back in october as part of a push to save lives. one easy way you could help the need through our nourishing neighbors. before we get to that, we want to tell you what they're having right now, the 40th annual toy land give away. they're giving away hundreds of toys. of course, this is all changing because of the pandemic and instead of people coming in and picking those toys, they're going to be handed those toys this year to each of those families. they're helping hundreds of families this year make it through the holidays and in such a tough time for them. 700 bags will be delivered to families throughout the bay area. another easy way you can help families right now through our nourishing neighbors food drive. that donation will go on until the 29th. next time you go to safeway, give $10. that donation will go help local feed banks feed families throughout our area. right now at 6:00, another make or break hearing. moderna covid vaccine in the approval process fpipeline.

the advisory committee is meeting to kick it all off. we'll watch it live anticipating a second vaccine possibly in the horizon. plus, we are live at yet another bay area hospital struggling this morning running low on the icu beds and staff as the surge shows no sign of letting up. and it's 9:00 in washington and the halls of the capitol are now open. this morning a promise of relief bill with checks for all americans. it'sic iactually looking promis. we have complete live team coverage straight ahead as the third hour of "today in the bay" continues right now. it is certainly a busy thursday morning. thanks so much for starting your day with us. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. mikes s has a look at the traff in just a minute. rain coming down covering the entire region. take a look at this, this was in fremont. i mean, or was this in san jose?

i think this was in san jose last night. this was in san jose last night. but let's take a look at what is happening in fremont this morning. all right. there you have it. looking nice and clear there. the roads are still wet this morning but the showers tapering off just a bit. meteorologist kari hall has a look at what we can expect throughout the day. kari? >> yeah, we are getting this one last heavy wave of rain moving through parts of the east bay approaching the south bay. and it's starting to clear from san francisco but still moving through the peninsula. so, once we get this rain falling, it's going to create another round of those wet roads and the puddles that you're going to have to deal with during your commute. but we can see that rain falling in fremont, milpitas, san jose and moving over towards sunnyvale and also moving into the south county. as we check out some of the rain moving up the peninsula, we're tracking it all on storm ranger. mobile doppler radar. we'll see a couple more waves of this before it clears out later this morning. so, i'll be tracking this. we'll take a look back at how

much rain we measured. mike, this is also causing some slick roads and do you have a traffic alert? >> i do. some slick and curvy roadways. a look at this map behind me but we'll show you full screen. this is northbound 17 coming up from the santa cruz side but folks heading out of our viewing area. you'll see a stack of headlights right at big moody curve. that is an issue. a car went off the roadway down the embankment. no major injuries but they the right size tow truck to pull it out. the green dominating the map and slick roadways and wet roadways from the overnight rain. keep the speeds at a manageable pace. look at the bay bridge toll plaza where you have to slow down because folks stacked up. the metering lights turned orn tod on today and we see the slick pavement. pack to both of you. >> thank you so much. happening now, moderna covid-19 vaccine approval process just getting under way.

>> all this hour live team coverage from the bay area to washington covering all things vaccine and surge in cases and relief talks. we begin with "today in the bay" kris sanchez. talking more about the moderna vaccine for us this morning. kris? >> well, hi, just a week after pfizer's vaccine was approved for emergency use we have an idea of what this process is going to look like and it is going to look just like it did one week ago. take a look, live pictures now of that meeting. the advisory panel that is just convening right now. the meeting was set to start at 6:00 this morning and it did start right on time. pretty punctual. now, the same fda panel that reviewed the pfizer vaccine will now review the moderna data, which an fda briefing document shows a favorable safety profile and no specific safety concerns. some people who got that shot in the clinical trial did report feeling pain at the injection site and headaches and fatigue.

fda analysis finds that the vaccine is, however, less effective in people over the age of 65. moderna can counter one big advantage. >> the cold requirements are less stringent in that it requires cold, a freezer that is like the freezers we have at home. >> now let's look at those two vaccines side by side. theifieser and moderna vaccines are equally effective across the board and both require a second dose, although moderna requires an extra week in between. and just as you heard, the pfizer vaccine requires deep freeze for storage and distribution and the moderna one does not. just a little fridge that you might get at best buy. although pfizer does have an emg in the age range. it is approved down to age 16. santa clara county is scheduled to get more than 39,000 doses of the moderna vaccine. those, of course, are slated to

go to health care workers and also to people who live and work in care facilities. the fda meeting is set to start at 6:00 this morning. we are just a few minutes into the hour so we're going to go back and monitor that. we'll see you back here in 45 minutes. >> sounds good, thanks so much, kris. golden state has never been here before. yesterday more than 53,000 new cases reported. that is a record and more than most countries. sadly the state also set a new death record yesterday. more than 17 million americans tested positive for covid-19. and for days now we've been seeing more people die daily from the virus than on 9/11. in the meantime, vaccinations continue. "today in the bay" bob redell outside the santa clara county fairgrounds this morning and, bob, let's talk about who will receive the first round of shots in the south bay this morning. >> good morning, laura. people who work in skilled nursing facilities. the county will begin this max

vaccination at 9:00 this morning at the fairgrounds here behind me giving out that first round of pfizer vaccine doses to those people and then a little bit later there will be a news conference that will include the county's public health department. over the past 48 hours, we've seen health care workers at hospitals in marin, contra costa receive these first rounds of shots. remember you get two rounds. one now and the other one a few weeks later. rounds of applause yesterday morning as doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists and at ucsf san francisco. we spoke with a doctor who treats covid patients and has to go home to her mother who has cancer. this doctor is relieved the vaccine is finally here. >> it's been really tough. at the hospital. and then at home my mom is on

chemo. i' i've been taking care of her, as well. i'm particularly nervous about going to the hospital and coming home. >> after getting the second dose and seeing the public, you know, get to that point where we can kind of turn this thing around. that's the more important thing. not necessarily me personally. >> sonoma county is supposed to receive its first shipment of the pfizer vaccine today. alameda county tomorrow. reporting live here in san jose, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> bob, thank you. two very important vaccinations will soon be done to help build confidence among americans. president-elect joe biden will get his shot next week. vice president mike pence and his wife will get theirs tomorrow. the media is invited to both of those events. not clear yet if president trump who has already had covid will get the vaccine. a live look for you right now at downtown redwood city. the streets will reopen to traffic tomorrow with outdoor dining ending today.

come midnight the entire bay area under that mandatory stay-at-home order including san mateo county. due to the lack of icu beds across the region. it is now 13% availability below that 15% triggering. the regional stay-at-home order. statewide the northern california region has about 28% beds available. the greater sacramento area 14%. southern california is half a percent. there is no availability in san joaquin valley. those in redwood city prepare to close up shop and say it was a difficult blow before the holidays. >> i feel sorry for restaurants. i think they're just struggling and the fact that they keep opening and closing and opening and closing. >> i'm saving for my retirement. if i spend all my money and i lose my business, i got to be. >> the order also applies across the bay area and monterey and santa cruz counties. it will remain in effect until

at least january 7th. 6:09 for you right now. let's go to washington and tracie potts and keeping an eye on the possible stimulus deal. >> tracie, you just heard the redwood city man talking about saving his retirement money. >> go ahead, tracie. >> well, i was just going to say washington wants to put some money in your pocket and we have certainly seen that there are plenty of people in the bay area and around the country who could use that extra $600 that washington is now trying to include in the stimulus funds. they're trying to get this done by tomorrow, racing the clock against the government shutdown deadli deadline. the deal about $900 billion would include $300 billion for small businesses and spare about 12 million people from losing their unemployment the day after christmas in addition to

averting a government shutdown. >> i think it is in the oven being baked as we speak and i hope it comes out. >> to american families in need struggling to put food on the table and pay their rent or mortgages. >> so, here's the timeline for that. tomorrow is the deadline by which government funding needs to happen. that's separate from covid relief. but lawmakers here want to attach them and they're scrambling to try to get some agreement on this covid relief funding today or early tomorrow. back to you. >> a lot of people need their help. thank you, tracie. all right. right now at 6:11. a look at the rain that is falling as we track it all on storm ranger continuing to push further to the south and seeing it now down the peninsula and

into the east bay and hearing that rain hitting the roof in the south bay, as well. we're going to see this last wave of rain rolling through and then we'll start to clear by 7:00 to 8:00 and the rest of the day is looking sunny as our chilly temperatures really start to settle in after this very wet start to the morning. we do have a lot of sunshine in the weekend forecast, as well as some dry weather. and, mike, that wet drive may be slowing some people down on the roads. >> should be, kari. the word of caution from kari and myself. look at the roadways and the green highlighting all over the map shows you where there will be wet conditions everywhere. all the major freeways. we zoom out towards the trivalley where we have a little bit of a build and the traffic coming out of the altamont and usual suspects showing a little slowing and then a live look as we take a look through fremont and little slowing and the peninsula where we're looking at the wet conditions on the lens and on the pavement, as well, laura. back to you. >> thanks so much, mike. cingom up next, elmo and big

bird lending much-needed comfort to h hundreds o of thousands of chchildren. coming up, howow sesesame stree working to heal many who recently barely escaped with their lives overseas. plus. >> we've been talking about all the hot ipos in the bay area. lots of people making money. but the latest one some investors probably wished they hadn't invested. scott, you have been talking about zoom a lot lately. what the company is doing to make it easier for you to stay at home in your pajamas even during those long meetings while working from home. we'll be right back.

right now at 6:15 as we get a look at storm ranger and the heavy rain that's falling across the south bay this morning, we are going to get some additional rainfall and making those roads wet as you head out the door. but they won't look like this all day and we'll talk about the forecast and how much we measured already coming up in a few minutes. well, good morning. very happy thursday to you, as well. the person who once advised president trump on national security matters is now advising the rest of america pay more attention to that hack on the united states that was revealed last week. it was bigger and much more damaging than you real iize our leaders are telling us. thomas bossart homeland security

adviser and says the magnitude of this ongoing attack is hard to overstate. it will take years to know for certain which computer networks the russians control and which ones they just occupy. bossart pointing out not only did the hackers who we presume to be russians gain access to american government computers months ago, they are still there now and we don't know what they can see. he warns, quote, president trump is on the verge of leaving behind a federal government compromised by the russian government. president-elect joe biden has to assume that communications are being read by russia and assume that any government data or e-mail could be falsified. first-time jobless claims show 885 million americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week. that is more than we expected. i've been telling you about all kind of hot ipos all over the bay area this last week or so and some huge successes. one yesterday kind of went the

other way. not kind of, but really did. we showed you people opening the nasdaq but because of covid only show you the nasdaq building. i wish we could do more but speaking of wishes, people wish they didn't buy shares. on the open that stock slid, well, it did what almost no stock did, it slid. look at that. down about 16% on its first day of trading. the texas attorney general leading a new lawsuit against google accusing it of anticompetitive behavior. he's joined by nine other states. now, a reminder ken paxton who himself is under indictment led that ill-fated lawsuit and tried to reverse the presidential election in the supreme court. but he's got a much better case here, frankly. paxton says google actually worked with facebook to set prices on online ads. now, this is separate from the justice department's accusation against google and to make it worse, other states may file their own lawsuit against google as soon as today.

and you've heard movie studio warner brothers will send movies like wonder woman 1984 straight to hbo max. good news for roku owners, they'll be able to watch. after a long fight warner bruwod out a deal. comcast is our parent company but added to x1 infiniti, as well. you can press that little button and say hbo max and off it goes. it's pretty cool. >> we're so spoiled. remember when you had to get up and actually go turn the channel on the itv. >> i do remember that. mom and dad, if you want to watch that, you have to change the source to aux and now go over to the a/b switch and push b. i have to talk them through it. comcast you just go, show me hbo. >> make it easy and give them a smart tv and roku stick. i see that in the mcgrew family future.

all right. thanks so much. well, so many of us remember sesame street, as well. it's been a main stay for really millions of children. but for 700,000 children elmo and friends may be real hope for a productive future. refugees fle refugees fleeting with their families to escape and now children are left without access to education. sesame street is teaming up with other nonprofits to teach kids how to play and deal with their trau trauma. you can see more of this later this morning on "today" show. i love that. >> me, too. you know what, trending for you this morning. we know you all want to look good when you go to those zoom meetings but i don't think any of you want to get up and get dressed. japanese company have something in mind for you. the answer, a pajama suit. yeah, so the suit comes in different colors, navy, beige, black for both men and women. that jacket, knit cardigan and

it can be mix matched with elastic waist pants designed for sitting long periods of time. that suit costs just under 50 bucks. i'm looking at it and even if you wore that out somewhere i wouldn't think those were pajamas. so, i mean. >> no, not at all. lounging on the couch there. >> all right. >> i got to be honest, for me, if you're wearing the matching top and bottom pajamas anyway, that's kind of dressy. >> look, you're dressed up. >> that's right. >> there you go. all right, grab the raincoat this morning, if you are going out. >> yeah because we've seen this wave of rain coming through. it's been nice to see these showers passing, especially during the overnight hours. but it may still have an impact on your morning commute. evening commute is all clear. let's get a look at storm ranger as we're seeing this last wave of rain coming through pushing south of san francisco into parts of the south bay. we could see the rain pouring in

sunnyvale, san jose and over towards the east bay hills and milpitas. for the east bay we've seen the rain moving through fremont and approaching dublin and pleasanton and start to push off towards the south and east. once again, this wave of rain has brought us some beneficial downpours and some of our highest rainfall totals have been in the north bay. check out mt. tam. once again, topping the list with over an inch of rain. we've had nearly an inch of rain as you head over just west of santa rosa and green valley. sonoma had about half inch of rain and about the same in oakland. san francisco measuring nearly half of an inch of rain and we may still have additional rainfall totals on top of what we've seen for richmond, san ramon, antioch getting about a quarter inch of rain and still about a tenth of an inch of rain for san jose and morgan hill. but, once again, this last wave may add up on that in the next several hours. now, as we go through the rest of the forecast, we're drying out. a sunny day and we're also going to have a drier weather trend as

we continue to watch the drought monitor. we're seeing it expanding, especially for southern california and it does remain about the same for the drought here in the northern california area. so, we'll talk more about this coming up. mike, how is it looking right now for the commute? >> well, kari, the metering lights are on at the bay bridge and just south to san mateo bridge on top of the rain i saw flashing light and nothing on the report just yet. you see no more flashing lights and we'll double check that and look at the map. the speed sensors doing just fine as folks travel westbound and across that. the bigger concern as we zoom out of the map look at all this green and wet roadways all around the bay including the santa cruz mountains where we'll continue with the alert for north 17 and the crash around redwood estate. back to you. >> thanks so much. coming up next, nbc bay area responds with what you need to know if you're going to travel on a flight safely.

♪ ♪ ♪ heheart monitotors that let your doctotor watch ovover you,

just l like you wawatch over youour best fririend. ananother lifefe-changingg tetechnology f from abbott, so y you don't w wait for lilif. you liveve it. jtsdzer. flying today requires more of your attention. beginning with the reservation itself. we see airline schedules changing a ton by a few hours or even a couple days. should you get to the airport earl? emirates recommended holiday travelers get to the airport three hours before takeoff. with social distancing, check-in security and immigration a little clunkier than before. those steps might take longer. inside the terminal and on the plane you're almost always

required to wear a mask. the airlines are clear, no mask, no travel. how you board the airplane might be different. we saw united which uses groups boarding from the rear of the plane forward to minimize contact. here's a big question, will the see seat next to you be left empty? maybe. the airlines used to charge hefty cancellation penalties and fees but much of that is gone. but those newly selectable rules did not make every ticket refundable. in fact, if you cancel, it's possible you're not getting your money back. instead, you'll get a voucher or credit that is good for a year or two. how to you know how long? call the airline and ask. 6:27 for you this morning, coming up next, we're watching moderna's vaccine approval process. it's under way right now. it's coming up next. only a matter of time before san mateo county was forced to implement a stay-at-home order and add more restrictions. up next, we're live outside one hospital there now running low

on icu beds. so, uber said if you vote to keep the workers as free lancers, prices will not go up. is that promise holding up? all new for you here on "today in the bay." ilths ♪ no, no n no. let't's show 'emem how itit's done, b becky g. ♪ it's ththe brand nenew chicn dance e song uh ♪ ♪ get d down heat i it up lilike a saunana ♪ ♪ spin arouound one timime if y you wanna ♪ ♪ wings up p stretch em out p put it on ' 'em ♪ ♪ g get up now w ♪ getet down uh ♪ cluck cluluck when yoyou hearar the soundnd uh ♪ new chchicken dancnce new chicicken sandwiwich my juicycy, thickestst fillet. my c cluck sandwdwich combosos. only a at jack in n the bo.

for members likeke martin. anan air forcece veteran m me of doingng what's riright, not what's's easy. so w when a haililstorm hit,t, usaa r reached out before he cocould even i inspect thehe d. that's h how you do o it righ. usaa i insurance i is made jujust the wayay martinin's family y needs it wiwith hassle-e-free claimims, he got p paid beforere his neigighbor even n got starte. becacause doing g right by or members, t that's whatat's rig. usaa. whwhat you're e made o, we're madede for. ♪ usasaa

. right now at 6:30, the fda approval process just getting started for moderna covid vaccine. may get approval by tomorrow and

a second vaccine will be distributed across america. we're watching it all morning for you. we're also watching dwindling icu beds in the bay area. this morning another hospital sounding the alarm. we're there live as "today in the bay" continues right now. good thursday morning to you. thanks so much for joining us, i'm laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. mike will get us with that traffic commute in just a bit but first that rain calming down on the peninsula. the rain falling in redwood city not too long ago and we've been talking about the rain for you this morning. meteorologist kari hall you told us it was coming and here it is. >> and it's sweeping on through. soon it will be out of here. we're seeing it clearing. parts of the peninsula and now moving into the south bay, as well as parts of the east bay. but we've got an eye on all of it as it moves through with storm ranger. as we get a closer look at the south bay, we can see the rain pouring in campbell and mill pets and downtown san jose and also seeing the rain pouring

moving through fremont and dublin and pleasanton and closer to we'll talk about that in the forecast in a few minutes. hike, how is the commute? >> that's right, kari. wet soil and the conditions change, we may get some fog just like it is registering on the road weather index and the santa cruz mountain and traffic alert just north of big moody curve and northbound side. cruiser helped out and need a bigger tow truck. the rest of the bay shows smooth flow of traffic and green highlighting the entire map here. that's where you'll have slick conditions like fremont and kari talked about the rain coming through and blurry lens and traffic moves well and watch those speeds because stopping may be a little bit tougher this morning. back to you. >> all right. watch your speed. good advice. 6:32 right now. we begin live in redwood city this morning.

at the stroke of midnight, san mateo county joins the rest of the bay area under a full reg n region-wide stay-at-home order. >> let's go to daley city and, cierra, icu beds across san mateo county filling up. >> exactly. this hospital behind me seton medical center is just the latest hospital in the bay area to say that they have no more icu beds. this according to kcbs radio. a staff shortage which could make things difficult as we continue to treat some of the sickest covid patients. this hospital joining several others in marin including marin general and san rafael medical center and novato community hospitals. that's the growing list of hospitals now without a single icu bed available. this announcement comes as the bay area region collectively dropped below 15% remaining icu capacity. this news means now the

remaining counties, napa, solona counties will join the stay-at-home order shortly before midnight tonight. so as a reminder, this means several businesses are now required to close or modify their operations. that means no more indoor or outdoor dining. indoor recreation and hair salons and services. according to the state's website updated just a few hours ago, just under a few million or 98% of the state's population is now under some sort of a regional stay-at-home order with many local counties joining that order. business owners are now required to close up for at least three weeks until the beginning of january, a move both financially and physically stressful and some say it simply needs to be done. take a listen. >> i'm so nervous about that. you know, it's not good because it is a small business. if it's shut down taking more than three to four weeks, it's

not good for the small business. >> but, yes, we only have nine left. we're doing the right thing. >> and, again, the new restrictions go into effect shortly before midnight tonight. and it is important to note as we get closer to the christmas holiday folks really do need to heed that warning. the health officials warn us that there would be that surge after thanksgiving and they're saying they can couould see the thing after christmas if folks do not follow that recommendation to not travel. more hospitals with few to no icu beds and it's important right now, crucial really to follow those instructions. we're live in san mateo county, cierra johnson for "today in the bay." >> thanks, cierra. taking you live to san diego. the skyline there. there is a new ruling that appears to have opened the flood gates for thousands of struggling businesses. a san diego county judge

yesterday allowed two strip clubs to continue operating during the pandemic and follow their own guidance on workers safety for dancers but the scope of the injunction is much broader and seems to apply to restaurants. the county suspended its enforcement and seeking clarification from the court. but some restaurants may reopen for indoor dining as soon as today. many are wondering who is next in line to get the covid vaccine. the state's community advisory committee representing dozens of groups held an open forum to try to get input. the next phase will vaccinate 8 million people. farm workers, teachers, grocery store employees. laura, the largest trade group is involved in a new lawsuit over the covid safety procedures. the national retail federation is among those backing the suit filed by three small businesses. cites new pandemic safety rules ordered by calotia last month. the suit claims many of the mandates just too costly for most struggling businesses to follow and includes things like

requiring testing and paid leave. the claimants argue that the state should cover those costs and the state has not issued a comment. new details for you this morning. san francisco leaders are under new orders to cut their budgets for the fiscal year starting next july. mayor breed sent out instructions to department heads to identify their core services in areas where money can be saved. department spending will have to be cut next year by at least 7.5%. this is to offset the projected two year, $653 million shortfall. budget proposals will have to be submitted by february 22nd. well, new this morning, the pandemic may add new delays to the opening of muni central subway according to "the examiner" which reports the project was once again running over costs and mta may have to fine up to $130 million additional dollars to finish construction. with the pandemic in full swing, finding the money may be next to impossible. right now the new central subway is supposed to open in the spring of 2022 and that is four

years past the original completion date. a big helping hand for some trying to just make it in the bay. today a new development opens providing affording housing for seniors in san francisco. the building is located in the mission district. it's part of the city's project and will house only people 62 years and older and those who qualify may pay less than $300 in rent. mayor london breed is expected to be part of today's virtual grand opening. this morning despite prop 22 passing in november uber is riding passengers prices are going up. you may see new driver benefit fee on your receipt. uber says it will cover benefits for drivers like health care and guaranteed earnings. uber along with other ride sharing and delivery companies want passengers charged more if prop 22 did not pass. well, it's happening now. an fda panel right now on its

way to approve moderna's covid-19 vaccine. we're just 45 minutes into that meeting so far. kris sanchez monitoring it all for us. we'll talk to her live, next. plus. >> vice president pence plan to take the vaccine live in the air in the near future. shot heard around the world. i have a personal question for you this morning. what is the worst thing you've done while on virtual meeting call? well, want you to keep it pg, but up next what more people than you think are admitting to doing. we'll talk about that when we return. it's 6:39 for you this morning. you're watching "today in the bay."

right now at 6:41. storm ranger check. we are seeing the heavy rain moving through the south bay and we are seeing some of those heavy downpours making for a slick commute for san jose down to morgan hill and gilroy. we'll be tracking this as this last wave rolls on through. more on that coming up in the forecast in a few minutes. great news the south bay alert has cleared from highway 17 and follow that up turns to 880 andic loos like it's filling in over in oakland. a smooth drive with taillights to the toll plaza. 6:42 right now.

getting ready to take the new covid-19 vaccine. let's start out with kris sanchez watching the approval process for moderna's vaccine. >> first, breaking news for you first. on that vaccine front some pfizer vaccines could be in jeopardy because of a problem during transportation. >> yeah. so, what we know right now is that there are about 3,000 pfizer vaccines that are now under quarantine back at pfizer headquarters. those vaccines destined for california and for alabama. the problem is that during the transportation, somehow the temperature dropped too low and we know that that vaccine needed to be kept cold. it just got way too cold. let's take a look at what the army general for operation warp speed told reporters. quote, we returned them immediately back to pfizer and we sent immediate shipments to replace those two trays. we're working with the fda now and cdc, fda and pfizer to determine if that anomaly is

safe or not but we're taking no chances and we can see that. in a statement pfizer said it replaced those 3,000 doses and will investigate how the temperature drop happened. so, stay tuned for more information on that. also, let's take a look now at the fda advisory panel that approved the pfizer vaccine just last week. it is now today reviewing moderna's data. now, in a briefing document, the fda vaccine panel wrote that the moderna vaccine has a favorable safety profile and no specific safety concerns. now, some people who got a shot in the clinical trial did report feeling pain at the injection site, headaches and fatigue. fda analysis found that the vaccine found, however, vaccine is less effective in people 65 years and older. moderna could counter one big advantage that could side step the transportation problem that we're seeing today with the pfizer vaccine. >> it's cold requirements are

less stringent and that requires cold is a freezer like the freezers we have at home. >> all right. so, let's take a look at the two vaccines side by side. the pfizer vaccine requires deep freeze and the moderna one does not. though pfizer does have an edge in the age range because it is approved down to age 16. now santa clara county is slated to get 39,000 or so doses of the moderna vaccine that is in addition to the pfizer vaccines that the county is already getting. that is reserved for health care workers and people who work and live in care facilities. so, still, no vaccine for those of us in the general population. however, it could happen sooner rather than later if the fda advisory panel gives the green light and their meeting has pin under way for about 45 minutes

now. laura and marcus. >> yeah, looks like things are finally turning the corner a little bit here. thanks so much, kris. vice president electelect. >> this is to help strengthen america's trust in that vaccine. >> biden will good et the shot television pretaped. the details are still being worked out on vice president pence but we do understand that he would like to do it perhaps on one of the live television shows to maximize the audience. the latest poll shows just one in four americans say they'll take the vaccine the minute it is available to them. let me remind you dr. fauci says it may be summer into fall before the average american is offered the vaccine. president trump said he would not take the vaccine until quote the appropriate time. whether he wants to save the vaccine for other people or just doesn't want to take it is

unclear. the president has been offered the dose already. secretary of state mike pomep oh was supposed to have a big holiday party last night despite people urging him not to because it could expose people to coronavirus. it was called off because secretary pompeo was exposed to coronavirus. he is self-isolating. continue to keep an eye on congress and where they say they are close to a coronavirus relief bill, keep in mind they have been talking about this for help for the american public since last may with no progress. this time they seem to be close because democrats have backed down on their demand to help cities, counties and states. there was a heated discussion about election security in the homeland security committee yesterday. the former head of america's cybersecurity was there to reiterate the presidential election was the most secure ever. trump lawyers were there to say, no, it wasn't. at least one senator rand paul of kentucky sounded convinced that there had beenof

shenanigans and that is reading the electoral votes in college and, of course, the inauguration. rand paul could try to step in and stop the congressionalporosicongressiona process. some democrats did the same thing in 2017 as they read the electoral votes and the president of the senate stepped in and said to the democrat, knock it off. the election is over. do you remember who the president of the senate was in 2017? >> if they're not signed by a senator, the objection cannot be entertained. >> mr. president, the objection is signed by a member of the house but not yet by a member of the senate. >> well, it is over. >> we're watching what's happening in congress today with those stimulus checks and what not. we're talking about it on twitter.

you can find me there @scottmcgrew. >> thanks. a chance for you to personally demolish a casino. this was owned by president trump. that implosion of trump plaza casino is scheduled for next month in atlantic city. the contractor is auctioning off the chance for you, yes, you at home to push that button bringing down the building. they hope to raise $1 million for the boys and girls club. the consumption of alcohol has gone up during the pandemic and more and more people are admitting to getting tipsy while working from home. better hope your boss isn't listening. nearly half of adults in one new poll admit to secretly logging off to toss one back. about the same number admit to drinking during the work day. more in six in ten say virtual happy hours with co-workers are increasing their alcohol intake during the pandemic. little too earliy eon our shifto start that. >> i used to participate in the

virtual -- mike. mike. >> oh, coffee. coffee. >> coffee. >> just coffee. >> i didn't know coffee was clear. >> just coffee. >> just coffee. >> okay. just coffee this morning, but we're dealing with just rain, as well. kari, right. >> yeah. we are seeing it rolling on through. and this is clear. we are seeing those rain drops falling as we get a look at some of those showers pushing to the south bay. let's get a closer look. some of the lingering light rain right around campbell, san jose, willow glen areas and moving over towards the east foothills and south county that rain is a lot heavier and moving on through. watch out for that for the next few minutes but after that, we'll start to clear out and we'll see some clouds left behind. a lot of humidity. i wanted to show you this live view in san francisco and get a chance to dry out and watch the

sun rise but we're still seeing the raindrops for parts of the south bay as we take a live look outside in san jose. let's take a look back at how much rain we've measured over the past 24 hours. the number one spot, again, was mt. tam measuring over an inch of rain. most of us getting close to an inch of rain in parts of the north bay as we check out green valley just west of santa rosa and then for sonoma, little less than half inch and close to an inch of rain in san francisco heading over towards the east bay spots like richmond and san ramon reaching half inch of rain and antioch a quarter inch of rain may add to be more with the recent wave that just moved through but about a tenth of an inch of rain that may go higher as we get the final tallies. looking a that rest of the day, it is going to clear out and sunshine for the afternoon and even though it's going to be cool, it's going to be a nice day. and now we get the update of the drought monitor that's really been worsening for southern california that before the

drought we've seen some extremely dry conditions and that continues as the drought monitor this morning remains unchanged for northern california. we're still looking at some severe drought conditions down to the south bay. so, we'll be watching that as this round of rain comes in looking at more dry weather returning to the forecast as we go into the weekend, as well as the first day of winter which officially starts on monday. and, mike, you've been watching the commute. anything new popping up? >> well, wet roads. yeah, wet shirt because of that coffee thing and it was coffee. let's look over here towards the bay bridge where you have the wet pavement and the metering lights on. the back up is there but starting to move a little bit better. as we look at the map, reports of a spinout in the maze as you approach the area. not blocking areas of the maze but slicker conditions not really dominating this map but the green highlighting does show when we zoom out towards the rest of the bay, look at that. basically south of the san mateo bridge and 580.

slippery conditions. i circled some slowing on the san jose shot here. the live look shows you that the glow from the lights because of the water, the mist getting kicked up as cars travel through the area and, remember, that the tires will pick up the moisture on the pavement and may make that windshield a little bit blurry, as well. so, drive with caution. marcus? >> thanks, mike. happening now for you, french president emmanuel macron tests positive for covid-19. no word on what symptoms he's experiencing. he's joining president trump, canadian president justin trudeau and british prime minister boris johnson in world leaders who tested positive for the virus. coming up next, a quick look at our top stories, including more bay area front line workers awaiting the pfizer vaccine. this is fda advisors debate approving moderna's vaccine. the key factors that will make the final decision. you're watching "today in the bay."

6:56. welcome back to you. we continue to follow breaking

news as an fda adviser panel is meeting to discuss approval of a second covid-19 vaccine. >> in fact, we have a live look at the meeting that is under way right now. got under way at the top of the hour. the panel is reviewing moderna's data before making a decision. some people got a shot in moderna's clinical trial did report feeling some pain at the injection site, headaches and light fatigue. fda analysis finds that the vaccine is less effective in people 65 and older. moderna says one big advantage it has, it can be stored in regular freezers and not the special deep freeze ones like pfizer's. pfizer's covid vaccine the first vaccine to get approval is being administered for the first time today in the south bay. bob redell live for us at santa clara fairgrounds. this is where it is all happening for us this morning, bob. >> in a couple hours the county will start administering the first of two doses of the pfizer vaccine to workers and people who work at skilled nursing

facilities here in the south bay. that's going to begin at 9:00 and then a little after that the county health department and a member of the county commission will hold a new s conference to update us on the mass vaccination efforts. over the past 48 hours in the bay area we've seen health care workers and hospitals in marin, contra costa and san francisco receive the shot. a round of applause yesterday morning as doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists receive their first dose at john muir health in concord and ucsf we spoke to a doctor who treats covid patients and go home to her mother who has cancer. she is relieved she finally received her dose. >> it's been really tough. at the hospital. and then at home my mom is on chemo. i've been taking care of her, as well. i'm particularly nervous about going to the hospital and coming home. >> after getting that second dose and seeing the public, you

know, get to that point where we can kind of turn this thing around, that's the more important thing. not necessarily me personally. >> sonoma county is expected to receive its first shipment of the pfizer vaccine today. alameda county tomorrow. reporting live here in san jose, bob redell, "today in the bay." . >> thank you. stormranger working hard tracking that rainfall across the bay area. rain falling in redwood city. just light showers making those roads slick this morning. kari, i know, a nice to get a nice downpour but pretty much stay light for us the rest of the morning? >> yeah, it started to clear out right now. we're seeing it pushing through the south bay and we're going to see that rain clearing out for the next couple of hours so we'll see that rain moving out within the next hour or so. mike, how is that impacting the commute? >> well, you know, the slick roadways will continue until the sun dries everything out, kari.

san mateo bridge that just wiped the lens and the drops are clear there. the roadways are slick, watch the transition. >> all right, take it easy out there. that will do it for us this thursday morning. >> live look in redwood city. have a greatern moing. good morning. powerful punch. the biggest winter storm in years, pounding the northeast this morning. a dangerous mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and high winds. accidents up and down the st coast. tens of thousands without power, and the storm not over yet. we're live across the region. al is tracking it all. under siege. >> we're working on skeleton crew, and my staff is getting exhausted. >> the coronavirus surge overwhelming hospitals. >> people are going to die that