right now at 4:30, santa clara county sheriff tangled in controversy. the impact that could have in the future. a big reversal. the last-minute changes to the mask mandate. we will explain where you will and will not need one. this is "today in the bay." good wednesday morning. of course we are traditionally broadcasting to your television but we also stream live at nbcbayarea.com and on the app as

well. i am laura garcia. >> i am marcus washington. we will get a look at the commute in a moment, but look who is in for kari, rob mayeda. >> we have a chance of showers this morning, and highs will be cool today in the low 50s. check out our storm ranger mobile doppler radar this morning. mike will have an eye on this, too. a sign of things to come as we head into the afternoon, mike, i think we will see wind and rain for the evening commute in the bay area. >> yeah, rob, we have wet roadways and a crash clearing from powell. smaller crashes. the one we were watching was just off the bay bridge and the

harris off-ramp. the good news is that just started to clear. there was a construction crew blocking the majority of southbound 101, and that has cleared and should be cleared from the rib. but as rob said, slick roadways out there and gusty at times because of the wind. back over to you. >> thanks, mike. after health leaders decided to reinstate a mask mandate, they changed their minds. the on again off again state mask mandate is off again in some counties. any county that already issued an order allowing vaccinated individuals to go maskless in certain businesses can keep doing that, and that means gyms,

offices and the coalition, it's the best possible christmas gift. >> as we head into the new year, that could have really costs jobs and business in san francisco. >> for counties that had not already relaxed masking rules, mask are a must in all indoor public spaces. >> it's harder, because when your breath gets heavy it starts to get hard to breathe through the mask. >> i lost a friend to covid-19, and because of that i feel more comfortable wearing mine. >> people get tested before attending any holiday celebration, and those traveling

to california get tested three days before their trip. it has been three years since the sheriff took over in santa clara county. >> this after a civil grand jury finds her guilty on corruption. >> the sheriff laurie smith scandal hits a turning point. six of the seven counts are connected to allegations of trading coveted concealed weapons permits for contributions to her re-election campaign, and unfair ccw applications for vips, and for accepting gifts in excess of $500, which included sharks

suite tickets from an applicant, and five, failing to report that gift, and failing to cooperate to investigate an inmate being injured while being transferred to a jail. >> charges like this can't help but undermine the public's trust in institutions publicly. that's a tragic consequence of the whole affair, and it's sad it came to this. >> the sheriff had a vote of no confidence in august. >> the matter now is with the courts. we will see how it plays out in the coming year. >> because this comes from a civil grand jury, sheriff smith herself has not been accused of

a crime. the case could be heard in front of a jury and she could be removed from office. >> it's a combination in a way of a civil trial, a criminal trial, and it's our substitute here in california for impeachment proceedings. the remedy is removal from office and that's all the court can impose. >> our investigative unit has been breaking these stories on the sheriff for years. for more go to nbcbayarea.com and click on the investigations tab. these are pictures taken by caltrans, and you can see the massive boulders and rock falls taking over the highway. look at that. crews will be inspecting the situation daily to open the roads up as soon as it's safe to

do so but there's more rain on the way so it's unclear when that will happen. let's take a live look in downtown josé this morning. christmas in the park. it's looking nice and clear this morning but doesn't look like it will stay that way for the rest of the day. meteorologist, rob mayeda, rain is in our forecast? >> yeah, we are seeing a little bit of that, marcus. around the bay, marcus, a chilly start, and mobile doppler radar showing you a few showers, and a little snow near mount hamilton, and this is sort of the sneak preview of what is coming our way for the afternoon. that storm dropping down the coast is going to increase the wind and keep temperatures cool today. you can see highs only in the low 50s, and rain increasing as we head into the evening commute, mike. bigger changes coming later

today. that's the note for folks heading home, be prepared. traffic is light around the bay. slicker roadways, so do be careful. crews are clearing in many patches like we showed you in san francisco, and rain across the santa cruz mountains is leaving wet for 17, and it's curvy and dark at times, and we're watching for any times. over here at the tri-valley, these are the best times you will see all morning. back to you. >> thanks, mike. no vaccine, no job. next here on "today in the bay," the tech giant warning employees that they could be fired if they don't follow covid vaccination rules. it's 4:38. you're watching "today in the bay."

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the time right now is 4:41. right now in walnut creek you are waking up to a few scattered showers. 44 degrees, and you can see here on storm ranger, showers approaching the west and a sneak peek of what will come this afternoon as wind and rain move back across the bay area. mike? rob, you talked about rain traveling through the area, and in the foreground we could see that wet off-ramp, so do be careful as more rain will come through this morning, but the commute so far looking good.

taking a better look at the business world, let's check in with silvanna. wall street is set for a mixed open today. the nasdaq was down more than 1% in selling in big tech names. inflation rose at the fastest pace in november. the fed wraps up a two-day policy meeting this afternoon. meanwhile apple will require customers and employees to wear masks at all u.s. retail stores as cases from the omicron and delta variants are rising.

google has told employees they will lose pay and eventually be fired if they don't follow vaccination rules. that's according to an internal memo received by cnbc. google says those who have not complied by january 18th will be placed on paid leave for 30 days and followed by unpaid leave for up to six months and termination. guys, back to you. >> hits a little different when it affects your wallet. >> yeah, that pocketbook. absolutely. >> thanks. massive budget cuts coming to san francisco schools. also what teachers and students need to know about those changes. in dublin, 41 degrees. check this out, more snow around

mount hamilton and more wind and rain arriving later today. we're looking over here in palo alto where you can drive on 101. the roads are damp so do be careful. we will point out your longer drives, coming up. hi honey! hi mommy!

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let's take a live look outside. wow, isn't that a beautiful look of san francisco this morning? nice and clear. oh, but you can feel it. these clear skies making for a

cold morning, even in the studio. rob is in for kari this morning. so good to see you, rob. we got the coffee going for you. >> i need it, like a backpack of it. >> it's cold. >> you want to cradle it this morning in some places. we have 30s in some places, you mentioned that, and some showers moving through. roadways dry in san josé, 44 degrees over towards walnut creek. and a few light rain showers off to the west and san francisco at 35 degrees. 30s and 40s this morning. by lunchtime, it's a day you will not want to lose the jacket, topping out for high temperatures today in the upper 40s to low 50s in the bay area, and the wind will be picking up. look at the wind speeds as we head towards the evening. 20 to 30 miles per hour, and at times 40-mile-per-hour gersts on the coastal hill tops. a sign the coast is dropping

down the coast as we head towards the evening. tomorrow morning the wind speeds will back off. scattered showers around the bay area right now. more snow flurries around mount hamilton this morning. really the main event for the next storm will hold off until this afternoon as this continues to work its way down the coast. biggest rain totals here in the red and north bay. most of the rain in the storm will fall before you wake up in the morning and this time tomorrow morning we should see most of the rain start to move out, and the main impact will be midafternoon, and as we head into the overnight hours we see the rain passing by, 7:00 tomorrow morning we begin to see the skies clear. the break will not last long. by sunday we begin to see the rain move back in and that extended forecast looking very soggy once again.

you will see it show up right now in the 7-day forecast. what we will see today, i think tomorrow morning we will catch a break, and friday would be a good day to take care of those plans. >> enjoy the break. i have to walk the dog. he doesn't like the rain. i borrowed your radar, rob, kari let's me do it. look, mostly clean all-around the bay. we will zoom you out towards vasco. 580 shows the steady built out of the altamont with no

surprises. getting towards the bay bridge transferring over to the peninsula, still just fine. smooth roadways, 580 shows slowing out -- well, we are hovering right around the speed limit. there you go. >> thanks, mike. 4:50 for you this morning. in the follow-up, san francisco school leaders avoiding possible cuts to avoid a state takeover. today is the deadline to submit the budget to the state. the board approved 40 million in cuts for administration and support services. schools are dealing with the 125 million budget short fall, and leaders say cuts to the schools were necessary to avoid a state

takeover. side show activity has accounted for crashes over the years and 30 of those were deadly. and then revealing a new plan to slow the spike in crime in the tenderloin. the mayor says she is putting the world on notice that the tenderloin is not a haven for criminals. >> it comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement, more aggressive with the changes in our policies, and less tolerant of all the bull

[ muted ] that has destroyed our cities. >> now in the last week officers have seized nearly a kilo of drugs and made 17 arrests as well from the suspected drug dealers. across the bay, oakland mayor seeking help from the state to help with the problem. >> she sent a letter to governor newsom for new license plate technology on interstates and highways. she believes readers on on-ramps and off-ramps could assist in solving crime. >> this is a way the state could help coordinate, collaboration and help our law enforcement efforts. >> that plan will be released next month. it's 4:52 right now.

superstar steph curry brought to tears after making history in the big apple. happening now, sonoma county leaders are voting to increase the living page of $16.70 an hour. the bump up in pay starts on january 1st, and it affects all workers employed by the county in sonoma and some workers that are contracted with the government. the wage increase for most businesses in the new year is $15. we'll be right back.

some days, you just don't have it. not my uncle, though. he's taking trulicity for his type 2 diabetes and now, he's really on his game. once-weekly trulicity lowers your a1c by helping your body release the insulin it's already making. most people reached an a1c under 7%. plus, trulicity can lower your risk of cardiovascular events. it can also help you lose up to ten pounds. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. it's not approved for use in children. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, and may worsen kidney problems. show your world what's truly inside. ask your doctor about once-weekly trulicity.

at last warriors fans, there's a new number one when it comes to nba threes. >> here's curry for the record. it's good! there it is! >> the record-breaking three-pointer last night add madison square garden. it comes in his 12th season in the league, and also around 500 games faster than the previous record holder, and you see ray allen, and alicia keys. curry emotional afterwards, as you can imagine. >> in terms of what it means to me to pass ray, and reggie, and guys i looked up to coming into the game, definitely special. >> the had already made. >> no kidding.

>> the warriors celebrating with a victory over the knicks. >> classic jersey there, too. and then just about 50 days away for the olympics, and now she's the reigning u.s. figure skating champion. while the u.s. team will not be officially named until after the championships, it's clear she has the inside track. >> anybody that knows me know i have loved cinderella my whole life, and i love the line have courage and be kind, and that's the way i try to live my life. >> you can only watch the beijing olympics here on nbc bay area. be sure and download the podcast

called "my favorite olympician.

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on. the new state mandate takes affect today but comes with last-minute changes you will feel here in the bay area. the places most impacted here. new warning from world health leaders about omicron's unprecedented spread. should mark meadows face criminal charges? the text messages revealed now taking center stage. this is "today in the bay." a very good morning to you. thank you so much for joining us. i am laura garcia. >> i am marcus washington. let's get you started with a look at the forecast. meteorologist, rob mayeda, in for kari. >> waking up to cold temperatures. upper 30s, our storm ranger still