alarming number of teens vaping. our new look at the plan b.a.r.t. leaders are set to consider in the next few hours. what it will mean for your commute. "today in the bay" continues right now. good morning and thank you for starting your day with "today in the bay." >> let's check in with kari. another cool start. >> another cold start this morning. we've seen below freezing temperatures in the north bay and even for our inland valleys, dipping into the mid-30s this morning. bundle up. we're looking at a clear start in san jose. at we've seen the thick blanket of smoke. our temperatures heading up to about 70 degrees today. that's well above normal. here's a look at our air quality this morning. very unhealthy. grab a mask and try to limit your time outside today. we'll talk about our air quality going into the weekend coming up. mike, you have a delay getting to the bay bridge. >> i do, kari.

overall the traffic flow is good. the bay bridge itself, you even see thinning out. the issue is, first of all, the smoke. we noticed that in the show. that's what kari has been warning us about. i'm concerned about your upper east shore commute. see the speed sensors starting to ease up but there may be another crash coming into richmond. your commute right now, about a half an hour from highway 4 to the bay bridge toll plaza. you're okay until you get to the toll plaza. the rest of contra costa valley is smooth. back to you. 6:01. saudi arabia's chief prosecutor announcing he will seek the death penalty for five suspects accused in the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. recently fired saudi intelligence chief is now the highest ranking person in the killing. 11 of 21 suspects are in custody and are now facing charges.

khashoggi's body has not been found. now to the unimaginable destruction left behind to our north. the camp fire still burning out of control in butte county. overnight the number of missing rose to 297. the death toll now stands at 56. 138,000 acres charred. it is just 35% contained. >> today marks one week since the fire broke out. listen to the struggling number here. this is staggering to hear this. sadly, more than 10,000 structures are now confirmed destroyed. some people who lost their homes are already suing pg&e. they accuse the utility of negligence and blaming it for the devastating blaze. pg&e saying it is too soon to really tell what started that fire. right now we want to go to "today in the bay's" bob redell live in chico. >> you've been up there so many times this past week. the thing is now there are some really big new concerns. tell us about them. >> reporter: a health concern at one of the shelters.

the red cross tells us ten ee v evacuees have been quarantined at the neighborhood church in which ico after they might have contracted the norovirus. county health officials have been here and taken those people to a separate area where nurses are caring for them, making sure they stay hydrated with fluids like pedialyte. our understanding is these are older people, possibly in their 60s who are more susceptible to viruss and whatnot. what is happening is they're eating, they can't keep their food down. they're becoming dehydrated. it's a 24 to 72-hour bug. they are quarantined from the remaining 200 people who are sleeping at the shelter. it has been a week since the camp fire destroyed the town of paradise. just now people like mike are getting a look at what happened to their property. mike was holding out hope his home was spared until a friend sent him this video. >> i lost my house.

my mom lost her house. my grandparents lost their house. my mom, like, she's upset because she lost all her childhood memories and stuff. like, there's no -- there's no proof of, like, my childhood. >> reporter: like the thousands of other residents of paradise, mike had to evacuate without much notice, escaping with his girlfriend, their daughter and pets. he describes a frightening scene as people ran down the streets with their babies trying to escape the smoke and fire. coming up in a half hour, a woman who just created an app to help people connect with their pets who have been lost during the camp fire. reporting live here in chico, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> thanks for the latest, bob. 6:04 right now. to the south where two fires are burning in los angeles and ventura county and now a third. new video just into our news room. you see the fire that broke out early this morning. 10 to 12 acres burning near

camarillo. fire officials say it could reach 100 to 200 acres. now here's the latest on the woolsey fire. the death toll standing sadly at three. the woolsey fire has burned over 98,000 acres. it's 52% contained. we've just learned a firefighter battling that fire was hit by a car this morning. he's in the hospital with serious injuries. nearly 500 homes and structures are gone. the hill fire, yet another, is about 4500 acres, 95% contained. some evacuations there, however, are be, lifted. 6:05 for you. new this morning, a warning for bay area parents. all new numbers out overnight showing the alarming number of the amount of kids vaping in fremont. according to the survey by the tri-city health center, 39% of students at g.m. walters junior high school knew someone under the age of 18 that vaps. 29% also said they believe it's easy to get cigarettes. fremont is holding a vaping

epidemic town hall on this issue tonight. anyone can attend. it's at 7:00 at the fremont unified school district. it's 6:05. happening today, your commute might be undergoing a huge change. this morning there's talk about another transbay tube for b.a.r.t. this is the idea that's actually up for consideration. "today in the bay's" pete suratos joins us with what we can report. >> reporter: good morning to you. b.a.r.t. doesn't want to quite call it a tube yet. they're calling it the second transbay rail crossing but looks like it will serve the same purpose as the transbay tube. they tweeted out about this, replying to folks as we speak -- or they have over the past 24 hours. as far as the benefits of it, they say it can help bring together what they referred to as the mega region. from the peninsula to san francisco to oakland, even to central valley with this additional transbay tube. another big thing, it could possibly lead to 24-hour service. b.a.r.t. around the clock benefitted from that. they say whenever they're issued

with maintenance, there will be another option. of course, it could double the capacity for riders. crowding has always been an issue with b.a.r.t., with more riders using b.a.r.t. nowadays. i want to show you this tweet, b.a.r.t. replying to a tweet about b.a.r.t. possibly running service on bridges in the bay area. they sent out this rendering of a train on the golden gate bridge, of all places. of course, it looks to be more of a tongue in cheek type of thing. they're at least replying to riders curious about this new transbay tube. they are saying they plan to build a tube in the next ten years or ten years from now, but we'll get more details on this during their board meeting at 9:00 a.m. live here in alameda, pete suratos for "today in the bay." >> thanks, pete. 6:07 right now. crab lovers grab the butter. today is the day you've been waiting for. the bay area commercial dungeness crab season starts. they set out to set the traps before the official 12:01 start

of the season. the first catch may show up in stores as soon as tomorrow. the season officially ends next summer. looking forward to that. at 6:08 we walk out the door to heavy smoke blanketing the area. here's a look at our air quality index and the particulate matter we're measuring around parts of the east bay, especially in san francisco over towards the peninsula. now, look at these numbers here. we're seeing ranges up to 266. what does that mean? when we look at the amount of impact of particulate matter in the air, we issue a spare the air day. if it's over 100, it's unhealthy. but we're seeing the very unhealthy range of up to over 200. it is really bad to be out there for not only people with breathing problems but everyone

will feel some symptoms. then we're looking at the wind direction coming in right from where those wildfires are occurring. and moving into parts of the north bay and san francisco east bay. based on the wind direction, you can see where that wind will be the worst. as we head over to mike, you've been giving us a look at the san mateo bridge. >> i've seen slowing on the sensors on the peninsula side. our look over here shows traffic smoothly flowing as they leave the toll area. then we look at the high rise, which is impeded view with the smoke and haze. i have seen brakes start to tap with the pattern. we see slowing off the foster city side to the high rise. just a general slow build over here. there may be a slower moving vehicle getting off the bridge around foster city. we have the built as well feeding in out of hayward and castro valley "y." we're looking at a typical pattern for the bay area.

this cut-through for palomar is not a cut-through today because the fire yesterday has crews on the scene west of niles. san pablo has you slowing for the north shore freeway. >> thank you. is your mouth watered up for turkey and dressing? next and all new for you, you might be spending a lot less for those trimmings next week. the new numbers that show thanksgiving dinner won't gobble up as much money as last year. new numbers on wall street continue to show the slide and we'll have some of the best black friday deals. celebrating batkid. our new update on how he's doing exactly five years since his famous crime-fighting spree across san francisco. i'm also posting something on my facebook page about it. follow me @lauragarcianbc.

this is a fight. not to the finish. but to the beginning.

a fight that can only be won, if we stand together for one cause. him. expert care for every new beginning. the time is 6:13 and it's a smokey and cold start this morning as we take a live look outside in san jose toward the s.a.p. sensor. sunny vail ma sunnyvale making it to the upper 60s. we're still looking at smokey skies for the weekend. more on that and the great news we have in our forecast that's coming up in less than five minutes.

we are looking at a clear choice. the dumbarton bridge is better than san mateo bridge as far as travel times. still looking to see what's going on on the span. i do have some issues on the peninsula and around the bay to tell you about. happy thursday to you. stocks continue to sink on wednesday. today does not look all that great either. i give you a heads up on pg&e before the bell yesterday. that looked like the right call. that stock fell more than 20%. facebook back in focus after a "new york times" piece hit the front of the newspaper this morning. reporters say facebook knew about interference with russia long before admitting it. you may recall facebook's mark zuckerberg originally said it was, quote, a crazy idea that facebook influenced the election. the reporters also say zuckerberg did not take an active role in meetings about the russia issue in part because he was out on his so-called listening tour.

the blog asked who should be fired from facebook? it won't be zuckerberg. he owns a majority of the company's stock. good news for people who believe in world trade. talks with china have apparently started back up. we learned that from the chinese who say the two sides are in close contact. washington being less positive, saying the chinese are offering the same deal they offered in the past. presidents trump and xi had a phone call earlier this month. they'll meet face-to-face in argentina. we're seeing some black friday deals a week early. as we have said in the past, nearly every deal will be available online. so, look for them online before, perhaps, going to the store. you don't need to show up early unless that's fun for you. consumer experts say analysis of prices show good prices on small home appliances, home assistants like google home and

televisions. one thing we say about television is that should be a big expense because you're going to put that up on your wall and you'll live with it for a while. >> you'll use it. >> if you can afford to save for it, it is better to take the tv you want than the tv that's, you know, the door buster sort of thing. >> they have a lot of those. >> there's a reason there's a 50-inch television on sale for $100. >> it won't be in the family very long. >> we might look better on it some days. >> some good news for you this morning. it looks like it will cost you a little less to get that thanksgiving dinner on the table this year. that's according to an american farm bureau federation. its annual survey of classic items found on thanksgiving tables. they found the average cost of a feast for ten is $48.90. that comes out to less than five bucks a person. no word on where you can

actually get this deal -- >> i'm thinking, where are they shopping? but if you find us, tell us on our twitter pages. that would be great if you could get the turkey, the dressing -- >> i have all kinds of coupons and i'm price comparing. >> that's under 50 bucks for ten people. >> i can do it. >> you can do it? >> yeah. >> i'm going with you. >> that's a challenge. >> she makes a meal and puts it in the form of a turkey. >> come with me to safeway, i'll be there for the food drive. my mom goes around the store. >> i do it afterwards and viewers are like, hey, what are you doing here? >> we are starting out this morning with a lot of the smoke still blanketing the bay area. here's a live look outside in san francisco from our sutro tower camera. that's not fog. that is smoke as we start out on this thursday. this is the same view we've seen with our temperatures starting out just about the same.

still cold. 44 degrees as you head out in san francisco. freezing in santa rosa. just above freezing in fairfield. 33 right now in san martin. san jose walks out the door to about 42 degrees. we're looking at our highs today in the upper 60s and low 70s. it's going to be a day pretty much like yesterday. i've got storm ranger powered up. it's sitting on san bruno mountain. that's the red scan there. our mobile doppler radar ready to track the next storm set to move into the bay area. we're on the countdown because we're so looking forward to this. this is about five days away. you can see the swirl, the clouds and all the clouds that extend out ahead of that. that will bring us some rain. the jet stream has been starting to look a little more favorable for us to get some rain chances. this is the flow of the upper level storms that bring in rain.

that jet stream moves farther south. look where we are. rear right here underneath that jet stream that's going to bring a chance of rain. as we go through our seven-day forecast, it shows that our winds will start to change going toward the end of the weekend. as that storm system approaches. the first wave may be here as early as late tuesday into wednesday. there could be several waves of rain coming through as we go into next week. computer models have been fairly consistent with showing some rain moving in for the middle of next week. as far as how much, that's still up in the air. some of the early runs of the computer models really may not be all that accurate but showing the potential of at least an inch or two in parts of the north bay. here's another look at the -- at a different computer model. in is the gfs also showing over an inch of rain in the north bay. let's head over to mike. you're tracking a slowdown for the drive across the bay. >> that's right. it's the san mateo bridge, the one we've been tracking, trying to find out exactly what's going on. anywhere south of there looks great. the northbound right a crash off

101. not a major concern. tri-valley looking good. over there the san mateo bridge west 92 clearly shows awe slow drive over to where things bog down around the 101 interchange. nothing concrete listed on the chp blotter. clearly the dumbarton bridge is an easier drive. w a. ze is powered by the community and on the peninsula side they're reporting there's a whole cluster of folks reporting there is, indeed, a crash getting to the san mateo side. none of them give detail about the crash except a couple have mentions from other folks who are contributing saying it is blocking the hov lane. keep that in mind. we'll track that. nbc bay wazers is where to share that information. aside from that crash or whatever is going on, the slow traffic to the peninsula side, we see that on our live camera. we have a number of different sources to help you get around the bay. contra costa county looks great. highway 4 the slowest for the

county. we have two crashes cleared to the shoulder at richmond. that's the distraction. back to you. 6:20. here's a new one for you. using an electric scooter as a getaway ride. the south bay college where police say it happened. and what they got away with. when you leave a car repair shop, you don't have to wonder whether they actually did the work they were supposed to. the state will inspect your car for free after you've had auto body work done. the inspector will compare your invoice to the work that was done. if they find a discrepancy, that can trigger an official complaint or even an investigation. you can sign up for your free inspection online. we put a link on our website, nbcbayarea.com/responds. it's under the consumer resources section. you can also call us with your consumer complaints. the number is 888-996-tips. this is not a bed.

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elections .. numerous bay area races are still too close welcome back. 6:24 for you right now. nine days since the midterm elections, numerous bay area races still too close to call. that includes more than a dozen in contra costa county alone. starting this morning, leaders there begin manually hand-counting those ballots. just under 300,000 people voted across contra costa county. new this morning, suspects rob a san jose student and get away on electric scooters. happened just before 4:30

yesterday afternoon on the south side of washburn hall. campus police say the student was punched in the face and robbed of his cell phone by young people riding on scooters. officers were able to find and arrest one suspect but the rest got away. the victim is expected to be okay. maybe you remember where you were five years ago today. one thing we know, there's a 10-year-old boy out there who knows exactly where he was. myles scott, batkid story, captured headlines and the hearts of so many across our nation. today marks five years since the make-a-wish foundation brought his dream to life with the help of thousands of voss from across the bay area. the foundation says miles is now in fifth grade. he is still in remission from cancer. which actually led to that magical day coming to life. that was his wish. very cool. now we're just one week away from thanksgiving and our team is working to help those in need.

you can help out, too. >> be sure to join us this weekend for feed the need food drive this saturday. we'll be at various safeway locations up and down the bay area collecting those donations. laura and i will be at the safeway on dunn avenue in morgan hill from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. the rest of the "today in the bay" team will be throughout the bay area as you can see on your screen. you can see some of your favorite personalities right here at nbcbayarea.com and you can find out where we'll be. >> you make a small donation and it goes to feed the hungry. 6:26 right now. here are the stories we're working on for you this morning. california family suing disneyland. the hotel where they stayed and claim bedbugs bit them. plus -- >> they're all victims of the fire. >> helping animals in need. how people are trying to find their four-legged loved ones as

that fire in butte county rages on. you're probably feeling our top story this morning. the rough air quality out there. smoke from wildfire making a lot of people feel sick. this morning the impact on schools across the bay area as well and the dwindling number of masks available. more news in two minutes. sfx: tinny headphone music

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include free preventive care. financial help is available, so check for yourself to see what savings you qualify for. for health insurance starting january 1st, enroll by december 15th. because you never know when life... ...will change. get covered today. right now at 6:30 all the smoke from (this ( fir, the camp fire, still burning i welcome back to "today in the bay." right now it's 6:30.

all the smoke from the camp fire still burning in butte county. this is new video into our news room overnight. the smoke certainly making the air hard to breathe across northern california. you know, we're actually feeling it right here in the bay area. a live look in san francisco. another hazy start to the day. now to sfo, and be sure to check your flights before you head out because the smoke is expected to cause delays just like yesterday. to the south bay, a live look at san jose state. colleges across the bay area shutting down because of bad air quality. take a look at contra costa county as drivers hit the road through all that smoke. good morning. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. let's head over to meteorologist kari hall monitoring our conditions out there this morning. what is it looking like? >> usually when you see views like that, you think it's fog but it's not fog. it is smoke. let me show you how unhealthy it

is out there to be outside, especially for long periods of time. we look at these readings across the bay area with the worst of it in san francisco, parts of the delta in the east bay, even down to the south county. when we look at how bad this is for you, if we see levels over 100, they issue a spare the air day. it's unhealthy if it's 151 to 200, but this is the range where we're seeing it right now. very unhealthy where we're seeing it, readings over 200 with a lot of particulate matter in the air that makes it really unhealthy for you to breathe that in and get that into your lungs. here's a look at our high temperatures where we're headed today. once again, limit your time outside. you really won't be able to enjoy much of these temperatures in the upper 60s. as we head over to mike, you're saying to avoid the san mateo bridge? >> that's right. unfortunately with the poor air quality, these folks are adding to it because they're idling a bit. we're seeing the traffic start to move a little more. the last five minutes have seen a tow truck move along this

service area along the flat section and over very close to 101 westbound 92, a crash was reported there. the speeds are improving a bit. avoid the san mateo bridge because of the crash. the dumbarton bridge likely to pick up more traffic. continuing our microclimate alert. take a look at this photo from noaa. it has pictures of before and after there. this is the smokey air above california. >> thousands of college students won't be in class today. the cal state system in the bay area closing the campuses. kris sanchez with more on this. they don't want the students out there breathing this air. >> reporter: they don't.

in fact, they not only canceled classes here at san jose state for today but tomorrow. they've been handing out these n-95 masks to anyone who needs them. cal state east bay canceling classes. they say they're canceling work obligations as well, asking supervisors to be flexible with their workers. san jose state canceling all online classes as well. on all three cal state campuses in the bay area, students will still have access to their dorms, their dining halls and health services. by the way, uc berkeley, if you're a cal bear, you have class today. the chancellor says we have decided the cancellation of classes is not at this point warranted or necessary due to air quality index levels in berkeley. however, campus medical staff are advising all of us limit our time outside and refrain from heavy exertion while outdoors. the chancellor says they will reconsider if the bay area air quality management district

levels go above 200. there are different sites that measure, but that's the official site for them. at santa clara valley medical center, doctors are seeing an uptick in asthma-related hospitalizations and seeing an uptick in doctors who are telling their patients to stay longer. >> in 20 years you've never seen before, some physicians afraid to discharge some of these patients because the outside air was more dangerous than the air inside the hospital. >> reporter: we found families who were on the hunt for masks yesterday and coming up empty. a lot of store shelves are bare at this point. if you're going to buy a mask, it has to be this kind, the one with the filter on the front, n-95. that will filter out that particulate matter. it's not a substitute for staying inside. not suitable for children, though my daughter has tried to go outside to wear this one riding her bike. i said no. and also not suitable if you have a beard.

they don't seal on. laura, the kids bouncing off the walls. >> i know. my son tried to put on my mask, too. hey, mom, no, stay inside. a little too big. >> reporter: sorry. >> thanks. good advice, kris. north of the bay area, that destruction from the camp fire is really adding up. today marks one week since that fire broke out in butte county. overnight that number of missing and unaccounted for rose to 297. that death toll now stands at 56. 138,000 acres are now charred. it's just 35% contained. staggering number of reports of 10,000 structures now confirmed destroyed. additional crews have joined the search for victims and people reported missing. portable devices that can actually identify someone's genetic material in a couple of hours rather than days or weeks will be brought in. now we want you to take a look at these photos capital

vazing social media this morning. you can see that cat sitting on the outside of a paradise home, sleeping in that rubble. it looks like that cat is waiting for its owner to come back home. >> there are heartbreaking scenes like this involving so many animals found throughout the fire zone. "today in the bay's" bob redell in chico at an evacuation center. so many people have lost so much, including their beloved pets. but now they're facing another problem, bob. >> reporter: yes. here at the neighborhood church red cross shelter in chico, the county health department is keeping an eye on ten evacuees who they suspect contracted the norovirus. this is a 24 to 72-hour bug that causes vomiting and dehydration. they separated these people. they're being watched by nurses. they have been quarantined away from the 200 other people, roughly, staying here at the

shelter. while on the front lines the fire fight continues. this is new video from overnight. the fire has advanced northeast of paradise, burning on both sides of highway 70, close to the plumis national forest. cal fire puts it at 198,000 acres burned, 35% contained. they expect full containment in two weeks, november 30th. as you were alluding to earlier, a number of survivors of the camp fire have posted pictures online of their lost pets. we're talking about horses, donkeys, cats and dogs. some have since been found, some are still missing. amber is trying to connect these guys with their owners. on friday she created a new app she calls paw prints that allows people to plot on a map where their pet was last seen, along with the breed and contact info. that way if someone finds their pets -- >> they can easily put a found dot on the map and that way

hopefully that owner will come across the map and say, oh, my gosh, they have my pet. >> reporter: some of those lost animals have ended up in orange vale under the care of dr. jill ruben, a veterinarian who has volunteered so far to take in five dogs who survived the fire but who can't find their masters. dr. ruben plans to head to paradise later today to see if there are other animals she can help. reporting live in chico, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> thanks a lot, bob. down in ventura county, yet another new brush fire for firefighters to deal with. the "today" show has live coverage coming up in a few minutes. at 7:00 a.m. they'll start. before you get there, we have to get you to perhaps work or let you know what the outlook is. we have a slower drive. recovery, this crash at san pablo did clear from the roadway. we asked chp cleared the

roadways. still have slowing toward central. that's it for the upper shore freeway. crash at 680 and monument is there for contra costa county. all that slowing stravl through richmond out of san pablo should be improving a bit. the arrow shows you your commute across the san mateo bridge still very slow but the camera did show me there was some improvement as tow trucks passed by the scene. the crash at 101 is moving to the shoulder if not cleared from the roadway in the next few minutes. to the south bay where there are no problems. silicon valley looks good. just the typical build through san jose. right now let's look into the weekend. hopefully clearer skies for us out there. >> it's still going to be pretty unhealthy to be out there for a long period of time. we're taking a look at the forecast where our temperatures will be chilly, especially for the coast reaching lower 60s. you arer 60s for the bay and inland. up to 69 degrees. on sunday there will be a few more clouds mixing in. still keeping it in the 60s

across the bay area. last weekend the meet in the street, the castro valley light parade was supposed to go on. they rescheduled it to this weekend because of the air quality. we'll see if that still goes on. if so, that starts at 5:30 with the parade rolling and in the low 60s dropping down into the upper 50s. i'm picking out some places where if you really need to get away from the smoke it, places where we have much improved air quality like the sierra. if you can go there this weekend, it will be in the mid-50s and mostly sunny skies. looks nice and refreshing. better air quality for paso robles. some low 70s for the weekend. nice and fresh air in santa barbara this weekend. i know that's really far away, but if you can make it, it will be in the mid-60s and partly cloudy skies. also improved air quality for l.a. as well as a lot of the smoke in those areas have been

blowing offshore and not in the city. we're looking at upper 60s there. let me know about your weekend plans. i'm @karihallweather. also updates on air quality on social media. we'll talk about today's temperature trend for the south bay in about three minutes. next and all new -- take a look at this photo of kanye west and mark zuckerberg. it's confusing a lot of people online this morning. we'll tell you how that photo has something to do with the back street boys. >> even better. first, honoring a hero. >> it's hard. it's permanent. >> can't imagine her loss. a widow remembering her late husband who died saving others in last week's mass shooting in thousand oaks. all new, the exclusive conversation. what she's saying this morning. the president once again attacking mueller. i'm tell you why he's planning that. good morning. i'm jeff rossen.

come up on "today," we're talking about school bus crashes but now there's new technology to stop buses from spinning out like this. we'll show it to you in actions for the very first time. it's the country's largest bus maker doing it. how soon could this be coming to a town near you? we'll show it to you coming up. . ♪ ho ho ho this is christmas, baby ♪ [ groans ] dude, how many candy canes did you eat? [ mumbles ] that's hurtful.

it's 6:44. cold morning across the bay area.

here's a live look outside in san jose. let's cover santa clara. it will be at about 44 degrees at 8:00. 52 degrees at 9:00. we'll be heating up today with filtered sunshine because of the smoke. we're talking air quality and the rain in the forecast coming up in less than five minutes. and, darn it, we have brake lights again. i saw them light up across this flat section. we have more delays for the san mateo bridge. the bigger issue is the crash on the peninsula. i'll find out what i can on this continuing evolution. quarter to 7:00 right now. your commute might be undergoing a huge change. this morning there's some talk about another transbay rail crossing for b.a.r.t. the rail would help connect riders from peninsula to sf to the central valley. it would also double the capacity helping cut back the train crowds. there are no official details on where construction would be, but the goal would be to build it in about ten years.

the private funeral for alaina housley is today. >> she was the youngest of the 12 victims killed in last week's bar shooting in thousand oaks. a public celebration of the life of her will take place at vintage high school at noon on sunday. her family is asking those who attend wear bright colors. in southern california loved ones will say their good-byes to sergeant ron helus. his widow spoke to the "today" show about the loss. >> it's hard. it's permanent. you know what, he -- he died doing what he -- what he would have wanted to do. and he -- he's in a better place. >> now, helus was killed when responding to that shooting at borderline bar & grill. he's being hailed as a hero. new this morning, disney reporting a legal claim from a

woman who says her stay at the magic kingdom became a nightmare due to bedbugs. the l.a. times is reporting a woman stayed at the disneyland hotel in april. her attorney showed photos he claimed show bed bug bites and welts. the woman is suing the resort for physical damage. 6:47 for you right now. president trump is once again lashing out against the man investigating him. >> scott mcgrew joins us, with similar arguments but different environment. >> there are two things that have changed. first, the democrats are a little bit more than a month away from launching an investigation. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell just quashed an attempt by republicans to protect bob mueller. in came the tweets this morning. the inner workings of the mueller investigation are a total mess. they have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts.

a disgrace to our nation, a total witch hunt like no other in american history. now, the phrase witch hunt comes from american history, describing an actual hunt for witches. the new attack comes just days after matt whittaker was appointed acting attorney general. he has not recused himself, meaning he has access to the mueller investigation and is speaking to the president. a remarkably bipartisan moment to reform prison sentencing. republicans and democrats came together to adjust federal sentencing rules, moving them away from the get tough on crime sentences we saw in the '80s and '90s. >> today's announcement shows true bipartisanship is possible and maybe it will be thriving if we're going to get something done. >> the reforms would allow judges more leeway in deciding some sentences and could reduce the so-called third strike penalty from life to 25 years. it's not entirely clear this

measure has time it needs to pass the current congress. as it's written now, would not be retro active. speaking of crimes, one of the president's loudest critics, lawyer michael avanati has been arrested on charges of felony domestic abuse. he has served as the lawyer for stephanie clifford, otherwise known as stormy daniels, and positioned himself as a defender of women. the victim in the alleged attack is a woman but police has not specified who. we'll be watching that and anything else the president may have to say. i'll be on twitter @scottmcgrew. 6:49. new this morning every picture tells a story. here's one photo that could definitely use some sound. kanye west tweeted out last night, he's in the middle with mark zuckerberg. the caption says, we sang back street boys, "i want it that way." can you imagine? a little karaoke.

>> why did mr. zuckerberg not exercise the power of facebook live? >> exactly. he tweeted it. >> instagram or something. >> kanye wants everyone to know. mark maybe not. >> we all want to know what's going on with the weather today. >> it's what everybody's talking about. as you head out around the bay area, all this smoke. it's been so bad. here's a look at our air quality index. it's over 200. that's where it's very unhealthy and that's where you want to limit your time outside. wear a mask when you go out. this normally affects the elderly and children. this affects everyone. your eyes are burning. you have shortness of breath. it's been really unhealthy out there. when the levels of particulate matter are over 100 they issue a spare the air day. when it's unhealthy, that's what we've seen, from 151 to 200.

we're also seeing a lot of readings like this, very unhealthy. it's not a good time to be outside even though we'll have mild temperatures today. heading into the upper 60s, a few low 70s. here's a look at the view as you head out around oakland. as you're getting dressed this morning, you need to make sure you're wearing some layers. maybe a hat and scarf. i powered storm ranger, parked on san bruno mountain. that's the red scan. our mobile doppler radar ready to track this next storm set to move in. i'm so excited about this because hopefully it will help improve our air quality and put an end to all these wildfires. here's a look at the storm. it's still well to the west of us but set to move in tuesday and wednesday. until then we'll watch it move closer. a look at our forecast the next seven days looks like we should see a shift in the wind by early next week with a southerly wind and the rain approaching on wednesday with not possibly one

but two, maybe even three rounds of rain in the forecast for next week. of course, we'll all be keeping tabs on that. i'll be fine-tuning the forecast and giving you more details as we get closer. highs in the upper 60s, low 70s for the inland valleys. morning temperatures stills cold as we go into the next several mornings. san francisco, chilly temperatures continue with low to mid-60s. mike, you were saying there were three problem spots on the road. >> the most evident from this camera shot is the san mateo bridge. we continue to follow the jam westbound into the haze. the problem is a crash. it sounds like the first crash may have cleared, the second one may be there adds you approach 101 and 92. a wide shot shows a pleasant drive. expect more slowing southbound for the nimitz as you come down as folks try to use that as an alternate. the other problem spot over here for the area is southbound 680 towards sheridan, a disabled big

rig blocking one lane. a loit lighter volume, that's what we expect saving things. the week before thanksgiving, we see traffic ease up starting thursday and friday. all next week as this week sees a lot of cal state and they're all off because of the smoke in the air. that will reduce the amount of commuters. we have slowing from highway 4 into central avenue. a couple crashes bes addreing addressed. we have almost an hour from highway 4 to bay bridge. >> thank you very much. 6:53. happening now, a winter storm moving fast and furiously across the state of missouri. forecasters calling for up to 7 inches of snow in st. louis. there's also another storm set to strike along the east coast. if you have travel plans, check ahead. next on "today in the bay," a quick look at the top stories, including a tobacco gateway for teens. a new report showing the

alarming number of teens vaping in one city. crab season begins starting overnight. how much crab we're expecting this season and when you can actually get some. we're back in just two minutes with more news. welcome back.

before you head out the door, here are the top stories on today in the bay-- welcome back to you on this thursday morning. here are the top stories we're

covering on "today in the bay." >> our top stories across the bay. air quality concerns are on the rise as those wildfires burn out of control across the state. our cameras capturing the same story from santa clara to contra costa county. smokey air. thousands of college students won't be in class today. cal state system in the bay area closing all of its campuses. if you're flying out of sfo, be sure to check your flight there. several arrivals and defar topa are delayed. many evacuees from the camp fire are staying in shelters dealing with a new concern. this is a live look at the red cross shelter in chico. the health department keeping an eye on ten people who they suspect contracted the norovirus. the individuals now have been quarantined and separated from the other 200 people staying there. the fire is now advanced northeast of paradise, burning on both sides of highway 70.

the fire is now 138,000 acres. it is 35% contained. this morning a warning for bay area parents. all new numbers out overnight showing the alarming amount of teens vaping in fremont. according to that survey by the tri-city health center, 39% of the students at g.m. walters junior high school knew someone under 18 years old that vapes. 29% said they believe it's easy to get cigarettes. fremont is holding a vaping epidemic town hall at 7:00 tonight at the fremont unified school district. 6:58. crab lovers, grab the butter. today is the day you've been waiting for. the commercial crab season begins. most teams set out to set traps ahead of the official 12:01 a.m. start. 30 million pounds of crab will be pulled from bay area waters over the coming months. the season officially ends next summer. it's on a lot of people's menus when it comes to thanksgiving. yours? >> yes.

>> now try to keep that under your $50. >> crab with a "k". >> not that stuff. all right. we've been talking about the smoke. we're approaching thanksgiving and we're not supposed to see conditions like this. look how warm it will be over the next few days. thankfully there is rain in the forecast. just in time for thanksgiving. as we go into the weekend, only some slight improvements in our air quality. i do think we'll see drifts of smoke across the bay area. >> all right. still tracking three problem spots for us this morning. >> just three problem spots. the rest of the bay showing a lighter commute but we'll show the problems on the map. we have the upper east shore freeway, another crash in the slower drive approaching central for the upper east shore. highway 4 to golden gate fields is a tough spot. the rest the bay looking good in that portion. the arrow shows you south 680 towards sheridan. disabled big rig blocking one lane. the san mateo bridge, the arrow shows you westbound on the foster city side.

that crash looks like it's been cleared. there is some recovery there. >> sounds good. we'll be back with a local news update at 7:25. don't forget to join us for nbc bay area news at 11:00. thanks for starting your morning with us. ♪ good morning. hello winter! 123 million people in the path of a massive storm spreading snow, ice, and rain from the south all the way to new england. decades-old records being shattered, crashes at airports, delays piling up. al will have the very latest on the first big storm of the season. breaking overnight, the death toll grows even higher from those california wildfires. this morning, the grim search for more than 130 people still unaccounted for and the outrage over who may be responsible for the deadliest fire in the state's history. breaking news. a major break in the killing of