to create authentic seasonal scents that fill your home with holiday spirit all season long. connect to nature this season. good morning. you're watching "today in the bay." we're still tracking the storm that's coming in, bringing you waves of heavy rain that will continue throughout the morning. we'll even have a chance of thunderstorms. breaking news in the east bay, a big rig literally falling off of a highway ramp. a complete mess in lafayette. and will it happen today? all eyes remain fixed on the san jose courthouse as jury deliberations pick back up in the elizabeth holmes criminal

fraud trial. "today in the bay" continues right now. i want to wish you a good thursday morning. we're having some technical difficulties right now, so hang tight with us. i'm marcus washington. we're going to have the latest on that crash in lafayette in just moments. first, still in that microclimate weather alert, meteorologist kari hall focusing on that, looking at the wet weather heading into your neighborhood right now and where it's headed next. >> yeah. still raining across much of the bay area. you can see the rain is covering napa county and solano county but really starting to come down for spots like san mateo as we are going to see a lot of this heavier rain moving in and spreading across the bay over

toward oakland. we're going to continue to see rain coming in with even a chance of some thunderstorms. the cold front moving through is going to give a lot more energy to this system and may even give us a few thunderstorms in the forecast as we go into late morning and the afternoon. overall a lot of rain. we'll be tracking that and i'll have an update in a few minutes. what's the update on the crash in the east bay? >> the video you're looking at is a cab from a truck that was apparently hit from behind on highway 24. the cab part of it fell on to the surface street below from the on ramp. now according to chp reports, it appears nobody was hurt. that is fantastic news considering when you look at the video. now, we are seeing that the stretch of the road right beneath it, pleasant, is closed. you can still get on the westbound on ramp but you can't get on the eastbound side of it. if this is normally where you

hop on highway 24, you probably want to hop on just a little bit after at the next entrance because you're going to encounter that closure if you're up early this morning. we're seeing a couple of other spinouts. i have the radar over the traffic map and you can see it is pouring in some spots and those slick conditions could have definitely played a role in any of the crashes being reported. right now highway 17 moving along nicely, but it can quickly become dangerous as well. please slow it down out there. another update in just a few minutes. storm ranger staying active scanning the san bruno mountains right now, giving you the latest information on where that storm is headed. you can also get access to the storm ranger's exclusive mobile doppler radar. go to our free nbc bay area app to get updates. new warnings this morning

during christmas gathering. states are hitting new pandemic records and hospitals are scrambling. still americans are forging ahead and are determined to celebrate the holidays in person this year. there is a bright spot as the fda clears the way for the nation's first treatment pill. alice barr has the latest. >> good morning, laura. research shows the new anti-viral pill from pfizer is highly effective against severe illness, though it won't be widely available until production has a chance to ramp up. it does appear to work against the omicron variant, which has now been found in all 50 states. this morning, families are coming together for christmas with thoughts of omicron hanging over many celebrations. white house covid advisors say small gatherings with

protections can go ahead. >> we're really encouraging people to be vaccinated, boosted and practice all of those prevention strategies before they gather. >> but large parties with unknown vaccination status are a no. >> we urge you to stay away a from situations that could put you at higher risk. >> hospitals face a crushing wave of cases with new cases topping 200,000 two days in a row. >> it just feels like no one is listening. i'm begging you to please get vaccinated. >> but there is new hope as the fda clears the way for the nation's first covid anti-viral treatment pill. it should be available in days, though supplies will be limited for now. >> the early clinical trial data is it's 90% effective at preventing hospitalization and death in unvaccinated populations.

>> the pills must be taken within five days of the start of symptoms, making early testing even more critical just as tests are harder to access. >> they should be more available. >> the white house is racing to increase supply, trying to keep pace with the rapid omicron surge. new studies out of the u.k. and south africa show that omicron infections may be less likely to lead to hospitalization. that would be very good news, but medical experts are cautioning we have to wait and see how it plays without with our individual population, also noting that the sheer number of cases is going to increase hospital stays. contra costa county leaders getting a huge response for those free at home covid tests this week. shelves in some cases are just running dry. a lot of people are hoping to get tested before seeing their

loved ones for the holidays. >> the last two days we've distributed approximately 1200 to 1300 packages and each have two tests in them. that's around 2500 tests. >> everybody we know went and couldn't find any. so friends heard about this and texted us. so we came down to get them. >> more kits will be available this morning at both supervisors' offices in el ser ree toe. a san jose mayoral candidate still waiting to hear if she is positive for covid after a fund-raiser tuesday night in san jose. davis's campaign team later sent that e-mail out to attendees about one person testing positive. it's not clear if they contracted covid at the fund-raiser but two others have reported feeling symptoms. some businesses in san francisco are taking their own

steps to stop or slow the spread of the omicron variant. this restaurant now requiring customers to show proof they have received a booster shot if they want to dine indoors. >> we learned after six months it wears off and then all the scientists and everybody saying oh yeah, you need boosters. it's like, okay. >> it isn't the only restaurant adding the booster shot requirement. on tuesday, zuni cafe on market street started asking indoor diners to show proof their were boosted. we know the holidays can be an emotional and tough time. one group trying to ease that pain and loneliness for families who have lost a loved one to covid. the group is called marked by covid. it was started by a bay area woman who started a card exchange last year. now hundreds of people are sending and receiving cards this holiday season. the woman behind the group says

notes from strangers have a big impact during a difficult time. >> i don't know who christy is. that's the thing. this is the simple message. it just warms my heart in this entire moment. it reminds me of just how much love and support and compassion and empathy there is out there. >> humanity there. you can sign up to send we're posting the latest updates about the omicron variant as well as vaccination requirements and covid testing. just head to nbcbayarea.com/coronavirus. a jury will meet again in a few hours to deliberate the fate of theranos founder elizabeth holmes. bob, i know it's hard to understand what the jury is

thinking right now, but do we have any clues of where they might stand in getting a verdict? >> reporter: not really. good morning to you, marcus. the jury that's been deliberating in the federal courthouse behind me here in downtown san jose has already spent 16 hours mulling this case, considering the fact that there's 3 1/2 months of testimony. one legal expert tells us they believe it could be some time before jurors come up with a verdict in the trial of elizabeth holmes, who dropped out of stanford at the age of 19 to start theranos. she's 37 now. theranos is -- was a company which claimed its machine could detect hundreds of diseases with a single drop of blood. legal analysts say this will come down to whether jurors through holmes is a criminal con artist or a dreamer who made some bad choices.

some casual court watchers have speculated with the holidays looming, the jury may want to wrap up as soon as possible. again, one legal expert tells us they don't think a jury would rush a verdict given how much weight their decision holds. >> they've got a woman who was a 19-year-old startup founder who's a new mom who could be facing decades in prison. i think the jury is going to take that responsibility with as much gravitas in a serious manner as they should. >> reporter: if the jury does not come back with a decision by today, they can decide to come back next week to continue deliberations or the first week of the new year. bob redell, "today in the bay." we're also following all the rain, wet weather and snow up in the sierra. take a look at this traffic jam last night as snow started to fall up there. this was at highway 80 near

kingvale. here's a live look at that same site right now. obviously a lot more quiet this morning, early hours. this is to let you know chains are required between kingvale and donner summit. >> right now this storm has started out a lot warmer than expected, so you have to go up about 7,000 feet before you see snow. you can see all the rain happening across the sierra as well. that, unfortunately, has melted some of the snow as we are seeing this rain really pouring here as this cold front moves through. that's going to drop our temperatures today. we expect some lowering snow levels. a lot of action here into the next several days. what's the update on the

commute? >> we are seeing a lot more crashes popping up on the map. i have the radar overlaid on the traffic map. a crash along northbound 680 and southbound 680 in walnut creek right before the 24 interchange, right before that earlier crash in lafayette. that is starting to cause some delays along 680. if you're traveling, i would say go ahead and take walnut boulevard and avoid that stretch and take the surface streets all together. coming up, we're only two days until christmas. more than half of the shoppers say they are still picking up presents. but the move target is making to make sure your last minute gift giving is easier. plus, the stress of holiday shopping makes a lot of people a little upset. you ever want to grab a baseball bat and smash something?

a rage room is allowing san francisco customers to smash things and let it all out. why doctors are saying this might not be the best way to relieve your frustration.

our micro climate weather alert continues as heavy rain moves through the peninsula into

the east bay and now into the south bay. rounds of rain moving through and also the chance of thunderstorms by later this morning as the cold front brings in some much colder temperatures. we'll talk about what's ahead coming up in a few minutes. the rain is definitely coming down right now. look at the live look at the bay bridge toll plaza. no metering lights on just yet, but it is a soggy commute and we've had several reports of spinouts this morning. i'll have a closer look at the issues and your drive times coming up. i am coming to you from cnbc. wall street set to open higher. looks like the santa claus rally is on its way as the market attempts to extend gains to a third day. stocks rising yesterday as investors started to look past the jitters spread by the

omicron variant. the s&p 500 now just about 1% away from its recent record high, perhaps on pace to put in another one before year end. today we're going to have a lot of economic data. reports on jobless claims, personal income and spending. durable goods, new home sales and consumer sentiment. tomorrow the markets will be closed for christmas on christmas eve. crypto.com is running its first super bowl ad this year. it's the latest move by the crypto currency exchange to get its name on the map. last month you'll recall they paid $700 million for naming rights to the staples center in los angeles which will become crypto.com arena this saturday. nbc is reportedly seeking $6.5

million for a 30-second ad. the bourbon brand will cover fees for checked bags if passengers pack a bottle of booze to take to their final destination. maker's mark will reimburse up to $40. upload your receipt to the company's website. the promotion runs through new year's eve. basically they think they might get about $50,000 or so to spread a little cheer in your checked

we're just two days away from christmas. we know some people are still waiting to do some of that christmas shopping. if you are a procrastinator like me, don't worry, you are not alone. more than half the shoppers say they are still picking up gifts this week. target say they have added 18,000 curbside spaces to make same day pickup easier. coming up on the "today" show this morning, you can get last minute tips and tricks to finish your holiday shopping at 7:00 this morning right after "today

in the bay." also, we're not sure where elon musk is spending the holidays but we are learning more about where he's living. >> back in july he tweeted he's living in a less than $50,000 home in boca chica and the only home he owns is right here in the bay area. >> the richest man in the world is living it up in austin at a billionaire friend's estate and shopping for his own texas palace. he's staying on a waterfront home. this is the cofounder of paypal. >> good for him. >> rich people have rich friends. >> i have a pullout couch that my friends stay on. >> i have a blow-up bed.

there you go. we've got a lot going on. i know a lot of people are going to be hitting the road trying to see friends and family and we're getting down to the last several hours before the holiday. now we're dealing with all of this rain once again. it's really coming down in some spots. as we take a look at just south of san francisco near the coastline there, extending over across the bay into oakland and hayward right now where we see the bright yellows, fremont getting pounded with heavy rain, also moving into the tri-valley. in mountain view we are seeing some very heavy rain approaching san jose as we continue to see all of this moisture streaming in for the next several hours. this meeting up with some colder

air coming in from the north and all working together with that big storm system we've seen bringing us rain for the past few days. we've measured over 2 inches of rain in the santa cruz mountains as well as the east bay and mt. diablo. we've seen all of the rain recently continuing to add up after that nice start we had to our water year. we are going to continue to see more of this going into today. looks like we could take a break by late this afternoon. tomorrow we'll see a break in the morning hours and then scattered showers throughout the day. we'll continue to see this activity in the forecast for the next several days. it does continue to look pretty wet here. we're looking at the possibility of about two to three additional inches of rainfall with some of the higher totals in the santa

cruz mountains as well as the sierra getting still that big dumping of snow especially now that the snow levels are dropping. still wet in the seven-day forecast, no changes there. much cooler next week. coming up next, nbc bay area responds. >> ribbon, wrapping paper, boxes and bows, what do you do with

all of those holiday remnants? we'll sort through it haul so you don't have to.

this morning, let's talk about holiday leftovers. no, i'm not talking about food. >> what do you do with the piles of cards, miles of ribbon and mountains of wrapping paper. chris chmura tells us how to

deal with that holiday waste. >> reuse it, recycle it, trash it? we're going to use guidance from the city of san jose. bows and ribbons. san jose says all bows and ribbons cannot be recycled. they can be thrown in the trash or you can save them and reuse them next year. wrapping paper is easy to reuse too, or some of it is. not everyone's unwrapping technique is exactly conducive for reuse next year. san jose says you can recycle most wrapping paper. don't worry about the tape. it's fine in the recycle bin. san jose says wrapping paper that is shiny or contains foil or metallic pieces cannot be reused. same with tissue paper. you have three choices, reuse it, trash it or compost it.

as for cardboard boxes, they're generally recyclable. gift bags are a mixed bag. most are recyclable. the city says the shiny ones are the problem. they're partly plastic and not recyclable. you'll have to reuse or trash those.

right now at 5:30, the rain

and wind intensifying this morning in parts of the bay area. meteorologist kari hall is timing it all out. and airports packed as people head to their holiday destinations. the recommendations from experts on protecting yourself from the omicron variant. this is "today in the bay." thursday morning, closer and closer to christmas. good morning. we're broadcasting live right now and streaming at nbcbayarea.com. good thursday morning. i'm marcus washington. >> i'm laura garcia. we're still in the middle of this micro climate weather alert. this is at sfo this morning. the rain continues to fall as many are having a wet start to those holiday plans and travel as well. >> we want to start out with that forecast for you this morning. meteorologist kari hall has been

tracking wet and windy weather. >> yes. this is part of a cold front sweeping in. this is also giving us more intense squalls and heavier downpours as well as gusty winds. more intense colors here indicating some heavier rain that we're seeing from san francisco southward up and down the peninsula. we'll continue to hear that rain hitting the roof. if you're about to head out the door, make sure you have all of the gear including the umbrella, the rain jacket as well as something nice and warm to wear today. we are going to see still some rain off and on today. we're seeing a surge of heavier downpours now, but there may be a break for some spots. how is it looking now on the roads? >> in lafayette along highway 24

at the pleasant hill surface street down below. look at this. miraculously no one was injured according to chp traffic reports. this truck was getting on the on ramp and the cab was hit from behind by another vehicle suspected of driving in dangerous conditions right now. that then fell off of the on ramp. we have two other accidents on southbound 680 and northbound 680 right before that 24 interchange. so a lot of delays heading into lafayette and walnut creek. be sure to download our free nbc bay area app. holiday travel hitting overdrive today as people try to make it to their destinations. this year air travel is forging ahead this year. this is nearing record levels

despite the spread of the omicron variant. cierra johnson is live at sfo this morning. i would imagine it's pretty busy there this morning. >> reporter: good morning, marcus. we do a lot of live shots here at sfo. i can tell you it's a little busier than it typically is. i know the rain is slowing things down, but folks making their way in to drop folks off here the begin that holiday travel. take a look at your screen. this is the travel prediction for this holiday season. according to aaa, 109 million people, almost 34% increase from 2020, will travel 50 miles or more as they hit the road, board planes or take other modes of transportation out of town. december 23rd to january 2nd,

27.7 million more people will be traveling than last year. airlines will see a 184% increase from last year. traffic is currently at about 60% of those pre-pandemic levels. in oakland the airport expects to reach about 90% of those 2019 levels of the holiday season. the omicron variant runs through the nation. it's important to note that the biden administration has expanded its federal mask mandate to at least march 19th. it will be months before you're able to remove that mask while you're on an airline. those tsa numbers will give us realtime numbers of just how

many folks not only here in the bay area are traveling but across the nation. the decision came after a study linked the airport's use of leaded fuel to potential lead exposure to children living in the east sides neighborhood. more extensive soil testing will be done next spring. if the soil is contaminated,er it may lead to a replacement project. here's a question for you this morning. what have we learned since the death of george floyd and the social reckoning that followed? nearly two years, our ongoing series "race in america, the conversation" we have explored

how race impacts our everyday lives. tonight we're joining forces looking back at both of those series and asking what's changed. >> i think what's changed is the conversation. it's so enlightening and refreshing ing refreshing to see so many people want to have that conversation. i can't tell you how many e-mails i've gotten saying thank you, are you going to do another one? now we're in a space where people feel a little bit more comfortable addressing the uncomfortable in the room. >> that was one of the big things for us, was this doesn't a conversation with just two minority people having it with white people out there. it was a conversation about us having that conversation. and we wanted to make sure we were being really honest with each other also, because just

because marcus is black and i'm hispanic and we are both minorities, it doesn't mean that our experiences are the same or that our biases toward each other or people in our own culture, you know, are the same. the one thing marcus and i promised each other is we were going to be really honest and open. >> a great conversation. it's "race in america." the candid conversation is going air tonight at 5:00 on our sister network, nbc sports bay area. taking a live look in the south bay. a lot of rain drops on that camera out there. a lot of rain everywhere. meteorologist kari hall has been monitoring all of these storms coming through the bay area. it's really great to see, actually. >> it is great to see. especially when we get this kind of rain and it doesn't cause any major problems. i want to give you a live look

at storm ranger where the heaviest rain is now from san francisco southward. if you're hitting the road this morning, let's see if there are any delays. as of right now, despite all of the wet weather across our area, we do not have any airport delays. it looks pretty good all across the country. as we look at what's going on here, if you're going to blinkies illuminated holiday tomorrow night, we will see a break in the room. so that's a good time to go. if you're going to the sierra, it's going to be very difficult to get there. allow a lot of extra time as we continue to see the snow coming down. east bay commuters if you live in lafayette and highway 24

is a part of your commute, an earlier crash has closed down the surface street down below. pleasant hill road is closed in both directions, so there is no access to the eastbound lanes. you can still get access to the westbound lanes, but for now it looks like that is completely closed off. pleasant hill road again closed off because of an on ramp crash that caused a truck to actually fall onto the surface street. no one is hurt, but there is no estimated time on when pleasant hill will reopen. this will cause major delays through this stretch, especially folks who want to hop onto highway 24. avoid pleasant hill all together. i'll have an update coming up in just a few minutes. the south bay synagogue destroyed by flames.

>> surreal to see the devastating synagogue up in flames. >> the valuable items that survived and the questions investigators are trying to get to the bottom of this morning. plus, a christmas wishful filled a little early. the special visit one mom made sure her daughter received this year. we're covering the top three sports highlights of 2021.

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right now on this thursday morning our micro climate weather alert continues with heavier rain this morning in fremont as you're heading out the door, we have some mid 50s. throughout the day we're going to stay in the 50s and we'll also see that rain continuing. we also just got an update of the drought monitor. i'll show you that coming up in just a few minutes. i'll have a closer look at how the rest of your bay area commute and an update on that

crash in lafayette coming up in just a few minutes. a member of vice president kamala harris's staff has been infected with covid. harris has since tested negative. her office says that staffer is fully vaccinated and boosted and is not showing any symptoms. they also worked with the vice president on tuesday. yesterday harris two took different types of tests, both coming back negative. also president biden also testing negative after spending 30 minutes near a staffer on air force one who later tested positive for coronavirus. the president wore a mask the entire time. firefighters aren't saying if they know what sparked a fire that destroyed a south bay synagogue early yesterday morning. arson investigators are trying to determine if it was set intentionally. the temple just opened there three months ago.

four torah scrolls were saved. the rabbi is trying to remain optimistic. >> we're going to rebuild stronger and better. we're going to do torah and mitzvah. >> the cause is still unclear. the rabbi does say surveillance video shows someone lurking under the carport about 2:00 a.m., where firefighters believe the fire started. the 49ers will play their second game in five days. they're trying to hold onto the sixth seed in the nfc playoff race. the niners will have to come in fully prepared. >> they really don't give you a lot of easy completions. they like to press it.

it will be a good challenge for us. they're good players. >> the niners come in having won 5 of their last 6 games. . the christmas wish of a 7-year-old salt lake city girl posts online by her mother. >> all she really wanted was a hug from her nana. her wish came a little early. take a look. as soon as little sailor realized who she was hugging, yep, she jumped into her nana's arms. really nice to see. they blindfolded her and then

the grandmother came running up. nice. >> that was a good one. i got a little teary eyed there. >> you know what, it's just the simplest gifts. having gone through this pandemic and not being able to see family members, it's so valuable. >> and the fact she's a little kid. >> nana came. you're going to need an umbrella, kari. >> yes. we are going to see still that rain continuing today. we're getting some heavier downpours this morning in a few spots. as we get a look at storm ranger, this is also one of those great gifts we've been asking for. the heatherier -- heavier rain

is moving down the peninsula. you're probably hearing it hitting the roof right now and it probably makes it harder to get out of bed. we've also seen rain moving toward hayward, fremont, union city, spreading toward livermore. it's lighter in san jose, but we do see heavier rain coming over the santa cruz mountains. antioch getting a steady rain now. i just got the update of the drought monitor. this is what it looked like last week. that's the highest level of drought where it is exceptional. well, we've seen a change with this recent update and it does improve the drought just a bit, takes it down a category from exceptional to extreme for the southern sierra. unfortunately, there really wasn't a change for the bay area. we're still in the highest level

of drought in the east bay down to the south bay. this just kind of shows that even with heavy rain, it's going to take years to dig out of this hole because it did take us years to get into this extreme drought we're seeing right now. but every little bit of rain helps. it looks like we could take a break by later on this morning into the afternoon. there will be times you can head out and get some things done outside. we're also going to see at times scattered showers, but the next round of rain comes in this evening, tomorrow into the afternoon. for saturday, christmas day, it looks pretty widespread with more rain coming in. once again, we've been talking about how long this is going to continue. overall expect morning heavy rain, the chance of some thunderstorms and maybe even small hail. by this afternoon, the rain becomes a lot more scattered. rainfall totals still looking like an inch and a half to 3

inches. sierra snow still looking like 4 to 8 feet. that's going to really get going here now that we're seeing snow levels dropping as this cold front comes through. look how cold it's going to be next week. we may even have some snow cam capping some of our bay area mountains. we've been following this crash in lafayette. a big rig fell off of the on ramp on highway 24 down to the surface street pleasant hill road below. no access to the entrance. pleasant hill road is closed off completely because there is a hazmat situation with fuel being spilled from the earlier crash. nobody was injured, which is great news. however, if this is part of your commute, this is one of the only accesses to get onto highway 24 to get into pleasant hill. this is closed until further notice.

no eta when that will reopen. definitely avoid this stretch and take some extra time if you're heading out this morning. happening now, face masks are again being required at universal orlando resort starting friday. the theme park says it will not check for vaccination status as it's asking everyone to wear a face covering. the park is also asking guests and staff to wear masks while they wait in line at an attraction or ride all the way until they exit the ride or attraction area. increasing recycling in san francisco, the new program sending money straight to your phone. plus, breaking at 6:00, a big rig drops off the freeway, causing backups along a major east bay connecter road underneath. plus, awaiting a verdict in

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welcome back. you're watching "today in the bay." police have arrested two men in

connection with the murder of a former police officer shot in downtown oakland. >> he was gunned down in november while protecting a tv news crew. oakland police chief armstrong announced two arrests, but declined to name either of the suspects. the chief said he believes officers are close to arresting a third person. >> homicide investigators have been working with investigators across the bay area to help us identify the people we believe were possible for this heinous crime. parents of a teenager charged with killing four students at a michigan high school are requesting a lower bond. they are charged with

involuntary manslaughter and have been jailed on $500,000 bond. they're accused of making a gun accessible to their son. the couple's attorney asked that their bond be lowered to $100,000 because they didn't anticipate he would commit violence. they were arrested after they failed to appear in court. five people are in custody this morning in connection with a carjacking of a pennsylvania congresswoman. mary gay scanlon was carjacked in philadelphia yesterday as she was walking to her parked car. she says two armed men demanded she hand over her keys and other belongings. one man drove offer in her car while the other fled in a dark suv. she was not hurt and state police later found the car in delaware with the five suspects inside. now to our climate in crisis and a live look at san francisco this morning.

the city is launching a new recycling program. it's called bottle bank. first you have to download an app and pick up a bar coded 20 gallon bag and fill it with uncrashed cans and bottles. it all launches on january 5th. we tonight to count down the 12 days of christmas with the curries as we head to liberation park. >> the black culture zone has been one of oakland's most meaningful institutions. the coalition uses their resources to find, fund and create community driven projects aimed at keeping black residents in oakland. to honor the group, they held a tree lighting party in liberation park. that event featured everything from food trucks to skating rink all meant to celebration an institution that helps move east

oakland forward. breaking now, a big rig literally falling off the highway in the east bay. the commute chaos in lafayette. covid surging as we head into the holidays. and awaiting a verdict as jury deliberations pick back up in the elizabeth holmes criminal fraud trial. the questions jurors will have to answer if they can't come up with a verdict today. this is "today in the bay." it is two days until christmas.