so as soon as we get more vaccines we'll be ready to administer. right now at 4:30, the rush is on. millions of additional people across california now eligible for the covid vaccine. with access opening to everyone over 50. the big question, will supply meet the demand? the expert advice from bay area counties. and new developments on the vaccine front. one drug maker with promising new results on its effectiveness, and another with a big problem involving millions of doses. the impact that may have on the shipments heading to california. we have team coverage for you, and we're going to break down the flurry of new information.

plus, ready to ride. nearby amusement parks gearing up to reopen today. the changes you can expect as "today in the bay" starts right now. get ready for the thrill. good thursday morning to you. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. mike keeping an eye on the commute. vianey in for kari with a look at the forecast. how's it going? good morning. another warm day. near record breaking, or record breaking, into the afternoon. and we're definitely off to a mild start. 54 degrees in san jose. take a look at the temperature trend. by 9:00 a.m. we'll be at 63 degrees. it will be quick to warm by mid morning. overall we're going to see another sunny day, walnut creek at 53. it's going to be another day in the mid-80s. above normal for this time of year but i am tracking rain so i'll get to that in a second.

first over to mike. all right, vianey. looking at the roadways, and as we look at the map we see green sensors dominate, of course. in the altamont pass there are a couple of crashes. those are not my main concern. i will talk about them coming up. i wanted to talk about byron highway. there is a crash involving what sounds like just a pickup truck. there may be another larger truck involved there. it's over by the uc davis site over there. it's important for that section of the tri-valley. over here in the east bay no problems getting over the bay bridge toll plaza. back to you. and breaking news that we're covering for you this thursday morning, pfizer saying its covid vaccine protection lasts at least six months and also protects against some of the newest variants. the vaccine is more than 91% effective and appears to be fully effective against the variant first discovered in south africa. also making headlines, johnson & johnson saying it had to throw away some 15 million

doses of its covid vaccine after an ingredient mix-up. the mitake was made at a baltimore facility. it's not expected to impact the white house goal of having enough vaccines to immunize every adult by may 1st. are you ready for the rush? a big change when it comes to eligibility in california. anyone 50 and older now eligible. here is the curveball for you. eligibility does not lead to appointments. there is a long line to get that appointment, and it takes some savvy maneuvering. we have a lot of information for you on how to get an appointment plus the supply and demand in every bay area county. we begin with "today in the bay's" jean elle on why you may still have to wait for your return. the supply and demand mismatch will be problematic. >> we have a shortage but hope is coming. >> reporter: the chief medical

officer for bay area community health says hope in the form of more vaccines is coming, but if everyone 50 years and older joins the already long eligibility line, the wait continues. >> in the previous category, 65 plus, and people with medical conditions, some teachers, they all have not been vaccinated yet. so they are still in the line to get vaccinations. >> reporter: the doctor says the competition for an appointment about to increase significantly will be difficult to find one, but she says state officials are telling counties relief is coming in a matter of weeks. >> as the supply of vaccines will increase starting april 15th tremendously. i am hopeful for that. >> reporter: chief medical officers say they are set up and ready to offer more appointments as soon as supply increases. >> as soon as we get more vaccines we will be ready to

administer as quickly as we can. >> reporter: for anyone 50 and up eager to roll up a sleeve officials are still saying be patient. but this time they're hopeful the backlog will clear in a matter of weeks. >> your time is coming soon, very soon. i would like to say in a couple weeks, not months. so here is one professional tip. if you want to get an appointment you may want to stay up late tonight. >> that's right. our crews have talked with a number of experts, and we've even gone through the process to find the best way to book those appointments for you. it's tough to do. here is ian cull. >> reporter: we've been it starts with myturn to book an appointment. if you're 50 to 65 you can do

that. try vaccinefinder.org. green dots are places that have open appointments and a site supported by the cdc. and if you're part of kaiser, check with them to see if there are any open slots. you can also do it on your county's website. in the south bay sdcfreevac.org. we wanted to know is there a perfect time to check? my colleague, chris chmura, watched overnight. the system seemed to update every 30 minutes and he saw a spike around 1:00 a.m. the number of locations with open slots shot up from just 15 to 146. they were almost all gone by 9:00 a.m. the demand is certainly there. we spoke with one man at the walk-up clinic in san jose at the mexican heritage plaza. >> a ton more people eligible to be able to get a vaccine, and a

lot more people are going to show up. i'm eager to get it immediately. up until now i've been patiently waiting. >> reporter: there are unofficial sites that do some leg work for you. they go through pharmacy web pages and show availability lists and maps easy to use. you don't have to register, just do a search. it's worth repeating, one official tells me the best time to look is mid to late week. that's when the counties and providers find out their allotment for the following week and update their website. in the newsroom, ian cull, nbc bay area news. governor newsom must have done his homework. he'll be rolling up his sleeve this morning for a covid vaccination. he's 53 meaning he just became eligible under the new state rules. he's expected to receive the johnson & johnson vaccine some time around 9:30 in the morning. the bay area is really leading the way when it comes to vaccinations. this graph shows a percentage of adults vaccinated in major

metropolitan areas. the bay area at the top of the list. 41% of adults vaccinated. that's the most actually in the country. houston and new york city are next on the list. the bay area coming in second on another list. the percentage of unvaccinated adults to want to get the shot behind seattle at 72%. if you need help or more information with those vaccines, head to our website, nbcbayarea.com and click on how to get a vaccine appointment right at the top of the page. well, happening today, six flags discovery kingdom reopens. only members and season pass holders will be able to enter today and tomorrow. for the general public, it's on saturday. a full complement of rides and attractions like you see here, some of my favorites, are supposed to be available but mask and distancing rules must be followed. santa clara great america will open may 22nd. season passes for 2020 and previously purchased park admission tickets are now good

through september. okay. i'll see your two and add another. you can ride the giant dipper today. the first time since november rides at the boardwalk are reopening, and that includes that classic wooden roller coaster. guests will have to follow the mask and distancing guidelines. keep your screens to yourself, marcus. >> i will. look, vta will start collecting those fares again today. i know you're like, oh, man. you may remember those fares were suspended earlier in the pandemic on buses, light rail. limited capacity, social distancing, and masks are required and will be in place. now people headed to and from vaccination sites, well, they're still offered those free rides on transportation with proof of your appointment, of course. 4:39. vice president kamala harris set to visit the bay area. still ahead on "today in the bay," we break down her itinerary and key meetings president biden is set to have today for his new infrastructure

plan. plus, returning to the office after nearly a year of remote working. when google says that its employees can come back to work in person. 4:39. you're watching "today in the bay." how do i use better than bouillon? i just add a spoonful to my marinades... ...to stir frys... ...sauces... just whisk it in... ...brush it on ...sauté it. it adds a "cooked all day taste" ...that doesn't take all day. better than bouillon. don't just make it. make it better ladies... check it out. so strong. so... not ripped. what're we talkin about...

that's the hefty ultra strong bag hefty! hefty! hefty! (whispers) gimme. (confused) give me the bag? get hefty ultra strong at a low price if you printed out directions to get here today, you're in the right place. my seminars are a great tool to help young homeowners who are turning into their parents. now, remember, they're not programs. they're tv shows. you woke up early. no one cares. yes. so, i was using something called homequote explorer from progressive to easily compare home insurance rates. was i hashtagging? progressive can't help you from becoming your parents, but we can help you compare rates on home insurance with homequote explorer. guess what. the waiter doesn't need to know your name.

good morning. a mild start right now, 50 degrees in dublin. we're going to be quick to warm yet again with near record temperatures into the afternoon. 80s, above normal, but how long is this sunshine going to last

and when is the rain moving in? i'll have the full forecast in just a few minutes. and just off 580 which vianey just showed you there are a few crashes, actually three crashes, that i'm tracking. meanwhile on the peninsula things are light right now. we've been seeing a bump in the flow for traffic while folks return to offices and schools. bertha? good morning. i'm bertha coombs from cnbc. wall street set to open higher this morning. markets look to build on solid gains in march following the bailout proposal or the rollout of president biden's infrastructure plan. it includes spending on roads and bridges as well as green energy and water system upgrades. the dow fell slightly yesterday after that plan was unveiled, but ended the month with a gain of more than 6%. the s&p 500 was up 4% in march.

the nasdaq managed to eke out a gain of about half a percent breaking even. in focus today we'll get reports on manufacturing and construction as well as the latest numbers on the people filing for unemployment claims. the markets are closed for good friday tomorrow. google says employees may start returning to some of its offices over the next month. the initial period will be voluntary as buildings reopen with capacity limits. the company is advising workers to get vaccinated but it's not making it mandatory for returning to the office. apple, mean team, is returning the female voice as the default option for siri. tech crunch reports that the change is effective with the

latest release of the ios update. iphone and ipad users will now be prompted to choose their preferred siri voice when setting up their device. apple is introducing two new voices that may flow more organically through phrases generated on the fly. they are available to english speakers worldwide. those are the latest headlines from cnbc. i think i will stick with siri. i am a fan of hers. i'm going to stick with her. >> i think it's good. it's a comfort. you know what, bertha, maybe i should send in my voice and maybe they can use it if they like. i don't know. we'll talk about it later. >> or maybe, like, samuel jackson. >> mmm. now if there's snakes on a plane that's who i want to tell me about it. thanks, bertha. >> there you go. >> i have the british accent going on mine. the kids love it.

a district divided. coming up on "today in the bay," ousting embattled school board member sparks a seven-figure lawsuit. reasons for the legal action and the response from lawmakers to the surprising new twist. we'll be right back.

home to greener grass, turning the corner, and clearing the way. home to treating yourself... and others.

and good morning to you on this thursday. oakland, you know what, it's the

home opener today taking on the astros. it will be a great day to win in oakland. looking all nice up there. >> started out right. >> getting it done. vianey, i know a lot of people, at least those who can, social distance, of course, going out to the game. how is the weather going to hold up today? oh, it's going to be stunning for baseball. we want sunshine and that's exactly what we're going to get. a little breezy by the coast, but i think we'll be okay when it comes to the temperatures, hitting another day of near record highs. so let's take a look at your headlines for this morning. we're starting out pretty mild, in the 40s and the 50s. today, again, another day in the 80s, and then looking out ahead we're going to see a cooldown and also shower chances. so before i get to that let's take a look at your current temperatures as you head out the door. look at this. 53 in hayward right now. 51 in san jose. 60 degrees in los gatos.

so it's not necessarily cold. however, it is a little bit cooler around the coastline, and that's because we're seeing an onshore flow starting to develop. look at half moon bay. a 20-degree difference compared to yesterday when it comes to the current temperatures. novato 14 degrees cooler. but by the afternoon even though we're going to cool off at the coast another hot one. east san jose, 86. morgan hill, 85. in through the east bay also in the mid and upper 80s. and around the peninsula a little bit cooler into the 70s up through the north bay, 82 degrees in ukiah. santa rosa at 83. long-range outlook right now we have this high pressure that's been keeping us dry and warm, but one thing you'll notice heading out to tonight as the onshore flow develops an increase in cloud cover, some fog, and then we're monitoring our next chance of rain that's expected to possibly move in into monday and tuesday. but right now the models are

backing off just a bit. as we inch closer hopefully a good chance of seeing some rain. but notice the drop in temperatures by the weekend, by as much as 15 degrees for saturday and sunday for inland areas. a noticeable drop for san francisco. we go from 80 today to 65 tomorrow. so things cool down by the week. mike? all right, vianey. hey, we're looking at a few incidents over in the tri-valley, the altamont pass, in fact, as you look over at the right side you see a key area of 580 that has crashes registered but it's the arrow pointing eastbound. that's where the crashes are. and they have pretty much moved to the shoulder. i saw a little slowing that just cleared. westbound coming in out of the altamont, that's your build for the morning commute. and circle that region on byron highway, near the culture and fishing conservatory there just off byron highway. watch out. it sounds like there's a pickup truck that's damaged. it's a narrow roadway there. i think only one lane in each

direction and that's why there's such a significant impact just right there. the bay bridge toll plaza, no backup. there's a semi i'm checking on on the shoulders. i don't think it's a crash, just a pause for some maintenance. back to you. vice president kamala harris will be in oakland next week. she'll focus on water infrastructure and small business relief. no word yet on exactly the events she's going to attend. the oakland visit will be the tail end of her trip to california. vice president harris and her husband doug are flying to l.a. today. she'll stay there through easter sunday. in the meantime president biden meets with his cabinet for the first time today with his new infrastructure plan. what he will fix, how much it will cost, and if the plan will have a chance to land back on his desk. >> reporter: the biden cabinet meets for the first time today. 25 people in person and socially distanced to hear how they can support the president's new

infrastructure plan. >> the largest american jobs investment since world war ii. >> reporter: $2.2 trillion, billions on transportation, broad band, the power grid, manufacturing, senior care, green energy, and clean water. >> it seems less about infrastructure, more about the green new deal. >> reporter: biden is promising millions of new jobs paid for by raising corporate taxes to 28%. >> members of congress have two choices. they can either say they don't want to invest in the infrastructure, or they can come up with their own way to pay for it. we're open to that. >> reporter: the sales pitch on capitol hill will be tough. republicans think it's too expensive. progressives say it's not enough. tracie potts, nbc news. are you worried about dangerous side shows in your neighborhood? coming up next on "today in the bay," the spike in reports the new action one police department is taking to crack down on that issue. first, happening now, the latest wave of unaccompanied

young migrant girls is now at the san diego convention center. this is the third group of more than 200. about 950 underaged asylum seekers are now being sheltered there with hopes of reuniting the girls with family. a spokesperson says about 10% have tested positive for covid, but all of them are asymptomatic. i embrace getting older. i'm so much more confident now. but i don't love that as i age, i could develop gum issues. new colgate renewal reverses early gum damage, for a beautiful, revitalized smile. i can't wait to see what comes next! reverse early gum damage with new colgate renewal.

4:56. the embattled vice president of the san francisco school board now taking legal action to retain her control. supporters last night rallied for alison collin who announced a suit against the district and her colleagues seeking $27 million in damages. she claims the board retaliated and violated her free speech rights when they stripped her of her position removing her from

all committees. it followed the resurfacing of racially charged tweets about asian-americans. she argues she posted those tweets when she was not yet in public office, but only as a mother. some bay area leaders have another take. >> i'm a black woman. i'm a mother. i'm an educator. all of these legacies mean that i have no choice but to fight. >> how a school board member could be so self-absorbed to file this kind of lawsuit is outrageous. >> her attorney is giving the school board one week to call a special session to rescind its vote. new details on the effort to crack down on sideshows. "the mercury news" is reporting san jose councilmembers are looking to put new barriers at popular sideshow intersections and plan to deploy new license plate readers. they are crafting an ordinance making it illegal to organize and promote an event on social

media. the city is looking at spending money to create a racing enforcement team. stay up late if you hope to score a vaccine appointment. next, advice from experts on what you can do to get a place in line. plus, an office complex shooting leaves four people dead in southern california. the lingering unanswered questions this hour. we'll be right back.

how do i use better than bouillon? i just add a spoonful to my marinades... ...to stir frys... ...sauces... just whisk it in... ...brush it on ...sauté it. it adds a "cooked all day taste" ...that doesn't take all day. better than bouillon. don't just make it. make it better ladies... check it out. so strong. so... not ripped. what're we talkin about... that's the hefty ultra strong bag hefty! hefty! hefty! (whispers) gimme. (confused) give me the bag? get hefty ultra strong at a low price

people are eligible to get a vaccine and more people will show up. >> a mad dash for the covid vaccine. overnight millions more californians become eligible slamming online appointment systems. this morning our crew are fanned out across the bay area at testing sites, and we're going to try to find out just what you can do to get in line next. and trying to answer why a gunman opened fire at an office building not too far from disneyland. plus -- >> that was hit well. right center field. let's play ball. oakland a's fans getting ready for opening day at the coliseum. ahead in a live report the big changes they can expect off the field including no lines at the concession stand. "today in the bay" continues right now.