force awakens with the arrival of the newest "star wars" film but will the film live up to the hy hype? a very good morning to you, thank you for joining us. i'm laura garcia-cannon. >> i'm sam brock. yesterday we started out very cold and ended up with a nice sunshiny finish. let's find out if that will happen, again, with kari hall. >> we are starting out with still the cool temperatures. but as we go through the day, more clouds moving in and it won't be as sunny as yesterday. we're at 40 degrees in the north bay and 38 degrees in the south bay. looking at highs today up to 58 degrees in san francisco, the east bay, peninsula and 59 degrees in the south bay. tri-valley today only 53 degrees. i'll let you know what to expect as some rain moves in this weekend. that's coming up in just a few minutes. how is it looking on the roads now, mike? >> we'll start with the rail and chilly for this outdoor station here oakland coliseum.

i just saw a train both north and southbound travel right on schedule. a warning, you might experience a minor delay for this line out of west oakland because we did have a minor delay. that is recovering and as we look at your map, we don't have any problem if you decide to drive instead. i saw those trains arrive at the coliseum on time. no major issues north bay, east bay or south bay. back to you. >> mike, thank you. now to a story still developing this morning. bones discovered outside of a bay area home police now saying they're human remains. all this happening in the heart of san francisco. a neighbor spotted the bones sticking out of a planter box near san francisco's alamo square right off of mcallister and steiner. >> kris sanchez checking the latest on the investigation from our newsroom. what are authorities revealing so far? >> sam and laura, if they know whether or not those bones are those of a woman or a man or an adult or a child they're not confirming that yet. but we can tell you the process

to identify bones could take weeks, sometimes months. just confirming that the bones are human has taken weeks. the bones were discovered a few days before thanksgiving. this is video from a neighbor of detectives sifting through the planter and the soil there and the surrounding area where those remains were found between two apartment buildings and the street. but you also saw investigators sifting through a planter attached to the building, that one there. that's where the marin county sheriff cadaver dogs made a hit which ended up leading no where. >> time is of the essence especially when it comes to human remains. the big question is, when did it happen? how long were these bones in there? trying to find, you know, witnesses or, people in the neighborhood who may have seen something. >> it's just weird to have a part of someone's human jaw in the planter next door to you. >> the homicide unit is handling this investigation now. but, again, the bones were discovered in a garden planter

between two apartment buildings and the street near alamo square. so, if you can help solve that mystery, you should call san francisco police. sam and laura. >> thank you very much, kris. it is 5:03 right now. accused of the unthinkable. a nationwide search continues for an elcerrito woman accused of killing her 90-year-old adoptive mother. she was last seen in el cerrito four months ago and became a suspect two weeks ago when her mother's body was found hidden in the house they share. people in this quit and close-knit neighborhood are stunned. >> there was no reason to suspect anything. we had heard that lisa went to arizona to take a job there. we knew her mother was elderly and assumed she went with her. she could be armed and dangerous. 5:03 right now. new this morning, the search for

a shooter who injured a man in an active road rage. someone shot up a car beg driven down stony point road. he is expected to be okay. but both he and his emergency report some sort of verbal exchange with the driver of another car right before that shooting. anyone who may have seen anything is asked to call santa rosa police. happening today, the next step in the criminal trial against the teenager who admitted discovering a bay boy. in april prosecutors say the discovery bay teenager stabbed him to sleep as he slept. shultz was a friend and was staying at the home. he later confessed during a jailhouse interview. in september the judge ruled him co co competent to stand trial. accused of dirty play during a match.

the 15-year-old high school student facing felony assault and battery charges for allegedly striking an opponent and breaking his nose during a game. this happened in september when the school was playing in san jose. contra costa county prosecutors filed charges of the boy after video of the attack surfaced. he crossed the line from proper physical play to criminal behavior. that case is currently pending in juvenile court. this cold weather impacting students. no heat means no school. classes canceled for the rest of the week at the elementary school. the school was forced to turn off the gas heater earlier this month. teachers are doing their best to keep the classrooms warm but all the space heaters overwhelmed the school's electrical system. >> with inclment weather outside we weren't able to get the

temperatures up to make the classrooms conducive for learning. >> if you want kids to be warm and comfort in the class, we have to fix this problem. >> school is expected to resume after the winter break. they're just getting a jump on the holiday, i suppose. >> i've heard of snow days. cold days is something new. but it is cold, again, to start out your thursday. let's check win meteorologist kari hall. >> we even had a rain day. so now we've had a day for everything for school. and another cold morning as we start out, once again, sunrise will be at 7:15 and then heading through the day, clouds will start to move in. as some showers approach the north bay. as we go into tonight. it will be mostly cloudy, not as cold sunset at 4:51 and now we're in the low 40s and upper 30s, too. looking at highs today that will be near 60 degrees and we are getting closer but then we're getting ready for some rain, too. i'll detail what to expect this weekend as it moves in. but let's see what is happening

as you approach the bay bridge. mike? >> kari, we're all shifting our mornings and our days around coming up. a lot of different activities with schools and work, holiday parties. that may be what was going on at the bay bridge toll takers. a backup starting to recede and all lanes are open and the backup starts to clear over there at the toll plaza. no problems on your approach as we take a wide look and tiny blip out of antioch and the south bay no major issues but a new blip shows up on our report just before you get to story road. no details from chp, but we will check that. live look towards fremont and southbound here a bigger commute later on. but right now, those headlights moving well. back to you. >> mike, thank you. pretty clear where you are there and also a live look now, san jose highway 101 already seeing some speckles of cars out there. is it one of the bay area's traffic hot spots? well, later today the metropolitan transportation commission is going to reveal

the top ten places for congestion on bay area freeways. feels almost like a letterman list here. the top ten. it's all part of newly compiled data that the agency gathered last year to target areas for improvement. coming up, probably one of the top ten races nin bay area is changing course. popular bay area marathon no more. the reason the nike women's half marathon taking those laces and moving on. >> no more tiffany necklaces. plus, a guy who a lot of people wish got arrested, got arrested. we'll take a look, coming up in "business and tech." i'm bob redell. take you live to the south bay where the force is finally about to awaken. of course, we're talking about the latest installment of "star wars" a little preview coming up in a live report. got a tip for nbc bay area investigative unit? call 1-888-996-tips or e-mail theunit@nbcbayarea.com. nbc bay area, we investigate. [ dog barks ]

[ bark ] there it is! [ gasps ] oh no! look, the sky's awake! ♪ that. was. epic! [ bark ]

happening right now. "star wars" mania. anticipation building this morning with the release of the new "star wars" movie just a few hours away. some anti-fans already lining up to get the best seat in town. >> i think that was chubacca in the crowd. some of the expectations the film will open big.

the question is, how big, bob? >> well, you know, industry estimates, sam and laura, talking about $150 million to $200 million just on the opening weekend alone. you guys want to see a sneak peek of the film? >> yeah. >> there it is right here ask in all its glory. that's the film itself. unfortunately, we can't watch it until 7:00 tonight. this is the only place in the bay area will show the 70 millimeter film on the imax. you saw the movie last night. >> i did. >> without giving any spoilers and you said you're a die-hard "star wars"s fan. what was your reaction? >> i was excited. very, very excited. all the positive reviews i tried not to read were accurate. >> when it came out 20 years ago, people were saying the same thing, this movie is awesome. if you're a die-hard like myself, that could not be the case. with that in mind, you still

feel that way about "force awakens"? >> love it. they used real explosions and they filmed in film. very few digital conversions and it's just fantastic. it feels very authentic. >> so the movie screens tonight at 7:00. you're expecting a lot of fans. because of what the police here in san jose have asked you, they don't want the fans here to show up until 6:30. is that correct? >> as a public building, we're limited to sidewalk laws. 6:30 this morning we have got on the okay and they can line-up. >> this is a safety concern? >> yeah, it is across all theaters in the bay area. we're all doing pretty much the same thing. we want to see your smiling faces. please wear your robes but wear your masks, light sabers and blasters at home. >> i'm assuming you're sold out. when did that happen? >> when the trailer debuted during monday night football on october 19th we sold out that night for the 7:00 and 10:00

p.m. and we're selling out pretty much right after that. we are now first available ticket is thursday. >> wow. all right, michelle duncan, thank you very much. i'm envious. i don't get to see it until tomorrow. may the force be with you, always. all right, guys, screening tonight at 7:00. coming up in about a half hour. there are people in the south bay who are watching the previous six movies right now in a marathon leading up to the release of the "force awakens" we'll hear from them in a little bit. >> get your hands on one of those tickets and sell it for a profit. that would be kind of interesting. the controversial, even hated. always looking for a business opportunity. even hated ceo of a drug company is now arrested. >> that's right. martin was arrested in his manhattan home. scott mcgrew joins us with the very latest. >> laura, this was first reported bloomberg and happened this morning, but it actually dates back to old accusations.

shkreli is a hedge fund manager and in the previous case the feds say he bought a drug company called retrothin and then according to the accusations siphoned off funds from that company to pay debt at his hedge fund. he probably first got your attention when his new hedge fund bought touring pharmaceuticals and raised the price of one of oits pills by hundreds of dollars. daraprhim is used by cancer patients, aids patients and pregnant women. it could be a deadly to unborn children. it's the reason preg flnant wom should not come in contact with a cat's litter box. we'll continue to follow the arrest of martin shkreli and bring you the very latest. he recently bought a bay area drug company. the fed did as expected on wednesday and raised the interest rate by 0.25% ending seven years of the easiest easy money america has ever seen. and marking the moment where, at

least according to the federal open markets committee, the worst of the economic woes are behind us. let's check your news one day after a fed rate hike and landon dowdy is live at cnbc world headquarters. good morning. >> hey, there, scott. good morning to you. stocks may see more green arrows today. futures are higher this morning. thets rallying on wednesday after the federal reserve hiked interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade. move was largely expected and investors took heart in the fed's message that future rates will be "gradual." look for data on unemployment and the dow jumping 224 points to 1749. the nasdaq up 75 to 5071. scott, back over to you. >> thank you much. we reported this it happened on our 11:00 a.m. news wednesday. but i wanted to circle back around. the state of california issued draft regulations for driverless cars. the bottom line is they have to have a qualified driver in them

to take over when necessary. now, that might sound like common sense, it may not even be a surprise. but in many ways this is a defeat for the new industry because having a driver is the whole point of making a driverless car. they're envisioning a day where you can tell your car to take you home because you had too much to drink or a kid could hop into a car at school. this, yes, is a future idea. but this is the point and these new regulations, if they stand, you can't do that. >> yeah, but i wonder if they could change as the technology continues to improve. >> they could. >> as they see the results. >> the trust of the parent to put your kid in a driverless car, as well. >> got to take a leap of faith there. thank you very much, scott. >> that's interesting. take leaps and bounds across san francisco. an event that draws thousands of runners to the city by the bay. actually moving on. city leaders say nike will not host next year's women's half marathon. company told the recreational and parks apartment they're looking for a new location. it is a wildly popular event.

you might remember that race that gives those tiffany necklaces to the finishers. it's worth the sweat, ladies. so many people, though, they wanted to pay the $200 to register last year. there was a lottery the official entry. long-time say it is a disappointing decision. >> i feel really bad because this is something i enjoy doing and it really gave me an opportunity to run. >> nike will be running off withes of dollars in fees it usually pays the city to put on the event. the change of venue will also run business, i should say, from hotel and restaurants. they really rely on the october run. brings in a lot of money. no word on where that half marathon will land. >> i am really surprised, though, it was so popular. >> because of where you're running and the backdrop or the tiffany necklace? >> the competition for the necklace. >> i think firefighters give them to you at the end, not that

that's a perk or anything. >> we are dealing with cold temperatures. >> yes. another morning to bundle up. it's just like when is this going to end? well, very soon because we are in for some slightly warmer temperatures, at least during the morning hours. but while it's still clear, it is chilly. now, as we take a live look at front, well, at least the flag is not just flapping in the wind like we had earlier in the week. the wind is calming down. and thats it feel a little bit better, too. more clouds will start to move in and keep our temperatures a little bit more steady. but it's still cool now and the south bay it's 38 degrees in san jose and in livermore it's 37 degrees and in concord and oakland at 40 degrees and also 40 degrees now in santa rosa. heading into the day, let's take it hour-by-hour in oakland. as we start out in the low 40s and we make it into the mid-50s

today. by this afternoon, we're at 59 degree with a little bit of some sunshine peek through. spotty, light rain will be possible in the north bay while the rest of the bay area just sees an increase in clouds. and then by tomorrow, the rest of us will see some heavy rainfall moving in. starting from the north and then moving to the south. by late friday night, so, put that in those friday evening plans that it could be pretty soggy, at times some heavy downpours. we'll have several weather systems moving in and the estimated rainfall between saturday into next tuesday is anywhere from a half to over an inch and a half. so, we'll be keeping you up to date on that and exactly when you'll see that rain. let's see what's happening on the roadways as you head out now with mike. >> not a lot. a build for dublin. a little build right here coming out of livermore. we'll show you that westbound traffic flow out of the altamont pass. coming off of 205 and easing up back at the speed limit and by the time you get towards dublin

interchange, no major problems for the rest of the bay here. we'll show you the south bay. that crash was southbound 101 chp gave the update and should be completely cleared from lanes. no problems towards the bay bridge toll plaza. a fender bender for the upper east shore freeway and track that as we get more information and the bay bridge toll plaza. especially off to the left and our spider is back, just out of focus. back to you. >> little friend. >> company on a thursday morning. coming up next, a christmas sparking a controversy. why santa is not coming to town for one kindergarten class.

a kind garten class trip called off because of a concerned mom. now, a visit from santa is coming with controversy. every year students at sartorette elementary school in l.a. stop to see santa claus at a coffee shop. the mother of a jewish student was concerned. talia as she wants to be identified for fear of harassment says a variety of faiths should be included in the holiday curriculum. >> this was not a taking away. about taking away anything. it was about adding. this is not a jewish issue. this is not an anti-christmas issue. this is an inclusion issue. >> many parents are upset about that cancellation.

so much so they say they're going to pull kids out of class on friday to see santa anyway. at 5:24 now to an investigative unit exclusive. under arrest and in custody. action prompted by an investigative unit report. a man accused of stealing his brother's medical identity is now in santa clara county facing felony charges. we first brought you the story san jose victim of medical identity theft. it is a quickly growing crime that affected 2.3 million americans last year. he turned to nbc bay area for help because for years another person was using his identity to get free medical treatment. now, authorities they found that his long lost brother, gary wayne bogle was the suspect. >> it's been over 20 years since i saw him and it was enormous amount of relief that he's actually somewhere where he can't do this to me any longer. >> gary bogle declined to comment. tonight at 11:00, how our

investigation helped detective find gary bogle in washington state and how to protect yourself from medical identity theft. if you have a tip for our investigativet, they'd love to hear from you. give us a call. or send us an e-mail to theunit@nbcbayarea.com. coming up next, a twist in a grisly abuse case. investigators are unveiling what led up to the disturbing discovery of two dead children inside a redding storage locker. joining us. i'm sam brock.

=laura/2shot= and i'm good thursday morning. thank you for joining us. i'm sam brock. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. we want to get a look at that forecast with kari. any warm up coming our way? >> it will be milder especially as we head into the next few mornings but it also comes along with more clouds and rain. now it is 40 degrees in the north bay while 39 degrees in the peninsula and highs today in the upper 50s and a breezy wind. a light shower possible in the north bay in the tri-valley today. up to 60 degrees. we will see more clouds today, but that just gives you a hint that things are changing. i'll show you what to expect with those changes coming up in the forecast. let's see how it looks as you athe bay bridge now with mike. >> we have the changes and we expect those changes. the metering lights are turned on. maybe one of the last hurrahs for the morning commute as we look towards the end of the year. we should see a much easier cunext week, especially of the way that holidays fall for the next couple. we're looking over here, the

toll plaza filled in the last few minutes and the approach on our maps and no drama on the approach. highway 4 eastbound at railroad reports of a puppy running around near the off ramp. just a word of caution. countercommute. no major slowing for the tri-valley or for the south bay. but there is a stall north 680 approaching durham. back to you. >> thanks a lot, mike. 5:30 right now. now to a developing story. human remains discovered in the middle of a san francisco neighborhood. has investigators digging for answers this morning. bones were unearthed sticking out of a planter box near alamo square. >> right in the heart of san francisco. "today in the bay" kris sanchez is tracking the latest on our investigatn from the newsroom. a neighbor made that grisly discover. she found that bone and took it to police and that's when they started this investigation. and if police know at this point whether those bones are those of a woman or a man and adult or a child, they are not officially saying that yet. but we can tell you that the

process to identify bones could take weeks, sometime months. in fact, just confirming that the bones are human has taken weeks. the bones were discovered a few days before thanksgiving. a neighbor shared this video of detebtives sifting through the planter and the surrounding yare wru where those remains were found. the planter was on the sidewalk between an apartment building and the street. but investigators also sifted through thatter that is attached to the building because that is where the marine county sheriff cadaver dogs made a hit. it ended up leading no where. >> time is of the essence, especially when it comes to human remains. the big question is, when did it happen? how long were these bones in there? trying to find, you know, witnesses oor people in the neighborhood who may have seen something. >> but it's just weird to have a part of someone's human jaw in the planter next door to yours. >> the homicide unit is now handling this investigation, but, again, the bones were discovered in that garden planter between two apartment

buildings near alamo square not too far from the painted ladies. if you can help solve that mystery, you cshould give san francisco police a call. new this morning, firefighters at the scene of a house fire knocked out power in vallejo. started about 1:00 this morning at a home on reigns court. they arrived to find a fire in the garage and flames shooting from the roof. caused a nearby transformer to blow. power is out for many homes on that block and the cause is under investigation. new details this morning about a tragic abuse case. investigators have not ruled out the possibility that two siblings dead inside of a redding storage locker were killed in salinas where police searched a home. so far the police are only saying that the 6-year-old and his 3-year-old sister dulaila died outside of the county.

redding officers found another sibling, a 9-year-old sister also suffering from severe abuse. until recently, the children lived with their aunt, tommy huntsman in the salinas home. she and her 17-year-old companion now in custody. new this morning, the search continues for two men following a robbery at a mill valley bank. one suspect made off with a bank bag after hitting a victim in the head. it was outside the bank near caminaalto. the suspect took off in a white toyota corolla. the santa clara county sheriff's office said these people recently robbed an ulta store in cupertino. they left in a green tour. if you know who they are, give the sheriff's department a call. a very public funeral service for the stabbing suspect killed by san francisco police earlier this month. mario woods was shot more than a

dozen times by officers. the shooting is now the focus of a federal civil rights lawsuit. activists in the city's bay view district where woods lived chammed the 26-year-old was used as target practice. the claim denied by police. they he refused to drop his knife and failed to respond to pepper spray and bean bag rounds. a large crowd is expected woods' funeral at 11:00 this morning. the union representing san francisco police officers is throwing its weight behind tasers. union leadership says they're an important weapon against violent offenders violently preventing police shootings like that of woods. >> they're working with the mayor's office, the office of the chief of police and members of the police commission to adopt a pilot program that will allow tasers. >> i think that it's too simplistic to say that everything that's happening with the san francisco police department will be resolved by having tasers. >> there is an opposition to tasers. critics say they can cause death

and are sometimes overused. developing overnight, this morning the streets of baltimore rather quiet. but last night a very different story. protests spilled into the streets there following a mistrial in the case of an officer charged against the death of freddie gray. >> all night, all day, we will fight for freddie gray. baltimore residents held a prayer vigil and a unity gathering last night at the intersection that was the epicenter of april's riots. gray died after his neck was broken while he was being transported in the back of a police van. >> this is just a temporary bump on the road to justice. it happens. we ask the public to remain calm. patient. because we are confident that there be another trial with a different jury. we are calm. you should be calm, too. >> william porter is the first of six baltimore police officers

to face trial after freddie gray died last april. most anticipate that there will be a retrial. prosecutors and williams' defense team are scheduled to meet with the judge later today. happening today at 5:36. the president will continue his push to fight against terrorism around the world. it comes amid heightened public concern of terror attacks following the deadly shootings in san bernardino. tracie potts is live in washington this morning with a preview of what he could say. good morning, tracie. >> laura, good morning. he is going to speak after talking with officials at the national counterterrorism center. it's in virginia, but actually just over the water here on the other side of the potomac. the president getting an update on where we are in the fight against terror and the fight against isis and also reviewing our plans to protect the homeland, especially right before the holidays and then we'll hear him speak. after that, president obama was headed to hawaii on vacation, but he's going to make a stop in

california. as you said, to visit those families and speak with those families privately from the san bernardino tragedy. the fbi still investigating. realizing that there was apparently no evidence of publicly posted messages before this happened. but there were private messages long ago that had been exchanged between the shooters referring to jihadists. they're looking into that. also we're looking that chattanooga incident that happened where five members of the military four marines and a sailor were killed at a reserve center. that, officials have now also traced to a foreign terror group. it was inspired, they say by a foreign terror group and those five now being awarded the purple heart. >> thank you very much, tracie pots from washington. 5:37. to exclusive details about a suspected terrorist suspect right here in the bay area. the suspect been jailed in santa clara county and all kept a secret until now. the man was on the run, but caught in the south bay.

one of six people accused of supplying money and equipment to fighters of terrorist organizations. sources say he fled the midwest right before his indictment but was placed in santa clara county and captured. county board president pointed out state law allowed the county to keep for the community safety. happening today, angry flight attendants promised to stage protests around the world, including right here in the bay area. the union representing 24,000 united airlines flight attendants calling for a new contract. the union cites united's merger with continental and still lack of the joint contract. picket at 14 international airports and that includes sfo. it is 5:38. protesters say will vent their anger over pg&e plans for communities that turn to alternative power.

the power charge indifference adjustment. critics say it's basically an exit fee for customers that transfer to green power sources like solar. if the hike goes through, rates for many solar customers are expected to double. opponents plan to speak out against that proposal today outside the offices in san francisco. new battle brewing over the safety of pg&e pipeline. the utility says it is safe and meets all regulations five years after the deadly san bruno explosion. the office of rate payer advocates wants the cpuc to fine the utility for what it believes is misrepresentations to state regulators the past three years. the group recently filed a grievance saying pg&e lacks including undocumented pressure tests. star power today. "star wars" is debuting. talking about it all morning.

waiting to try to get in. bring your hat, bring yours, bring your scarves. >> bring it all. no light saber is right. you need something to keep you warm and a heavy coat needed today. it is another cold morning. & not freezing in many spots. but a couple of low-lying areas still getting those temperatures in the 30s starting out the day. and then the clouds start to move in with some showers in the north bay. it turns cloudy as we go into the evening as we prepare for an approaching storm system. a look at all the microclimates today. up to 58 degrees in los gatos and presidio 58 degrees. in the north bay, also in the upper 50s and that's where we could see a spot shower or two. i'll detail that and rain for the weekend coming up in a few minutes. let's see what's happening on theodeways with mike. >> looking towards fremont and 880 and we're picking up the volume. no surprises south and down towards mission. we'll show you the map of the similar area and 880 where we saw the camera and then

northbound 680 just north of there and a different freeway. they all get a little confusing in the morning, but this is 680 north where you can cut over. there is a trarl that dropped off the back of a hitch and now that is affecting the off ramp at durham. meanwhile, the rest of the bay moves very well. no major problems through the north bay or across to or from it. back to you. >> thanks a lot, mike. coming up, representing the bay area on a national stage. the local high school marching band on their way to the rose parade this year. plus, a government bans one of those messenger apps. what happens? we'll show you coming up in "business and tech." i'm bob redell and take you live here to the south bay where the excitement is building for the latest installment of "star wars." that's coming up. just into our newsroom:

=laura/ots= federal prosecutors are bringing charges against just into our newsroom at 5:44. federal prosecutors are bringing charges against a friend of one of the san bernardino shooters. they say enrique marquez bought the two assault rifles used in the massacre. he purchased the weapons as a favor. this is so farook would not get a background check or be on the record as the person who bought the guns. investigators have also found no social media postings by malik in the months before she came to the u.s. this would be one less thing that immigration authorities miss when doing the background checks for her u.s. visa. happening right now. after years of slumber, actually

decades of slumber, the "force awakens" with the newest arrival of the latest "star wars" film. in the midst of a "star wars" marathon all of this as anticipation builds for what is expected to be a record-breaking film. >> even deeper into "today in the bay" bob redell live in san jose. there are already more than 100 million in advance ticket sales. you actually among those sales, i understand. >> not until tomorrow, friday at 3:45 with my family. can't wait, sam and laura. they're saying today -- >> 3:45 in the afternoon. hey, so, today being the preview day, they're saying that the ticket sales today could be $50 million. and that would set a new record because the last record was in the lower 40 millions set by "harry potter" in 2011. interesting to see how thursday

pans out for the showing at the imax here in san jose. the reviews so far, we spoke with a theater manager here who watched it last night. loved the film. she, of course, is a die-hard "star wars" film. three reviews that were positive, one was negative. interesting to see how it all cashes out as the fans get to see this film later today. you were just alluding to this, this is early this morning after midnight. the line outside one of the few locations in the bay area who will actually in the united states where they're showing the marathon of the first six movies in a row. those, of course, have been sold out. but what the great thing is, a lot of young people who weren't alive back in 1977 who weren't alive in the early '80s to see "empire strikes back" or and this is the first time that they're able to see the original fills on the big screen. >> actually, i don't mind the cold because it's for something new in "star wars."

>> i got the tickets instantly when they went on sale. like within a few hours of them going on sale. then i saw episode 2 and 3 when they came out in theaters when i was a younger kid. been a really big part of my childhood and my life and everything. >> now, if you are going to go see the movies and you're thinking about dressing up, a lot of the theaters, including imax theater in san jose. they do have rules. they don't want you to bring light sabers or any fake weapons. again, this is just a safety concern. so that people don't become concerned for obvious reasons. the imax, of course, the theater here already sold out. they're expecting fans to start showing up around 6:30 this morning. they are specifically asking them to hold off just because of the sidewalk laws. the fake popcorn and the imaginary icy are excellent here. >> you have to work on your acting skills. if they're going to be your props for the theater.

>> imax is the way to do it. you can only imagine what the sci-fi effects were 30 years ago. >> i can. i saw them. >> yes, you did. >> you can. >> all right, i'm just going to stop talking. a lot of people are going to be looking for rides when the movie is over. now a new way to call an uber. >> you don't need the uber app, scott mcgrew. >> a lot of intuby uber into other company's apps. the first to do is facebook's messenger app. someone text you an address you can tap it and order up an uber. you can see this working into all kinds of other apps. say yelp. you find a restaurant you like on yelp and you order and you go right there. sort of like the tweet button you find at the end of a newspaper article online. the intudwraegration of two thi. the reason these roll out so slowly is one called an api for

the other programming team. the federal opens market committee did as expected and raised interest rates by 0.25. wall street rallied because it is a sign they thought it was the worst. hind us. banks pay for saving accounts and mortgage rates are indire indirectindirec indirectly recorded. most credit cards have an absurd interest rate. car loans tend to go the other way. many are at 0%. brazil did something strange. it banned the whatsapp for two days. you can communicate without paying local phone data charges. millions and millions of brazilians switched to this called telegram a similar app. this one preferred by isis, by the way. you ban one, they're just going to go to the other one. keep in mind, brazil is the

second largest economy in the western hemisphere. so, we're talking about millions of people who use whatapp who just overnight moved. >> very convenient when talking to people overseas or what not. >> free. >> that's the best. the cheapest price of all. >> it's a global world and it's a microclimate kind of bay area -- >> it's like a song. >> all right. well, disney, i guess, on the brain this morning, as well, with "star wars 2" but we also have cold weather to start off your day. >> i am thinking about all the "wars" fans online and it's in the 30s and low 40s this morning. so bundle up heading out. if you're not doing that, just going to work a regular day, it will be chilly to start and then more clouds moving in this afternoon. come over and take a look at the seven-day forecast at the bottom of the screen. it will be raining as we go into the weekend and early next week, but at least the temperatures will be ticking up a bit. and we're starting out today at

37 degrees in livermore and napa. oakland is at 40 degrees and san carlos at 39 degrees. looking at the hour-by-hour forecast in san jose. at 9:00, it's 46 degrees. but we do make it into the upper 50s today. 57 degrees by 1:00. and then as we go into the rest of the evening, our clouds will be moving in out ahead of this large storm system approaching from the west. it will bring in some scattered, light, spotty showers for the north bay and then the rest of us seeing the rain as we go into tomorrow evening, as well as early saturdaying. so, put this in those evening plans. we could have some heavy downpours rolling on through. and then as we go into the weekend, there will be off and on showers and between late friday night and into tuesday. we will have the potential of getting anywhere from 0.5 to 1.5 of rain bay area wide. we'll keep you up to date on that. let's see what's happening with

the commute now and mike. >> the metering lights have been in and backup fills in all the lanes and 880 and we'll look at your map and show you how things are shaping up on the approach for the east shore freeway and a little build out of concord and typical over there. and a slight build over there towards 580 and the dublin interchange. no surprise there's. hayward on the nimts freeway. we do have an issue, though. you don't be surprised by this. this is northbound 680 heading up towards durham. big lighted sign there. that's where we have a trailer that dropped off the back of a pickup truck unhitched there and that's still reported in lanes. no slowing shows up and we do see that in san jose and that first burst just kicking in. back to you. >> thank you very much, mike. 5:52 right now. the saratoga high school marching band will represent the bay area on a national stage. there we go. strike up the band. it will perform in the 2016

tournament of roses parade in pasadena on new year's day. more than 200 students have been prac practicing for weeks. the pressure is on. the only high school from the bay area to be performing in the parade. the band will do a rendition of "don't stop believing." >> you better believe that donald trump has been on top of the polls. coming up next, after that contentious gop debate, frontrunners emerging. who is topping the polls as candidates continue to battle it out off stage.

5:56 right now. moving on to decision 2016. following this last debate, three republicans now emerging as top candidates in the polls. two are hitting the campaign trail today while the frontrunner hits the air waves. here's today in the bay tracie potts. >> do you think he would kill baby hitler? >> no, he's too nice. >> would you kill baby hitler? >> no comment. >> after promising not to leave the party now, trump is calling for unity. >> i would like to see the republican party come together. >> reporter: trump's leading most polls just ahead of ted cruz in minnesota today and, again, not going negative on trump. >> i'm glad donald is running. i don't believe he is going to be the nominee, but i do think donald has innenergized and excd

a whole lot of people. >> this is not a game. >> reporter: cruz is defending against attacks from marco rubio on immigration and military cuts. >> it's easy to stand up and say i will destroy isis. i will make the sands in the middle east glow in the dark. well, that's fine. but you have to have something to do that with. >> reporter: rubio has two events in iowa today. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> all right, thank you very much, tracie. happening later today an actual vote in the house on a controversial tax plan. it's the first step towards passage of a $1.1 trillion spending bill. if approved, as expected, the spending bill would avoid to a government shutdown. that measure is controversial because it extends dozens of tax breaks. worth hundreds of bills of dollars to corporations and to individuals. once the house approves both the tax plan and the spend package and the senate gets its turn. now to an investigative unit

exclusive. under arrest and in custody. action prompted by an investigative unit report. a man accused of stealing his brother's medical identity is now in santa clara county facing felony charges. we first brought you the story of san jose resident ronnie bogle. victim of identity medical theft. a growing crime that affected 2.3 million americans last year. ronnie turned to nbc bay area for help because for years another person was using his identity to get free medical treatment. now, authorities believe they found that man. ronnie's long lost brother, gary wayne bog, lele. >> been over 20 years since i saw him and just an enormous amount of relief that he's actually somewhere where he can't do this to me any longer. >> gary bogle declined to comment. how our investigation helped to find him in washington state and we'll show you how to protect yourself from medical identity theft. if you have a tip for our investigative unit, give us a

call, 1-888-996-tips or send us an e-mail to theunit@nbcbayarea.com. human bones found right in front of a san francisco house. >> it's just weird to have a part of someone's human jaw in the planter next door to your house. >> this dramatic video just in to our newsroom as they arrive on the scene of a house fire in vallejo. the reason why this fire left much of the neighborhood in the dark. "today in the bay" starts now. and good morning on a chilly start to your thursday. thanks for joining us, i'm sam brock. >> chilly all week. i'm laura garcia-cannon. let's warm things up this morning checking in with meteorologist kari hall. >> getting another cup of coffee to warm things up this morning and cranking up the heater, again, this morning. as we start out at 40 degrees in the north bay and it's in the upper 30s for the south bay peninsula and east bay. we are looking at highs today

that will be in the upper 50s and 58 degrees in san francisco and east bay peninsula and 60 in the tri-valley. getting a little bit better, but there is some more rain in the forecast and i'll detail that coming up in a few minutes. let's see what's happening in the north bay now with mike. >> start with a nice, easy drive but we have two north bay crashes to talk about. now, we'll look at your map. southbound 101. just before you get to our camera shot at lucas valley road. we have a crash reportedly blocking part of one lane and try to get both vehicles over to the shoelder and one speeding earlier we heard. farther north ina rosa and southbound 101 right around we do have a big rig involved in a crash there. no major slowing. as we zoom out the bay bridge metering lights are on and little slowing past the san mateo bridge for the nimitz and live shot westbound. more cars but no drama. back to you. >> thank you very much. little bit of drama in