50s, 60s. comfortable conditions return but we'll keep rain in the forecast. this is what's going to happen. throughout the day, fog and drizzle return. getting into tomorrow, best bet for showers, between 1:00 and 10:00 a.m. next chance saturday to sunday. the system's so warm, temperatures are going to end up in the 60s over the weekend and

this is coming in late saturday into sunday. looking more promising for measurable precipitation. we need it. >> downline that. thank you. authorities in england have locked off flooded marshes to remove the bodies of four air force members who died in a helicopter crash during a training session in eastern england. one witness said she did not hear a crash when the helicopter went down. and the cause is still under investigation. police believe there was ammunition on board. names of the airmen have not been released, pending notification of their family. 4:51, ted a. head on "today in the bay," 49ers fans holding out hope with a playoff game and tickets on sale. the warriors looking to do something tonight no other nba team has ever done before. we saw clouds sinking down on the bay bridge, the san mateo

clear as a bell. talk about the weather. wet roads and your community as it builds.

49ers and fans have their eyes on the prize. not only talking about the super bowl, another game at the stick. >> hundreds of fans lined up at lefty's sports collectibles for a chance to meet defensive star

navarro ballman. he's a hero. the win over the falcons clinched the playoff spot for the niners and he and fans talking about the possibility of a playoff game at the stick on january 19th. here's who needs to happen. niners need to beat the panthers and the saints have to upset the seattle seahawks. >> i'd be excited, you know, to play them. i'm sure fans would also. >> i'm very excited, because i and i was sad, but if they come back here, we're going to be so loud. >> yeah. let's do it. even though there's no guarantee of another game, tickets are already on sale on stub hub start agent $455 up to $11,000. in f. there's no game, you get money back. >> some people hang on to their tickets. not even the polar vortex can cool off the red hot warriors.

golden state has a chance to become the only team in nba history to go undefeated on a road trip of at least seven games. they'll square off against the nets. last night the warriors won their tenth trade, cruising past the bucks 101-80 and that ties the team's win streak in more than 35 years. moisture on the roadways. take it easy. er. >> misty, drizzly, use the windshield wipers, i did through fremont. the glow of the lights. look at map, things are moving smoothly. north 101, outside of the shot range, reports of a fender bender approaching the interchange. we've not seen slowing. all activity on the shoulder approaching the off-ramp. south bay moves smoothly. spots with construction, typical crews, no problems but they are getting wet. thank you for your service overnight. west 580, slows towards earlier

car fire. word from chp, the fire is out, no injuries, lanes are cleared out of the altamont pass toward livermore. christina showed you this shot, the bay bridge, we can see the curve. we see folks approaching or leaving, that incline area from oakland side clouds sinking in. ahead on "today in the bay" -- forget about google buss, it's about google ferries. the way the company's trying to unclog roadways. speaking out from behind bars. the chilling jailhouse interview with a man who admits to kidnapping a young girl in antioch. why he did it.

new warning from the cdc during a dangerous flu season. at least two people have already died in the bay area. officials are now saying.

>> you want to be extra prepared for the return of winter weather in the bay area. right now, we have a steady drizzle, cloudy conditions, not just san jose, for the bay area. showers on the radar for tonight. we detail your forecast. >> tracking a car fire in the tri-valley. google employees have a new way to get to work. the tech giant offering ferry service to its campus. details in a live report. live look outside san jose. we think of our favorite rain songs, rain is in the forecast again. it's been a while. wednesday, january 8th. this is "today in the bay." good morning to you. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia-cannon. >> i'm terry m