may be ready when the light railer will be able to return. "today in the bay" starts now. good morning as we continue with today in the bay. i am marcus washington. >> i am laura garcia. >> state help are switching gears for plans for masks in the classrooms. the cdc advised vaccinated teachers and students vaccinated do not have to wear a mask. reversed guidelines confusing for parents. >> reporter: the state health department was a little confusing. masks required for all students

prohibited from campus. hours later this tweet was released by the state health department reading california's school guidance will be clarified regarding masking enforcement, recognizing local schools' experience in keeping students and educators safe. the spokesperson for the governor's office confirmed discretion will be left to local officials on how to enforce the mask mandate. the health department says masks would be mandatory because many schools did not have enough space to provide social distancing. some of the other states include washington and the state of new york. the state will revisit this issue at the beginning of may just to see where things have gone since the beginning of the school year.

>> cierra johnson in the bay. >> all right, thank you. with the governor signing a new state budget last night. california's transitional kindergarten becomes a reality. the $2.7 billion will provide funding for two or three months increments over the next few years. this is until all four years old are eligible for that program. california has 3 million children under the age of five. president biden will focus on preserving voting rights as a dramatic display of democracy plays out in washington. more than 50 democratic texas lawmakers are hunkering down in the nation's capitol to avoid approving new states voting restrictions. the governor says as soon as they return, they'll be

arrested. tracie potts is live with a look of how this drama is playing out. >> reporter: marcus, good morning. they landed here in washington and will be leaning on the u.s. senate to try to do what voting rights they have not been able to do in texas. >> once they step back in the state of texas, they'll be arrested and brought to the texas capitol and we'll be conducting business. >> reporter: greg abbott who fled the lone star state to avoid the vote on new voter restrictions. >> i left because i am tired of sitting in texas house representatives while my rights to vote are stripped away. >> reporter: requiring id for absentee ballots. >> it breaks our heart that we have to do it. we do it because we are in a

fight to save our democracy. >> reporter: they fled to washington to urge senate democrats to pass a federal voting rights law. >> it is an untexan thing to do to cut and run. >> i applaud them for standing for all americans. fighting for the rights to vote is as american as apple pie. >> reporter: president biden heads to philadelphia to speak on voting rights. >> this is an opportunity for him to make the case of the american people but how this is a fundamental right. the white house talks about pending legislation and engaging empowering voters. >> reporter: tracie potts, nbc news. today we may learn more about how and when the vta will resume light rail service in the wake of the tragic mass shooting. trains have been stopped when a disgruntle rail yard employee killed nine of his co-workers.

vta leaders hope to have trains up running again by the end of this month. supervisors this morni decide whether approve or propose discovery bay. this was approved in 2013 but then it under went three designs requiring new clearance. 41 of the 277 homes will qualify for affordable housing. a follow-up. governor newsom will not be listed as a democratic on the ballot. a judge denied his lawsuit aimed at adding his political party by name. it was mistakenly not listed when he found the answer to the recall effort. it is a mistake that may cause the governor some votes.

the biggest issue is voter turnout. >> republicans are excited than democrats. where is the answer fall? that's the big question. >> reporter: the deadline to enter the recall election is friday. now to new video of the largest wildfire burning in california, the largest ones so far this year is the beckwourth complex fire. some of those firefighters are looking at spots being blown by strong winds. the winds also help the fire spreading quickly. some barely managed to out run the flames. >> horrifying, the wind and the fire and the speed of it, it is overtook everybody. we got out in time. the flames passed over the road and headed down my drive way and

burned both sides of my property. >> the wildfires about 25% contained and 2500 firefighters are trying to knock it down. happening today napa county leaders may have poised to approve more fire protection in the air. the napa valley register reports cal fire recently provided a chopper based at napa county airport. it is availability and tied to the need of other region. the new plan could cost $7 million. it is 5:07 right now. we'll start with our meteorologist kari hall with our outlook today. looks pretty good. a live look outside. we are getting ready for sun rise, we could see a few clouds further in the distance. we'll see our temperatures

starting out in the mid-50s and mix of sun and clouds throughout the morning. clearing out for late morning into the afternoon and our temperatures making it into the 70s by noon. we'll see a high temperature here and reaching into the low 80s, concord reaching 82 and 83 in livermore. most of us in the 60s and 70s. we are enjoying this and we'll talk about what's ahead. >> mike, what's ahead for the morning commute? a little bit better news in sunnyvale mountain view. a car facing that way westbound. no longer reported driving on the road way. it is facing the wrong way. chp is arriving on the scene and not driving right now and facing the wrong way and we'll follow that. the rest of the bay, no big urgency. highway 84 did clear as you are getting over there. that's great news for folks. no problem, traffic is picking

up and coming out of the pass just for the volume. >> back over to you. an environmental side effect from the pandemic. masks are now polluting our oceans. coming up a look at the surprising number on what you can do to help our climate in crisis. elon musk is in court and he's being classic elon musk. i will bring you the latest. you heard it right there, backstreet is back. you are watching "today in the bay."

. right now at 5:11, we have great weather for a hike today. we'll see our temperatures starting out in the 50s. breezy winds and sunshine, we'll see this nice weather continue we'll talk about our micro climate in the forecast. oakland, and 880 moves smoothly. we are tracking volume for both direction. still watching the incident in the south bay.

i think we have a good resolve in this situation. well, that's good news, good morning, happy tuesday to you as well. you already know prices are going up. you don't have to wait around 5:30 to get proof. that's when we get the latest inflation data. inflation extremely dangerous to the economy. one of the only ways the fight it is to raise interest rates. the headline inflation, the core and the base effect. core is a more accurate number. it takes out price spikes on things like gasoline. when you compare a number to a number in the middle of the pandemic. you will see a much bigger difference than you should. prices in the middle of the shutdown for low because of low demands. there are encouraging signs, remember we were talking about the crazy price of lumber. prices are now back to where they were before the pandemic, lumber inflation is over.

elon musk was by a lawsuit brought by tesla shareholders. a bail o musk's family. musk had never been shy the way he feel. he said "i think you are a bad human being." >> i don't think musk has a lot to worry about in this trial. number one, they have to prove that tesla was hurt long-terming right? tesla is doing well and profitable and its stock is up. it is going to be tough to prove otherwise. if musk loses, he'll have to pay billions of dollars to tesla which probably would raise tesla's stock price. >> exactly. >> you are with me. >> take it in this pocket and put it in that pocket? >> you better hope there is not a hole in your pocket.

>> okay. >> thanks guys. the university of california will vote next week to raise tuition at its ten campuses for the first time since 2017. this comes after more than a year of virtual learning caused by the pandemic, in-state tuition is roughly $11,000 per year not in deluding those fees. this increase will be first year and transfer students. students would keep that rate for the next six years. if you live for chick-fil-a or the east bay, a new one is coming for livermore. the two council members did go on the record stating they believe the company discriminates against the lbgtq. in 2019 the company says it is redirecting its focus to

education, homelessness and hunger. 5:15 right now. trending this morning, backstreet will be back in sin city this holiday season. ♪♪ cp from the band 2012's original song, "it is christmas time." kevin and nick and aj will be in the strip. the band will play in las vegas. that show will be quote like your corporate office christmas party on steroids. >> oh, and in las vegas. those tickets go on sale this friday. if are you a backstreet fan -- >> i guess that was a positive description of that? >> an office party on steroids.

>> i didn't make it up. >> i didn't know what a party like that is like. >> i should warm up the vocal. i am going to bring the party back this year. >> i am staying away from this. i should take traffic. >> i think so. a number of patrol vehicles drove through the area at 101. the last report of the wrong way driver was on the shoulder. the center divide facing the wrong way. once the chp got through the area patrolling the entire freeway, there is no vehicle and certainly no one was driving the wrong way. it is possible that person corrected after figuring out and perhaps got out of road way. peninsula. no delays. tri-valley and the east bay looking really good right now. a little build into livermore

for highway 84. a clear view of the bay bridge, a nice dry, we have seen low clouds touching the top of the tower, nothing dramatic. you see much further than i do. looks great though. it is very nice to see all the fog and we have been cooling off as a result of that. at times just misting and drizzly. chilly temperatures. they have the coolest high temperature on record for that date yesterday. all thanks to that fog. then we see a wide range in temperatures where we reach into the upper 70s in the south bay is going to be so comfortable with a breezy wind, cooling down in the south county. we are going to still have some hot spots like brentwood. head over there is 92 degrees. it is 82 in concord and 67 for a high today in oakland.

we are going to see upper 50s near the coastline and brentwood city reaching 72 degrees. still wide range in temperatures even in san francisco, 63 in the mission district for today. looking at the north bay, our temperatures ranging from 78. what's happening here? we still have the strong area of pressure. it continues to weaken. then there is also another storm system approaching the pacific northwest that's going to enhance our westerly winds and keep our temperatures cool with some of the coolest air headed our way for the end of the week. take a look at brentwood. one of our usual hot spots, we are still in the 90s today. upper 80s tomorrow and mid-80s turn hot again but it does not look like we'll see the extreme heat we had this past weekend.

we are in a steady weather pattern that keeps our temperatures fairly moderated and higher humidity coming in thanks to the fog near the coast. those temperatures reaching into the low to mid-60s for the next several days and that includes the weekend if you are starting to make some plans. >> let's turn now to our climate in crisis as vaccination rates rise and fears of the pandemic start to ease. people are ditching those masks. unfortunately, a lot of those masks are ending up in the ocean. we are seeing these record numbers of masks being produced and so we are seeing them turning into trash and they also contain these micro fibers in those surgical masks, they can take up to 500 years to break down. think about this during the pandemic, 52 billion masks were manufactured and about 1.5

estimating ended up in the ocean. so we need to dispose of those properly and you want to know how you can help if you do see a discarded mask, make sure you pick it up and dispose it properly. you can join a volunteer group to help clean up this. the pacific beach coalition had a beach clean up event. you can find out how to volunteer, they do events monthly as well around pacifica. there are more volunteer groups help to clean up those masks. you can check out our story on nbcbayarea.com. 5:21 right now. coming up on "nbc bay area responds." >> we'll show you free programs you can access for free meals and why california students are

having an advantage. we are supporting our schools. chris is spending some time away from the news business and enjoying this lake. our ongoing dro an impact on our planet. the water is down 37% there with water dropping 12 inches a day. looks like they're having a lot of fun, you can follow kris sanchez on instagram and twitter to see all the fun out there. much more ahead on "today in the bay," it is 5:22.

continuing coverage of the new johnson & johnson vaccine. it is when the body's immune system damaging nerve cells, causing weaknesses and peralysis. the cdc receives many reports. >> it can happen after infections, it can happen all by itself with no known reasons. it can happen rarely after vaccines, influenza vaccines in particular.

>> the roughly 3,000 patients developing that syndrome every year, most people fully recovered. good morning, many bay area families are asking for help pitting food on the table. second harvest food bank is serving 500,000 people per month. that's doubled the number of people they serve before the pandemic. if you need help, the first place you want to check is schools. every child can get a free breakfast and lunch at school through the end of next june. the entire school year. it is not automatic though. >> every school's situation is a little different. sometimes there are some paper work to be filled out. check with your local school of how you access those free meals but it should be super easy. >> ask in the district is

offering take home grocery. families the can pick up the kids and fresh produce at schools. kids need school supplies to learn. we teamed up with family giving tree. backpacks drive. you can head us, head to nbcbayarea.com/schools. you can build a backpack for children or make a contribution. i will be back tomorrow with a look of a difference a backpack can make. i will see you then. next story we are following including fighting a covid surge. the newest cases among those becoming infected. moving businesses forward, a temporary solutions to save restaurants during the pandemic now closer to be san francisco's permanent landscape. the big vote is on the menu later today.

right now at 5:30. >> i am in these trails five days a week. if it happens to me, i would want the same kind of response. >> where is he? the desperate search finding the missing jogger not seen. search is picking backup in the

east bay. we are looking at that new technology being used to fight it. the cost of fighting covid, how much money you contributed last year to help the state fight a worldwide pandemic and where all that money went? this is "today in the bay." >> a good tuesday morning to you, thank you so much for joining us, i am laurie garcia. >> i am marcus washington. residents in santa clara faces mandatory cutback. first, we kickoff with kari hall, rainy season is way over now. any good news? >> yeah, we don't at this time have any good news because we have seen the driest season statewide we have ever had since we have taken history here. 49% of our normal amount of rain. our vegetation is drying out and

now our reservoir level is dropping more than what we can keep up with. we are seeing a percentage average for the reservoir in the south bay at 23.4% capacity. it is only a very dry across the state. we are not doing much better here. our largest reservoir is only at 50% of the normal amount of water in those reservoirs across the state. back to you. >> water restrictions are tightening and starting to become mandatory. >> live in santa clara of what residents are facing there, sharon katsuda. >> reporter: good morning. the city council will vote on these drought plans that are effective immediately. here are the restrictions will be patrolled. no waste water, prohibited

washing paved areas or washing cars with a hose that does not have an automatic shut off valve. you can water your lawn between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and more than three days a week. restaurants are prohibited to give customers water unless they ask for it. the truck tapped into the hydrant meters now. they have to cut back on this service. the water truck delivers the sin yards. the city is considering having those vineyards getting water from the sanitation district. next week the city of napa will discuss more ways on how residents can cut back on water use. you can check us all out on nbcbayarea.com, where we let you know in different areas in the bay area how you should cut back on water use. reporting live, i am sharon

katsuda, "today in the bay." effort finding a long distance runner who's missing in the east bay. bob redell, police have any idea what may happen to him? >> reporter: in a few hours they'll go out and look for phillip kreycik who's missing in the hills at the pleasanton park. kreycik is an experienced runner and hiker entered the regional park in berkeley on saturday. they have an idea the route he took but they don't know if he got lost or went off that route. what makes it difficult is the trail is steep and rugged. you can see the alameda office

launched a drone with an infrared camera that is attached to it that can detect body heat. they went out looking for this 37-year-old man who's married with two children. >> i am in these trails five days aweek. if it happens to me, i would want the same response. i have two kids at home, it breaks my heart to think about his family. >> i heard they have been using drones and helicopter to search. i was planning to go under the canopies of the trees and see what they can't see. >> time is a factor especially with the heat we had. we are hoping for the best. >> reporter: kreycik's wife reported him missing saturday afternoon after he failed to return home from what was a one-hour run in the hills in the muller ranch area. kreycik left his phone inside

his car. they found his car and his phone. the thought maybe he left it there because carrying it would have weighed him down. he's an experienced runner with no-known health issues. >> reporting live, bob redell, "today in the bay." new look at covid costs. $12.3 billion taxpayer dollars. these numbers expected to rise as the pandemic continues. a new bay area covid cases are generally low. your odd of infection are still much higher if you are not vaccinated. here is a graph showing you the number of new cases, yesterday reported 11 new cases.

you can see the case constantly involving people who are unvaks vaccinated. in marin, there had been 12 hospitalizations, all but one involving who is not vaccinated. the new ordinance would protect tenants unable to pay rent. tenants will be protected if they can pay 25% of the rent owed. and landlords would be banned from charging late fees or penalties. governor newsom extended the state's eviction moratorium through september 30th. supervisors may be ready to make parklets a permanent fixture. the land use and transportation

committee approved new regulations. businesses will have to pay a fee to occupy a single parking space. new details in one neighborhood are concerned over the lease of a popular wedding venue. the city granted for the venue. before weddings at that venue were only occasional. the new lease will bring in $1.5 million annually. as we get a live look in walnut creek this morning. it is 5:38. we can see a beautiful site there. it is very calming. hopefully it is calm for you as we give you a look at that forecast. that's to bring you some joy. meteorologist kari hall has a look of what we can expect. >> yeah, it is going to be a nice cool down today. we are starting out with temperatures in the 50s, headed

for the 70s and low 80s. it will be a day for us, spending more time outside and we are starting out with some clouds here and there and we'll gradually clear. if you are ready to head out for the morning work out, the south bay expect it to be 55 degrees. nice, cool and comfortable and refreshing start and a sky clearing as our temperatures warm up. we are headed for the mid-70s in the south bay and low 80s. that's about the best we'll do. reaching 83 degrees in livermore and 77 in santa rosa and san francisco will be in the low 60s. we'll talk about the rest of the week. mike, how is it looking heading to work? >> not so bad. yesterday we didn't have the first bit of slowing we do right now around 5:40. it is 5:39. that's in san jose, north 101. over here, it is eastbound and it is off the road way right now. your commute, look at that,

that's where the slowing centers are. coming down from vasco, 18 minutes at byron and down 580. specifics. we'll check on the drive-thru. there is highway 37 and there is interstate 80. they're showing a typical westbound, traffic just building out of the east bay. 5:40 right now. on the run, more than six months after the insurrection on capitol hill. a bay area man wanted for taking part in the violence. who they are looking for and the crime he's accused of committing on the historic day. president biden will speak out of what he calls the biggest threat of democracy since the civil war. plus -- a follow up to a story that

sent shock waves through the sports world. drugs and guns found. the suspects speaking out from jail. hear what they are saying of the big bust.

oroweat small slice. i wonder if this has the same quality ingredients as the original whole grains bread? great question, dad. and it does. it has all the same nutritious deliciousness as the original slice but only a little bit smaller. just like timmy here. my name's lucas. it sure is bobby.

it is 5:42.

sunshine for the rest of the day. our temperatures headed for the mid-70s. we'll take a look at all of our climate and talk about the rest of the week forecast coming up. the commute, the high-rise for westbound 22. folks are heading away from it in this shot. we'll show you where traffic builds and more coming up. new details this morning, the man accused of murdering the 1996 disappearance of kristin smart may soon face new charges. paul flores arrested in southern california. her body had not been found. the county prosecutors now reportedly want to add rape charges targeting women in the l.a. area over the past eight years. prosecutors may amend the murder charges as soon as tomorrow. governor newsom will be in

southern california this afternoon signing $252 billion plan into law last night. it includes recovery funds for small businesses working to come back from covid. they'll hold a news conference this afternoon in los angeles. 5:45 right now. president biden will speak out today against efforts to restrict voting. >> he's got some strong words ahead. >> he does, he's going to say what's happening in places like texas and georgia which is the biggest threat to american democracy since the civil war. now president biden not known for his passionate speeches. his calendar shows the event as "the president delivering

remarks on protecting the constitutional right to vote." republicans saw close races like texas or georgia are putting in restricted places of voting. in texas they are holding special sessions where republicans have to vote to pass these restrictions. these democratic lawmakers left the state. >> today more than 50 democratic members of the texas house left austin and left texas. not because we want to. but it breaks our hearts that we have to do it. we do it because we are in a fight to save our democracy. >> those lawmakers you saw mostly in washington, d.c. and they're subject to arrest if they return to texas, to be forcibly returning to the state house. one could make the argument that

the changes to vote in texas is democracy in action, people are voting on it and the democrats deny their colleagues the right to that vote. donald trump's former lawyer facing accusations they misled the court as they tried to convince judges the election rigged. they never got any judges to agree. when you are an officer of the court of a lawyer, you can't show up with depositions that here is a guy that's carrying a bag that may have some ballots in it. that's one of their claims. first when you put it together confused the abbreviations of michigan for minnesota. the court released new video of the attack on january 6th. this is a video released by the

court at the request of media organization including nbc. the man holding the red flag, michael perkins of florida had been mill valley man accused of attacking officers. the case has been under sealed until recently. the prosecution argued the judge lifted the seal so the public can help tracking him down. we are talking everything that's happening in washington and today, philadelphia. we'll talk about it on social media and on facebook and twitter where you will find me @scottmcgrew. over the weekend, several were arrested. in a jailhouse interview, they now say they had no intention of hurting anyone at the all-star

game. one says he just wanted to make money selling drugs and the other said he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. >> i would never hurt anybody in any way. >> at least one outlet suggests the mass shooting has been aborted. the arrest are not related to terrorism and are not aware of any threats made of the all-star week there. four suspects are now facing charges. there is still a game going on at coors field. this is over oracle. tonight's all-star game will featured the oakland a's and including posey who won't play through to injury concerns. everyone is talking about the angels' otani, he'll be the starting pitcher and hit lead

off. >> 5:49 right now. a lot of folks spent a lot of time watching tv because of the pandemic. the nominations are being announced the emmy nominations. >> nbc's "this is us" seems to be a likely contender for best drama. we'll be watching. >> 5:50 right now. we'll check in with mike, he's watching the road out there as people are heading back to work. let's check the forecast, a little cooler today, kari? >> yes, a little cool for our in land areas have been dealing with the sweltering temperatures. we also keeping an eye on our a quality as we are seeing some smoke starting to move in.

we are starting off with those clouds and fog this morning. some of the most unhealthy air quality will be in the coast and bay. we'll see the fog lingering longer. more people are enjoying more time outside, thanks to the cooler air, the seven-day forecast is up at the bottom of the screen. as we zoom in in our south bay high temperature for today reaching into the upper 70s and low 80s and very comfortable. we are also going to see a wide range of temperature in the east bay. check out hayward reaching 70 degrees. upper 60s in vallejo. 92 today in brentwood and the tri-valleys. >> mid-70s for palo alto, 61 degrees. san francisco in the upper 50s today. low 60s downtown and in the mission district. nevada reaching 78, clear lake is reaching 97 degrees. napa today in the mid-70s. we are also keeping an eye on

the fire danger today eventhough the vegetation is extremely dry. the fire danger rating will stay low for the next couple of days. as high pressure moves away, we'll see the approach of a storm system in the pacific northwest, bringing in a strong ocean breeze keeping our temperatures down. it will be nice and comfortable all throughout the week with no major changes headed our way and our seven-day forecast holding steady. we'll see some 60s along the coast. highway 4 is building a bit. in pittsburgh, that crash on railroad avenue, before you get to highway 4, watch the interchange if crews arrive in the next few minutes. this slow-in we saw coming out of vallejo and heading into the east bay. we had a lot of slowing.

i believe a crew arrived on the scene. there is additional slowing there. nothing major yet. things are starting to clear in san jose here. 880 is starting to slow coming down to union city. back to you. the u.s. coast guards is warning cubans not to try to flee the country by sea. crossing the florida strait is dangerous and unforgiving. nearly 20 people have died in recent weeks. massive protests are happening at other parts of the islands. >> 5:53. still much more ahead on "today in the bay" including a new revelation of covid-19 variant. can you get infected of two different strains at one time? the new answer from scientists next. plus, not just focusing on sports, formal golden state warrior reveals what lays ahead in his social justice fight. stay with us. you are watching "today in the

bay."

the woman unvaccinated died five days later. she was infected by the alpha and beta strains. across the country, there is growing interests irented educay classes to pot entrepreneurship. colleges launching programs gearing students interested in the business of pot. >> as the nation continues to

recreational weed, that means there is going to be more opportunities nationwide for students who want to be in the same industry. >> the story is part of nbc's news network wide series of "red, white, &green." you can find out more colleges offering these types of classes. washington has been going without a nickname or a logo since last year. the the team's leader announced that'll drop that. the new name will be expecting early next year. many proathletes are prioritiing social justice issues in ways america have not

seen. athletes are getting unprecedented support from their teams and leagues. the nba foundation will start to assist players. harrison barns was one of two players named of the board of directors. >> everyone has their own personal life and things their community goes through and their family goes through that they bring with with them on the court. they may play for your favorite team but that person has a life outside of the game as well. >> you can check out the full story and others like it on nbclx. channel 185 on xfinity cable or any time on lx.com. it is quickly approaching 6:00, here is what's happening in the bay. a stunning reversal over night. a live report on the mask mandate changes the state just made for students returning to

the classrooms. parents are starting to weigh in on the latest decision. plus -- >> fleeing texas, dozens of democrats leaving the state over night in attempt to block a voting bill they claim is a dangerous attack on our democracy. and how president biden is responding. fires and flooding, the coast to coast weather disasters are playing out. our meteorologist kari hall is tracking our bay area forecast and what you can expect. this is "today in the bay." a good morning to you on this tuesday, thank you so much for making us apart of your morning. state health leaders switching gears on plans for