tv Today in the Bay NBC March 25, 2021 5:00am-6:00am PDT
5:00 am
now at 5:00, addressing the nation. from north korea to the white house press conference and the 100-year record he's breaking in the process. if you live in santa clara county and you want to be vaccinated, we can make sure that can happen. >> lashing the red tape, the new deal that will help you get your covid shot faster in some bay area counties. and coronavirus and the classrooms. contra costa returns to in-class learning today. a live report ahead on why some parents believe the effort still comes up short. "today in the bay" continues now. good thursday morning. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm cierra johnson in for laura garcia. a new first for president biden in his first 100 days. here is a live look at the white
5:01 am
house right there where later today he will hold his first news conference since taking office. and apparently no president has ever waited longer. >> yes, 64 days have passed since the inauguration this is called a record amount of time in the wait for a presidential news conference. tracie potts is live keeping tabs on some of those questions he will likely face this morning. tracie? >> reporter: marcus and cierra, good morning. lots of things on the agenda for this first news conference of the biden administration including immigration. that's going to be a hot topic. this comes just after the president announced that vice president kamala harris will be leading the effort to figure out what's going on down at the border, why so many people are approaching, why we've seen the surge in migration, and what the root causes of that are. also, gun control. these recent back-to-back shootings in atlanta and colorado have sparked discussion here in washington about that.
5:02 am
both the president and the vice president are calling on congress to act. >> stop with the false choices. this is not about getting rid of the second amendment. it's simply about saying we need reasonable gun safety laws. >> this is not and should not be a partisan issue. this is an american issue. >> reporter: some republicans a undermining the second amendment. president biden promised gun legislation on day one, but that has not happened. we could hear about north korea today, the u.s. confirming they fired two short-range missiles over the week. officials said that activity involved weapons systems at the low end of the spectrum that are not covered by the u.n. security council testing ban. the launch marks north korea's first publicly known weapons test since president biden took office. also today the president expected to announce a new goal for vaccinations.
5:03 am
a white house official says it will be ambitious. the last goal 100 million shots in arms in 100 days was met several weeks early. the president got some criticism that he set a low bar. so this time officials say it's expected to be more ambitious as they try to figure out how to >> a lot of people waiting for that answer, too. this morning a fight to get a vaccine rages on and if you've been frustrated waiting to get your shot in santa clara county, it may get easier. "today in the bay's" kris sanchez is live this morning with several bay area counties and how they're joining to fight that effort. kris? >> reporter: i am in san jose here actually at one of the vaccination sites at the rejs tar of voters office for santa clara county. you may remember it transitioned into a vaccine site after the election. santa clara county is joining the state's distribution plan
5:04 am
after weeks of having to not schedule first appointments and having to cancel some second appointments as well. santa clara county held out, leaders saying they were doing a good job delivering shots and supply was really the problem. this county was one of seven asking the state to allow them to retain local control over distribution. but with this agreement blue shield will now manage shot distribution. however, santa clara county, marin county leaders say the locals will still handle the appointment system and underserved communities will be reached. >> we'll be able to go to your home with the mobile unit, we'll be able to do stand-up vaccination sites, pop-up sites, or these very large sites. so as the vaccine becomes available we'll be able to meet that need at a local level. >> being able to provide appointments to the hard-to-reach group is another factor in us achieving equitable vaccine distribution. >> reporter: so this is yet one
5:05 am
other change. the county did have some trouble with the fact the my turn website, the state website, was not working and that's why they asked to make sure people could still schedule through the county. santa clara and kaiser are also still battling over blame for thousands of canceled vaccine appointments. these are folks who are waiting for their second dose and then had to turn somewhere else. kris sanchez, "today in the bay." thanks in part to vaccinations contra costa county's largest district is set to reopen its doors for the first time in more than a year. for lots of parents with children pre-k through second grade it's a day of celebration. for some children the first time in their lives on campus with a teacher. "today in the bay's" sharon katsuda is live in walnut creek to explain why not all parents are celebrating just yet. >> reporter: that's right, cierra. this is definitely a step in the right direction but some parents here tell me this in-person plan still needs some work.
5:06 am
the district says it is ready to bring the kids back on campuses with covid safety measures in place, social distancing and offering in-person tests every two weeks while the county is in the red tier. each school sent parents the in-person plan. i live in the district, so i received one as well. and some parents tell me they were disappointed to see students will have to be brought back to campus midday after the lunch hour. these afternoon support classes might not be taught by their current teachers in the subjects as well. parents had to give final confirmation with the district whether they still preferred distance learning under the plan. those who did agree to the new in-person structure will be heading back for pre-k through second. next week students in third grade through high school will have the option to return on campus or stay with distance learning. now there are many other districts across the bay area planning the in-person shift such as san leandro beginning in-person hybrid learning april 12th and berkeley schools say
5:07 am
79% of the elementary school students have chosen to go back in person. the california teachers association plans to hold a virtual news conference today regarding what it says are voter and parent concerns about the school reopenings. and state superintendent of public instruction is expected to hold a news conference today to describe what the state is doing to help schools stay safe during these reopenings. back to you. >> all right. sharon katsuda this morning, thank you. well, all lanes of highway 84 in the east bay are back open again after that deadly police shooting. this happened during a chase yesterday afternoon. chp says it involved a stolen car. at least one fremont police officer shot and killed the suspect on eastbound 84 near the free month boulevard exit. our cameras show the windows of the car all shot out and the handgun was found near the back door. both directions of 84 were closed for hours. one driver actually stuck nearby on an on ramp says he heard
5:08 am
about 15 shots. >> people were turning around panicking, driving back down. there was enough gunfire people were scared and coming back down. >> that backup went on for miles. it finally reopened at 9:30 p.m. chp is taking the lead on this investigation. a new step in police reform in antioch. the city will no longer accept surplus military equipment for its police department. however, "the east bay times" reports city councilmembers did agree to allow the department to keep using the equipment it already had. that includes a military grade vehicle. numerous other bay area law enforcement agencies use surplus military equipment. a pilot's rant caught on an open cockpit mic now has the attention of the faa. >> you could hear the rant there. that unidentified pilot apparently talking about the bay area and captured on an air
5:09 am
traffic control chatter. the faa confirms the pilot is under investigation for the use of profanity and making disparaging comments. in a statement the faa tells us its regulations prohibit airline pilots from talking about subjects that are unrelated to safely conducting their flights while taxiing and while flying below 10,000 feet altitude. the faa has also reported the incident to the airline. developers have reportedly agreed to a $6 million settlement. this is tied to a toxic cleanup scandal at hunters point shipyard. it stems from a 2018 lawsuit filed. it covers an area real estate housing 85 units. each plaintiff is expected to receive on average about $12,000. this case is separate from a much larger running case and cleanup scandal involving a company called tetra tech. that case is ongoing.
5:10 am
5:09. a live look at san francisco looking beautiful this morning. nice and clear. need a coat if i go for my morning walk this morning. yes. it's going to be a cooler day today and we're getting the winds kicking up so that, to me, makes it feel cooler as we get a look at the wind speeds that have been at about 15 to 20 miles per hour. a little bit more gusty in a few of these spots in the valley. if you're going to the park, you do need a jacket. and today it's going to be partly cloudy as temperatures up to 60 degrees. much warmer this week. we're almost there. we'll talk more about that in a few minutes. mike, how is it looking now for the morning commute? well, kari, it's hard to see the wind but i will show you what our map system does. well, you know it.
5:11 am
i'll show our folks at home if you're not familiar. i circled the crash 630 south of sunol. it sounds like a big rig involved cleared but the tesla is on the right shoulder. no lanes blocked. there may be a new smaller crash 101 right near octavia. we're checking on that. that pale yellow there signifies with our road weather index says probably windy between sfo and the bay bridge. the bridge does not have a wind advisory this morning. the antioch bridge and the altamont pass did get called out by chp and you watch those numbers kari has. thanks, mike. listen up. if you had to pick what would your peak age be, think about it, because when we come back the experts are weighing in. we'll tell you what their research really has us talking about this morning. think about it. and ahead at 5:25, if you depend on jobless benefits, you may want to brace for more delayed payments. the new issue tied to the latest backup.
5:12 am
5:13 am
want to save hundreds on your wireless bill? with xfinity mobile, you can. how about saving hundreds on the new samsung all on the most reliable network? sure thing! and with fast, nationwide 5g included - at no extra cost? we've got you covered. so join the carrier rated #1 in customer satisfaction... ...and learn how much you can save at xfinitymobile.com/mysavings.
5:15 am
planning to head to tahoe this weekend expect some light snow flurries today. temperatures in the upper 30s. but it's going to be a warm weekend. we still have 108 inches of snow on the upper mountains and the lower mountain has about 55 inches of snow. we will get a look at what the bay area can expect and will talk about our climate in crisis as we head to southern australia coming up in a few minutes. all right. good day. looking out to the roadways where it's a pretty good day going across the san mateo bridge, no problems right now. taillights, a few more building. no problems for the high rise. another bridge where chp callout coming up. well, good morning. a very happy thursday to you as well. i have an update on that ship that got itself stuck crosswise in the suez canal. after hours upon hours of digging and pushing, well, the
5:16 am
ship is still stuck. the cargo ship is nearly a quarter mile long and is blocking all traffic. you can see the traffic here coming both directions, causing chaos on world shipping. a repeat performance in washington today as tech ceos once again go before congress. the heads of twitter and facebook and google have found themselves in this position before. this time they will talk about election security. this follows a pattern, democrats scold the ceos for allowing misinformation on their networks. republicans scold them for censoring conservative voices. "the washington post" points out three of the members of congress asking questions today themselves spread information, misinformation, on social networks following the election with a stop the steal hash tag. representatives from oklahoma, missouri and georgia. we do expect members will ask questions why president trump is
5:17 am
still not allowed on social media and when or if he might be allowed to return. that hearing gets under way this morning. soccer star megan rapanno to ask for equal pay for women. women are still paid less than men for the same job. on linkedin some women founders are asking they not be called founders. "the new york times" was the first to notice it. it started with ashley sumner of quilt who crossed out the word woman in the picture and other founders followed suit. robin morse says i'm not a boss babe, i'm not a girl boss, i'm not a mompreneur. let's please stop adding these cute names to women who are ambitious and going after their dreams. marcus, it's an interesting debate, and cierra, too, it's an interesting debate, and i would be interested in what people think about it. contact me on
5:18 am
twitter @scottmcgrew. >> i mightew ways to react to or even like tweets on twitter. adding facebook-like emoji reactions. it could include things like the laughing face with tears, one of my favorites, or the thinking face and a crying face. chrissy teigen is saying good-bye to twitter at ten years. she posted one last message before saying the app now serves her negatively and it's listen to this, a big hollywood icon is stopping by the "today" show today. >> actor george clooney sits down with hoda about his new projects and parenthood. clooney says his wife kick started his desire to have children.
5:19 am
>> i found the right person to have children with. i wasn't looking at life thinking my life would be unfulfilled without children. i met them all and realized my life had been pretty empty. >> you can watch clooney's full interview at 7:00 a.m. right after "today in the bay." trending this morning, i like this story, so attention to anyone in their 20s. it does get better. they indicate americans collectively feel they peak or will peak when they hit 37. yway. also, more than one-third say they don't think their peak until they're over the age of 46. during the pandemic 6 in 10 people say they have come to appreciate themselves more within the past year than ever before. and i love this story because i think life is more of peaks and
5:20 am
valleys. there are ups and downs. 25 was certainly a peak for me growing up and then, okay -- but then 30 was another one. i think i hit many peaks. kari, what about you? i think i still, you know, have some peaks but i do believe my best years are ahead, so i'm going with, like, 47, 49 for the peak for me. >> what about you, cierra? >> peak means you fall afterwards. i'm like kari, just going up. >> hills and valleys. >> what about you, mike? >> i always think this year is pretty good, maybe great at times, but next year i'm hoping for even better. so like cierra, it's the climb. perhaps a song about that. let's see how the inclines and maybe the valleys as well for your drive. folks, continue that discussion and meet us on social media as well or maybe you'll meet your friends over at the bay bridge
5:21 am
where there are a few more cars but no problems. no wind advisory but maybe gusty. look at our maps. on the other side the light yellow. the pale yellow shows a good amount of wind given the conditions of driving. circle the antioch bridge on the right and that is where the high rise is, very high, chp called that out as well as the altamont pass. no problems as far as the wind is concerned and i have circled the crash which has cleared from sunol. back over to you. all right. let's take a look at our live view in dublin as a lot of people are heading out the door. we are seeing a lot of people, a lot more people heading out and earlier, too. as we take a look at our temperatures, some upper 40s to start, and we are going to have a lot of sunshine here in the tri-valley. but overall we are going to see our temperatures cooler today compared to yesterday. as we reach 62 in morgan hill and livermore, 63 in clear lake
5:22 am
and 61 today in san francisco. we are still in with the dry weather, no changes here. high pressure just kind of moving back and forth and keeping our weather dry and the storm track to the north. but our temperatures are going to be going up and down and we are starting out cool now, but there will be a significant warm-up as we go into the next several days. so let's get a look at the seven-day forecast showing low 60s today for the inland areas. but take a look at that trend going into the weekend. it's going to be warm. more and more people will be out and about, and it's going to be a nice taste of early summer, maybe late spring. as we go into next week we'll continue to see more of the same while san francisco will climb into the 60s. to our climate in crisis, to southern australia where there is catastrophic -- more than 40 inches of rain has fallen in the past week.
5:23 am
and so now we have two people killed near south wales. and 40,000 people evacuating this is coming as the country is recovering from some of the worst wildfires in history just a year ago and now climate scientists are saying flooding like this has happened before. climate change may intensify the wild swings between heat, drought and wildfires. to find out more the impacts of climate change it's on our website, nbcbayarea.com. climate in crisis. another weather update coming up in a few minutes. next on "today in the bay" what local shelters did to keep up with demand.
5:24 am
i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. ove,... more adventure,... more community. but with my hiv treatment,... there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor... and switched to... fewer medicines with dovato. prescription dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with... just 2 medicines... in 1 pill,... dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen... to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed... and get to and stay undetectable... can no longer transmit hiv through sex. don't take dovato if you're allergic to any of its ingredients... or if you take dofetilide. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while taking dovato. do not stop dovato without talking to your doctor,... as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including... allergic reactions, lactic acid buildup, and liver problems. if you have a rash and other symptoms of an allergic reaction,...
5:25 am
stop taking dovato and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis b or c,... or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. your doctor may prescribe a different medicine... than dovato if you plan to be pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed during the first trimester. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control... while taking dovato. most common side effects are headache, nausea,... diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. so much goes... into who i am. hiv medicine is one part of it. ask your doctor about dovato—i did.
5:26 am
if you depend on jobless benefits you may want to brace for more delayed payments. the edd now expects hundreds of thousands of people to be hit with new delays as the agency launches -- it will only impact people in certain jobless categories but it adds up to about half the state's current jobless pool of 750,000 people.
5:27 am
turning now to our series coming back from covid. during the pandemic many turn to bay area shelters like pets in need in redwood city. >> even older pets and pets with needs like birdie who is blind actually got adopted. >> i think with covid it was more taking the time since she's a puppy. >> how cute. more than 4,600 animals found homes through silicon valley, berkeley provided 800 spay and neuter procedures plus other vet services during the shelter order and it also helped distribute more than 7,500 pounds of pet food. the next steps in the vaccine rollout. >> the suspect in the colorado
5:29 am
5:30 am
oh, you think this is just a community center? no. it's way more than that. cause when you hook our community up with the internet... boom! look at ariana, crushing virtual class. jamol, chasing that college dream. michael, doing something crazy. this is the place where we can show the world what we can do. comcast is partnering with 1000 community centers to create wifi-enabled lift zones, so students from low-income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. oh we're ready. ♪ ♪ now at 5:30 the push to keep vaccinations rolling why the oakland coliseum may continue providing shots long after the original plan closing date and whether the oakland a's are likely to play ball. also ahead what researchers are saying about how soon they predict we may reach herd immunity. >> we have to go out in pairs, look out for each other.
5:31 am
record any suspicious activity. the steps being taken to prevent hate. and a good thursday morning. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm cierra johnson in for laura garcia. the mass vaccination site may continue its run longer than expected. >> bob redell, i know the county may take over. >> reporter: good morning to you, marcus and cierra, you'll recall that fema and the state' office of emergency services opened the drive-up mass vaccination site in the parking lot of the oakland coliseum. with the intent of running that site for just eight weeks, which would bring us to mid-april, a few weeks from now. now alameda county is talking about taking over management of the site once that eight-week period is over according to "the chronicle." currently the federal government
5:32 am
supplies with special shipments of the vaccine. the paper reports if the county were to take over would it continue to receive those doses from uncle sam or would alameda have to rely on the allotment it already receives. the coliseum has been administering about 6,000 shots a day, more than 200,000 in total so far. now incidentally the oakland a's home opener is next week, april 1st. they will be playing at the coliseum. it is not expected to interrupt or have any major impact on the operation of the mass vaccination site which again is set up there in the parking lot. and b.a.r.t. announcing it will be running ten car train services after the game for fans to make it easier for them to social distance on the ride home. reporting live, bob redell, "today in the bay." covid infections continue to plunge, according to the state department of health yesterday nearly 2,000 infections were
5:33 am
added along with 254 deaths. keep in mind on january 4th during the winter surge more than 60,000 were added to the state's overall total in a single day. a stark contrast as the highest number since january are reporting a rise if new covid cases. experts are in part blaming those not taking precautions during spring break and worried a rise could spread to california. and with that in mind, new this morning we might be one step closer to exiting the pandemic. a study by researchers shows twice as many people tested positive for covid-19 antibodies compared with confirmed tests for the rest of the country. they say the number of people with natural immunity and the number of people vaccinated is getting us closer to that herd immunity 60% to 80% will have to be immune for that to happen. the updated data for
5:34 am
astrazeneca's covid vaccine, the company earlier this week turned in numbers some health leaders claim were cherry pick. the updated numbers for the phase three trial fall mostly in line. it's now said to be 76% effective in stopping transmission, a slight drop from the average 79%. the drug maker still maintains its vaccine is 100% effective in preventing serious and severe disease and hospitalization. and in just a few hours the man suspected of shooting ten people at a boulder grocery store is set to appear before a judge. prosecutors have not yet formally charged 21-year-old ahmad alissa, he is being held on ten counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. he has been assigned a public defender. san francisco mayor london breed, members of the street
5:35 am
violence intervention program, they're outreach specialists. breed wants more on the streets. it's really helping keep things more secure for seniors we spoke to in chinatown. volunteers are also on high alert. >> we have to go out in pairs, look out for each other, record suspicious activity. if somebody approaches you don't let them get close to you. >> some of the latest threats are also coming out on social media which some argue can actually encourage more violence. happening today b.a.r.t. directors are expected to vote on ratifying contract extensions with its police officer unions and they're getting the deal done ahead of schedule. "the examiner" reports the current contract is set to expire june 22nd. if the board approves the extension it would keep them locked in through mid-2025. 5:35. live pictures for you in san
5:36 am
jose and dublin. a beautiful site and start to the morning. a beautiful sight there. starting off nice and cool. is it going to shape up to be nice enough, kari? >> it's going to be another really nice day. we've had gusty winds to pick up in some spots this morning. san mateo, a lot of the winds just funneling through the data and down into the bay. a breezy start and a few clouds as well in parts of the south bay. temperatures for today will reach into the low 60s which is cooler than yesterday but we will still have that sunshine and we do also have some warmer air in the forecast. we'll talk more about that and look ahead to our weekend coming up in a few minutes. mike, how is it looking right now for the commute around the bay area? >> looking pretty good right now and you did put that word
5:37 am
weekend into your last sentence. looking over to the roadway we have this to look forward to. green sensors for the most part. a little blip in san jose. 101 approaching oakland road. typical pattern there as well as the tri-valley. a little more traffic flow for 84 as well as out of the altamont. overnight chp called out the altamont and the antioch bridge where i'm circling right here, those two are areas gusty winds. antioch bridge is pretty high up there. do keep that in mine. one lane in each direction. kari called out the changing winds over the course of the morning. so far no backups over at the bay bridge and no warning there. just a little slowing. back to you. all right, well, fresh off their world series win the dodgers are ready to welcome back fans to the stands like both bay area baseball teams. the dodgers plan to allow a limited number of fans in the seats. the dodgers open april 9th. l.a. county hits the orange tier by then the stadium could be filled to 33% capacity. it should be a similar story for the a's and the giants and, of
5:38 am
course, social distancing and masks are required. >> more good news for fans this morning, san jose earthquakes will be welcoming back fans to the stand this is season. the 34-game season starts april 16th in houston but then the team plays five of the next six games at home in san jose. the earthquakes' home opener, mark your calendars, april 24th. at the current rate 20% of the stadium can be filled. 5:38. california now one step closer to a new attorney general. next on "today in the bay," how asian-american groups are responding and the barriers he will be breaking. president biden will conduct his very first press conference. a preview of some of the things he will talk about. and our team is counting down to tokyo. we'll take you to the ceremony kicking off the summer olympics. plus, are you missing out on going to your favorite bar or pub during the pandemic? all new product bringing some of the special scents that you
5:39 am
5:41 am
5:42 am
to do home school recess or sevening the kids out the door to school, you're going to see temperatures in the low 50s this morning. the jacket needed and you'll probably just want to keep it on all day. we'll talk about what's ahead in our weekend forecast coming up. and we showed you on the map a little bit of slowing for san jose. you can't see it there. you can here, north 101. this is the volume of traffic. it's just your traditional timing. should last about 20 minutes here. we will follow the build. the farther east, there's more coming up. marcus? breaking news for you this morning just in to our newsroom, the latest weekly jobs numbers are out and it shows a big overall improvement. last week 684,000 americans applied for first-time jobless benefits. this is far lower than expectations and it's also the lowest total since the start of the pandemic. continuing claims are down to 3.87 million americans and the monthly unemployment number comes out tomorrow. a new critical clue in the
5:43 am
investigation into the capitol hill siege. new video released by "the new york times" shows the moments leading up to the assault of a capitol police officer. brian sicknick was sprayed in the face with orange spray. prosecutors say it was bear repellent. he died the next day. while an official cause of death has not yet been determined, two men now face assault charges tied to the attack on sicknick. president biden will hold his first press conference later this morning. scott mcgrew, the violence in colorado and georgia and the crisis at the border sure to be top of mind. >> yeah, and north korea just fired off two unarmed ballistic missiles, so that country has a good sense of timing as well. the press conference should get under way at 10:15 our time. of course we will bring it to you live on nbc bay area as well as on nbcbayarea.com and our app. president biden has been criticized for waiting to hold his first press conference. there's no rule one way or the
5:44 am
other, but his predecessors did hold theirs much earlier in their first 100 days. we're getting more video out of the facilities at the border. this was shot yesterday by a pool camera. so a news agency who then shared it with all other agencies. there weren't a huge crowd, just the pool camera before the video was supplied by the government itself. a white house delegation visiting in texas at carrizo springs, texas, north of laredo. the gun violence will probably go nowhere in the senate. the white house press secretary saying president biden is considering some kind of executive order, perhaps strengthening existing background checks. now what the president can do via executive order is limited. we've talked in the past about how executives can overreach when congress won't move. critics will likely criticize biden for endangering gun rights. remember, president trump once
5:45 am
proposed police be allowed to take americans' guns without waiting for a court order. >> i like take the guns early, like in this crazy man's case that just took place in florida. to go to court would have taken a long time. so could you do what you're saying but take the guns first, go through due process second. >> we're writing about gun control on twitter. we're also talking about the press conference as well. you can follow me on twitter. >> scott, thank you. asian-american leaders across the state are praising governor newsom's nomination, rob bonta in chinatown. if confirmed the first filipino-american to serve as attorney general. bonta is a yale law school graduate and was once san francisco's depp>> terry:depp>>y
5:46 am
city attorney and state lawmakers have 90 days to confirm him. next monday the warriors game against the chicago bulls will feature an all-female broadcast team. kate scott will lead the coverage on the radio station 95.7 the game. the sacramento kings and our sister station nbc sports california are also teaming up to make a little history. saturday's game against cleveland will feature the first-ever exclusively women in nonbinary announcing team. in addition to announcing the game the group will handle the pre and post-game shows. well, we are less than three months away from the start of the 2021 olympics. right now the olympics torch is on its journey across japan. >> we know the usual pomp and circumstance is missing because of the pandemic, but, still, the lighting of the torch is reason for hope. keir simmons has more. >> reporter: it's on. it's actually happening, can you believe it?
5:47 am
the lighting of the torch in japan marks the official countdown for tokyo 2020, a little late, but it will now for a few months be taken around 98% of japan by 10,000 torchbearers and it's just going to be, you know, a celebration. even though there are going to be restrictions only local folks are being invited to watch the torch being carried. people have been told not to cheer, just to clap, to wear masks, all the things we've become so dreadfully used to in the past 12 months, but you can follow it live online and you can get involved with one hash tag i love, hope lights the way. the message for these games will be about renewal. it was already about renewing japan after that terrible earthquake and tsunami ten years ago. now, of course, it's about the world renewing after the coronavirus.
5:48 am
we do know now that international spectators won't be invited. that does mean that even athletes' families will not be able to accompany them. so it's nothing like we've ever seen before but, boy, will it be good to counting down the days until july 23rd. remember, you can only watch tokyo olympics right here on nbc bay area. this morning comedian jay leno is apologizing for racist jokes he made about asians dating back 19 years. leno claims those jokes were mostly centered on north korea. he added in part, quote, i genuinely thought them to be harmless. leno went on to say he knew it was wrong to make the jokes. an advocacy group says it accepts his apology, but it claims the apology only came after it threatened to reach out to advertisers of leno's upcoming game show. trending this morning some new faces are come to "sesame
5:49 am
street." they introduced two new muppets, a black father and son. and in the video elmo asked why west's skin is brown. so his father, elijah, explains melanin and skin color n. a recent study by sesame workshop racism was top of mind for nearly half of the children surveyed. sesame workshop provides resources to help families discuss race with children in their coming together series, which i think is great to talk about it. just in our last race in america series we talked to one educator, how kids are actually able to handle these conversations that parents sometimes aren't used to having. so i think it's really good "sesame street" is leading thef. i love to see it. listen to this. a lot of people perking their ears when we start talking about this. trending this morning a new gift you can give to any one of your friends who is missing their
5:50 am
favorite bar these days. >> miller lite is releasing an all-new bar scented candle that comes in three different scents. they include game day dive bar and beer garden. the proceeds will go to a group supporting bartenders and other service industry workers hit hard by the pandemic. what does dive bar smell like? >> i don't know if i want to. maybe kari knows. what is that scent? >> dive bar, miller lite, beer and stuff. >> mine smells like nothing. look at that. >> does it smell like sticky floors? >> peanuts on the floor. old men sweat. i don't know. no, that does not hold a candle to my nice mahogany teakwood.
5:51 am
people try to get some fresh breezes today and enjoy some time along the coastline, going for a hike. the peninsula forecast is looking nice and cool but we'll start out with some clouds. we'll gradually start to see it warming up for today but only making it into the mid-50s. so keep that jacket on here as we get a look at the seven-day forecast that's coming up at the bottom of the screen starting in the south bay, and we're looking at today's high temperatures in the south bay reaching 60 degrees in cupertino and 62 in morgan hill. we're going to see some mostly low 60s here for the east bay, some breezy winds and reaching up to 62 in walnut creek. along the coast we're staying in the 50s here as well as daly city. san francisco mostly in the upper 50s and low 60s. and it will be a little bit more comfortable as we go into the weekend. today i think will be cool with the breezes kicking up. sonoma reaching 65. so look at our weather pattern and the setup here.
5:52 am
we have some high pressure that's been building across the region. and it's really not moving too much but it will edge closer to the bay area and warm up our temperatures for the weekend and we'll continue to see the warm weather into next week. it's also going to be very dry and the drought monitor was just update add few minutes ago. so let's take a look at it. it is showing a little bit more of the darker red which shows exceptional drought especially for the california and nevada state line. we're going to see here in the bay area not much of a change. we still have extreme drought conditions in the north bay and some severe drought for the rest of the bay area leading into the east bay and then abnormally dry for the central coast starting as well in santa cruz. so just going to be still very dry as we go through the forecast and that's kind of what we're thinking about as we enjoy the sunshine. this weekend inland areas will reach into the upper 70s.
5:53 am
a slight cooldown on monday and then we go right back up to some very warm spring weather for the middle of next week. all right, mike, how is it looking now for the commute? looking pretty good. a smooth drive at the bay bridge toll plaza. the last few minutes have seen more flowing. it does across the bay. slowing holds steady on the little area by the arrow there. once you get past the metering lights and up the middle part of the incline everything is smooth in towards san francisco. no major problems. the altamont pass holding steady. a little build for 84. there may be a new crash between hayward and fremont. i'm checking on that for theill for 101 building a little bit over the last few minutes. i think that will start to clear
5:54 am
and there may be a new crash in the area. it might be the exit off 880. i will check that out. thanks, mike. new overnight police in riot gear clearing out a protest over homelessness. hundreds made their voices heard over the city's plans to clear a large encampment in echo park. the park is expected it close today for what officials describe as a half million dollar repair project. so far no word of any arrests. happening now for you the family of a black teen is suing the woman who claimed their 14-year-old son stole her cell phone along with the new york hotel where it happened. you may remember the incident in november. that video went viral. miya ponsetto tackled the teenager all while yelling for him to return her phone. the young man never had her phone, and the hotel later returned it to her. she is facing attempted robbery and assault charges. there's a lot more ahead on "today in the bay" this thursday morning including the latest
5:55 am
5:58 am
welcome back. you're watching "today in the bay." asian-americans in san leandro are getting robbed more often than any other demographic in their city. a crime analyst broke down all of the city's crimes from last year by demographics. asian-americans make up 36% of the city's population, and they are more likely to be robbed than any other group. violent crimes against asian-americans jumped 280% from 2019. one asian woman says she fears for her parents when they leave their home. >> my parents go out and they will meet someone and be attacked for no reason. >> 8 out of every 1,000 were robbed last year. happening today contra costa county supervisors will hold a virtual town hall to raise vaccine awareness among african-americans. the county as well as a whole are still lacking when it comes to vaccine equity.
5:59 am
a major call for san jose state spartans after covid cases and contact tracing have been linked to the football team. the school's athletic department hasn't confirmed how many positive tests are tied to the team. players, coaches and staff have been tested three times a week since the beginning of january. the team was set to start spring practice next woke and spring game scheduled for may 1st. well, right now at 6:00, in just a matter of hours classroom doors will swing open in one of the largest school districts in contra costa county. for many it will be their first time inside of a classroom. they're live with the district's return to a full rollout. san francisco school board member under fire for a controversial tweet against asian-americans faces her colleagues. the maneuvers in the works to leave her powerless. california's hard hit tourist industry calling for the state to pave the way for thousands of tourists to return.
6:00 am
we have new information on what they want reopened which could put you or someone you know back to work. the third hour of "today in the bay" starts right now. and good thursday morning. i'm cierra johnson in for laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. a check of your forecast and commute coming up in eight minutes. first, bay area counties finally playing ball with the state and joining the blue shield vaccination distribution plan. kris sanchez is live with that. kris? >> reporter: hi there, marcus. yeah, the county of santa clara will join that state vaccination plan after weeks of having to cancel a number of second dose appointments and having to put the pause button on those first vaccine appointments. santa clara county had held out joining the state plan that's led by blue
58 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
KNTV (NBC)Uploaded by TV Archive on
![](http://athena.archive.org/0.gif?kind=track_js&track_js_case=control&cache_bust=1010309615)