the russian troops amassed at ukraine's border. a live report from washington on the international standoff, and the new warning for americans living in the region. >> plus, the virtual halt in wet weather, the early rain season becomes more important. where california stands after what's been an incredibly dry january. this is "today in the bay." thanks so much for joining us on this monday morning. i'm kris sanchez. >> i'm marcus washington. don't forget, if you're on the go, we're broadcasting not only here on television, but you can watch us live on roku, amazon fire, apple tv and online at nbcbayarea.com. >> we want to get a look at the forecast. kari hall tracking what we can expect. it sure was windy this weekend. >> yes, it was windy. now the winds are calming down and temperatures are dropping across the bay area. you may have a heater turning on

a little bit more often to try to warm up from these temperatures that are outside. right now in dublin at 35 degrees and 35 in morgan hill. you're stepping out the door to a cold start but it will be a mild day. we're seeing low visibility in parts of the north bay. about a quarter of a mile from santa rosa to napa. take a look at the sunshine and the mild weather we'll see for this afternoon. once again, not as windy, but we're also seeing some of the smoke drifting in. we'll talk about the fire happening in monterey county and how that's going to impact our air quality and what else is going on in the forecast coming up in a few minutes. marcus and kris? >> thank you, kari. today is the deadline for some santa clara county workers to get their covid booster shots or else. bob, we want to know what workers this applies to and whether they're complying. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you. well, this booster shot mandate

applies to all santa clara county employees who work in high-risk settings, health care workers, medical first responders like emts and firefighters, people who work in skilled nursing facilities and jails. if those employees do not get boosted, they'll be reassigned away from frontline positions. the county can set up a waiver process after hospitals protested they would lose too many workers as a result of this mandate. each hospital or department does have to apply for the exemption from the booster shot. workers individually themselves, they can nt do that. santa clara county fire says 40 of its firefighters want waivers. last week we spoke with the chief of the san jose fire department. >> we have individuals who have made the decision to not be vaccinated to this point, and so there are individuals who will have to navigate this new order and make decisions as to what they're going to do.

but we do have well over 90% of our workforce already vaccinated. the numbers of personnel who have received their booster is increasing very rapidly. >> reporter: here's a live look at light rail in san jose. this week, possibly as soon as today, the transportation authority is expected to mandate covid vaccinations for its workers. they're supposed to be doing that within 60 days, having those shots put into their arms. the leader of the vta largest employee union anticipates the vta will lose 2% to 5% of its employees who would be fired or quit over the mandate. vta says as of last week, 61% of it's 2,100 employees are fully vaxxed, 71% have received one dose. kris? >> thank you very much, bob. and we will be tracking this for you. we have the complete interview with the fire chief on our streaming app. you can download it via roku,

amazon fire or apple tv. the clock is still ticking this morning on a possible strike by oakland teachers. the issue is covid safety and agreeing to a new covid safety plan. teachers have threatened to strike or vote to strike, but negotiations continue at this point. the union says more than 100 staff members last week tested positive for covid, one week alone, and the remaining staff is stretched thin. new developments in washington overnight. the state department now urging americans to leave ukraine and not travel to russia. "today in the bay's" brie jackson live for us in washington this morning. this comes as the situation between russia and ukraine gets even more intense. >> reporter: that's right, marcus. and there are growing concerns, just this morning senior officials from the white house say that conversations are under way with nato countries that could receive u.s. military assets.

meanwhile, the state department is ordering the evacuation of family members, embassy family members in ukraine, citing reports that russia is planning military action. >> to de-escalate tensions. >> reporter: strong words from u.s. officials as tensions with russia escalate. the u.s. secretary of state warning if any russian troops enter ukraine -- >> in the event there is a renewed russian incursion, russian forces going into ukraine, there is going to be a swift, severe and united response. >> reporter: this comes as russian forces amass along ukraine's northern, southern and eastern borders. >> i am gravely concerned that putin will show aggression in europe and cross the boundary into ukraine in the coming days and weeks. >> reporter: sparking calls abroad and at home for president biden to act fast and aggressively. >> let's make sure that we are pushing back right now with stiff sanctions, making sure that we are showing putin we do mean business. >> reporter: the biden administration already sending the first shipment of military

aid, while weighing options. among them is to move u.s. troops and equipment from other parts of europe into poland, romania and other countries neighboring ukraine. blinken stressing diplomacy as the preferred path forward. >> in the event there is a russian incursion, there is going to be a swift, a severe and united response. >> reporter: president biden not ruling out another summit with russian president vladimir putin. the state department also saying that nonessential embassy staff can leave if they want to, and urging americans not to travel to ukraine or russia. marcus? >> good advice there. brie in washington this morning, thank you. happening tomorrow, leaders plan to vote on a controversial new gun reform bill. if approved, it would be the first u.s. city to require gun owners to pay a yearly fee and

pay liability insurance. the fees would be collected by a nonprofit and distributed to community groups focused on reducing gun violence. if the city approves the measure, opponents are vowing swift legal action. new this morning, new emergency siren systems coming to southern mirin. it will cover sausalito, tamalpais valley, strawberry and tiburon. inspectors say the installation will take place over the next few months. and if you plan to take -- if your plans, i should say, take you near the beach today, be on alert. the national weather service is issuing a sneaker wave warning through 1:00 p.m. sneaker waves come in with unusual force and really can pull people and animals into the ocean, even at a couple feet high.

the water can appear calm before it strikes. anyone along the coastline is advised to not turn their backs on the water. a live look now at highway 50 in sierra. this is at echo summit. it's quiet right now. not situation critical yet, but the lack of recent rain is bringing snow levels down to near about average for this time of year. the snowpack is somewhere around 110% of normal. meteorologist kari hall is here. any hope for any rain on the horizon? >> we do see some rain in the distant forecast, not this week. here's what's going on. we do still have a lot of storms happening in the pacific, but high pressure has been blocking them and steering them farther to the north. we do still see this pattern holding for the rest of the week, the rest of the month of january. but as that moves out of the way, we could be opening up the door to seeing storm systems coming in by january 31st, and

to february 1st and that could give us another big boost of sierra snow. not this week, but then as we head toward early february there could be a pretty good amount of snow coming in, despite the fact that it was a very dry january, we are still doing well as far as our water. we're going to talk about that coming up in a few minutes. mike, you've been keeping your eye on the roads and you're looking at an incident on the nimitz. >> we have a live camera in oakland on the nimitz where it's already got a lot of traffic flowing, very smooth right here, and it will get more busy. detail came in from chp, they did say it's a little farther, headlights heading circled. 880 southbound just before the border, a crash may be there, but it sounds like everything is off to the shoulder and no slowing on the sensors. little blips showing up here and there indicating maybe a couple of trucks moving around, but no

problems reported. peninsula and through the south county everything is just fine. coming out of the altamont past, no slowing or dip in any speeds. a nice, clear drive all the way to the toll plaza as well. >> thanks, mike. expectation no longer needed. coming up on "today in the bay," suddenly a wider loophole that could allow you to get big discounts on apple products. >> plus, tax season gets under way. ahead at 5:25, we're going to tell you the tips you need to know to quickly get that refund. >> and there's big changes. use venmo a lot? get a tax credit? you could have a complicated tax return. we'll take a look when "today in the bay" continues.

yep, it's go time with wireless on the most reliable network. ok, that jump was crazy! but what's crazier? you get unlimited for just 30 bucks. nice! but mine has 5g included. wait! 5g included? yup, even these guys get it. nice ride, by the way. and the icing on the cake? saving up to 400 bucks? exactly. wait, shouldn't you be navigating? xfinity mobile. it's wireless that does it all and saves a lot. like a lot, a lot.

good monday morning. right now at 5:12, in the east bay we're seeing clear visibility but chilly temperatures. stepping out in oakland, we have upper 40s right now, dropping to the low 40s within the next couple of hours. then a slow rise in temperatures today as we get a lot of sunshine, but it's also going to be hazy this afternoon. we'll talk about our air quality and also that rain in the distance forecast that's coming up in a few minutes. >> the crash in heyward, let's take a live look at the san mateo bridge. the crash did clear.

the headlights are heading into heyward. everything is moving smoothly. a lot of clear views of the rest of your commute coming up. good morning, scott. >> good morning, mike, good morning, everyone. very happy monday to you as well. well, the bills are ready to be paid. today is the first day you can file your taxes. a couple of new things this year. number one, if you received money via venmo or paypal for some sort of service, meet 1099-k. the new tax rules have tightened up the rules for those who take venmo or paypal or third-party payment services. if you're a hairdresser or artist or someone who gets paid via venmo, the tax authorities are watching that account and they are turning the information over to the irs. if you got child tax credit payments throughout the year,

you'll probably get less back on your return. you could theoretically owe money, but that's unlikely. just be ready for some extra steps. and here's a big one. if you made money off bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, that's no different than making it off stocks or other investments, so you owe capital gains if you sold your bitcoin for a profit. these days that's not a risk, bitcoin is worth half of what it used to be. but a lot of people who had fun with those robinhood or coin-based apps on their phones don't realize there is a big tax bill coming due. capital gains taxes are much bigger than standard income tax, particularly if you bought and sold the asset quickly. chris is going to have more advice coming up in a few minutes and more advice on the "today" show as well. >> if you're expecting a refund and you want it quickly, you should file electronically and do it as soon as possible.

>> reporter: again, you can start doing that today. this week on our podcast, we talk to investor nicole quinn over at light speed venture partners. nicole invests in consumer tech, things like la lady gaga's cosmetics company and shopping apps. we talk about how all of those things, along with tiktok, have become their own type of entertainment. >> i had never thought of cameo and calm and spotify and netflix, and even doordash, as almost being channels, because they are ways of entertaining ourselves and we spend money on them. >> nobody has ever described it like that, but you are spot-on. i think that's a fascinating way to think about it. >> you can hear what nicole has to say about the future of entertainment, plus what it's like to work with lady gaga on our podcast, sand hill road. marcus, you know what it's like

to work with a super mega star every day because we work with kris. >> you have to stay far from her. she says 12 feet. >> i walk to the grocery store unfettered, like nobody cares. thank you very much, scott. 5:17 this morning. apple quietly pulled its new discount pricing requirement from students and teachers once again, allowing everyone to take advantage. so last week apple started asking people to verify their identity through a third-party service. but some educators and administrators complained that they could not verify their status properly. so the step is being eliminated, allowing shoppers in some cases to receive 10% discounts. and from apple to adele, but this time we're not talking about computers. >> some fans were in sin city when pop superstar singer adele canceled her vegas residency because of covid. one dedicated fan had this to

say. >> i tried to get tickets in philadelphia, no tickets. i tried to get tickets to nashville, no tickets. then i try to get tickets in new york. i got tickets in new york. those tickets were fake. that didn't work out either. me and my friends started a gofundme because we were like, we'll just get ellen degeneres' attention and she'll bring us on the show and she'll say i'm so sorry this happened to you. people don't feel bad for you when you get fake tickets off craigslist. >> nope. >> the girl has got a dream. so tiktok did get adele's attention and she surprised that fan with a face-time call. >> oh, my god, it turns out that adele canceling her show was the best thing that ever happened to me. it ended up being way better than ever seeing her in concert. so you can hear the full interview and what adele is promising that fan that's coming up at 7:00 after "today in the

bay." you've got to dream as big as that girl. >> you really do. i have some friends who were going to the concert. they were in vegas. they didn't get to go. but in vegas, they said we're making the best of it. what happened there, stayed there, i'm sure. >> we don't know what they did instead. good morning, mike, good morning, kari. you told us to put our umbrellas down, and guess what, still fell over. never going to learn, kari. >> it's still pretty windy over the weekend and some of the gusts in the mountains topped over 90 miles per hour over the weekend. most of us in the valleys didn't feel that and now we have issues with these fires that are happening just to our south. very unusual for january to have these kinds of issues, but now that smoke is going to be coming in and folks in the east bay are going to have to deal with unhealthy air quality, especially if you're sensitive to wildfire smoke. you do want to limit your time

out there. we're seeing a measure of particulate matter and levels will be unhealthy for people who do have breathing problems and also the children and elderly should limit their time, especially in the east bay. as we look at our temperatures and the trend for today, we're starting out cold, some spots in the mid-30s. then we warm up nicely for today and head for the low to mid-60s in parts of the south bay, but mostly upper 50s near the coastline. then we're back into the upper 30s in some spots, low 40s as we start out our tuesday morning. here's what's going on. it's all dry. we still haven't seen any rain. extremely dry for the month of january. and we've seen this large area of high pressure off the coast. it looks like it's going to slowly move and then allow for more rain to come in toward the end of the month and early february. nice to see that change. but even despite all of this dry weather, we are still at a surplus of water here. take a look at the rainfall we've measured so far from now

through early october. well, we've already had about 22 inches of rain in santa rosa, which is about 5 inches above normal. then when we take a look at the percentage of normal, we're still over 100% across the bay area, and as much as 163% of normal for oakland. so we're dry, but still not yet concerned. it's totally normal to have about 20 to 30 days of dry weather through the middle of our water year. then looking as we head through the end of the week into the weekend, our temperatures will be in the 60s over the next several days. you're saying it's nearly clear out there, mike? >> nearly clear. i mean, we've got to have cars. we're the bay area. but not a lot of slowing. let's take a look at the maps. overall green dominates, and that's great. over on the right side you see

484, a little slowing and a little slowing at the atamont pass. then everything is back at speed toward livermore. you're still at speed coming out of contra costa valley. brentwood, a smooth flow of traffic accessing 580 and also accessing highway 4. no major delays getting to the bay bridge. a nice flow of traffic at the toll plaza as well. more cars than we saw before but no slowing just yet. back to you. >> thank you, mike. next on "today in the bay," nbc bay area responds. >> reporter: the irs just started processing tax returns. we want to make sure you don't leave any money on the table. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll show you how next.

can you see my wall of smiles? when i first started using genesys technology i was kind of embarrased at all the love and attention i got from my customers. people are so moved by how much i understand about them. they start including me in their lives. that's helen and her friends. i arranged a wellness retreat for them. look at those ladies. such wisdom. mmm. but it's really genesys that helps me understand people and what they truly need. i'm just glad i can help.

today the irs will start processing federal income tax returns. >> before you file, consumer investigator chris chmura is here to break down what's new in 2022. he does have the qr code that might save you money and some time. >> reporter: if you dread april 15th each year, here's a win. federal tax forms aren't due until april 18th for most people because of emancipation day in

dc. also new is letter 6419. millions of families with kids got this letter already or will get it soon. hold onto it because you might need to it calculate whether your child tax credit is correct. it's always important to check your return for accuracy. it's especially important this year. the irs has a backlog of 6 million unprocessed returns from last year. many of them have mistakes. traditionally people who file paper returns are most likely to make mistakes. the good news is you don't have to file on paper and millions of families don't have to pay a pro to do it for them. you might qualify for the irs's free file program. families with an adjusted gross income of $73,000 or less qualify for free tax preparation and free electronic filing. each year millions of families qualify but don't take advantage, so check it out. next, our top stories we're following include firefighters

gaining ground on a wildfire along the central coast. we'll show you where containment stands for the colorado fire burning near big sur this morning. >> reporter: and racist flyers found in a san francisco neighborhood. coming up, we'll share what those flyers said and how community leaders are reacting. you're watching "today in the bay."

any parent will tell you the second you have a kid, it's like your heart is living outside of your body, which means you never, ever stop worrying. that's why we got health insurance and for way less than we thought was possible. the kids' doctor and dental check-ups are free, and i get screenings for my cholesterol and my blood pressure. don't get me wrong, i still worry. just a little less. covered california. this way to health insurance. enrollment ends january 31st at coveredca.com

inclusion, and, i mean, it's surprising to hear.

>> right now at 5:30, a shocking discovery in san francisco, where people in one neighborhood woke up to find hateful flyers on their doorsteps. we'll show you how the city is responding. >> remembering the deputy recruit shot and killed on the freeway. we sit down one-on-one with alameda county sheriff ahead of david nguyen's funeral. >> and gaining ground, the update on the wildfire threatening homes along the coast near big sur. this is "today in the bay." we are broadcasting not only to your tv, but you can watch us live on roku, amazon fire, and online. good morning, i'm kris sanchez. >> and i'm marcus washington. this is at the bay. this is a camera overlooking the bay. a beautiful way to start your monday morning. >> look at that reflection. >> ♪ reflection ♪ >> we missed you while you were

gone. no one here to sing. >> can you imagine when the sunrises? that's going to be a beautiful shot. meteorologist kari hall is monitoring what we can expect from the temperatures today. >> yeah, what you couldn't see from that shot is it's cold out there, and we've had these temperatures starting out in the mid-30s in spots. take a look at morgan hill and dublin, right now at 35. you're seeing a lot of 30s for inland valleys and then low 40s as you head up the peninsula and even near the coastline. we've also seen fog drifting around parts of the north bay, but it's much less expansive as compared to what we've seen last week and so the fog in the north bay, hazy sky especially for the inland east bay today, and our temperatures reaching into the low 60s. we're watching all of this and the changes we'll see as we go through the week. i'll have more on that in the forecast that's coming up in a few minutes. >> thanks, kari. neighborhoods in san francisco this morning wondering

who is behind hateful flyers left on people's doorsteps in pacific heights, loaded with anti-semitic rhetoric. sierra johnsons is live with some stunned reaction from neighbors. >> yes, good morning. the neighbors we spoke to living in the three-block radius where the flyers were found said they were surprised to see that happen in their neighborhood. they say it's typically an inclusive neighborhood and they were shocked it was happening so close to their home. the flyers were sound sunday between scott and broderick street in pacific heights. a jewish couple walking their dog found the flyers and contacted nbc bay area but did not want to talk on camera out of fear of retaliation. the fliers said, quote, every single aspect of the covid agenda is jewish. it continues to list the names of folks in the cdc and pharmaceutical companies as being members of the jewish community involved in that agenda. while neighbors say they are

disturbed by what they found, the regional director of the antidefamation league and organization against acts of anti-semitism say the flyers mirror statements made by different groups who use propaganda like that to try to justify acts of physical terror. >> there is that link between spreading the lies, trying to intimidate, and it can inspire violence and terroristic activities. >> reporter: and this morning we're also hearing reaction to the racist flyers from local community leaders. san francisco supervisor katherine stefani said in a written statement, let me be clear, this kind of anti-semitic hatred has no place in our city. i've been in touch with sfpd and intend to hold these individuals accountable. we must do everything we can to stand against it whenever it occurs. and we have reached out to san francisco police department. as of sunday evening, they have not received any record of

reports regarding any flyers, so definitely a story we will continue to follow. we're live in san francisco, cierra johnson for "today in the bay." >> thank you. more details about this, authorities in florida, they're also investigating similar fliers found there over the wen. the mayor of miami beach tweeted that someone left plastic bags, hundreds of them, outside of homes, but in this case they were filled with small pebbles. now, police there, they're now increasing patrols and investigating that. happening today, the alameda county sheriff's department recruit killed in a freeway shooting earlier this month will be laid to rest. the funeral service for 28-year-old david nguyen is set this morning at fellowship church in livermore. he was one month away from becoming a sheriff's deputy when he was shot and killed and was near the bay bridge toll plaza at the time. i spoke one-on-one with alameda

county sheriff about how he's being remembered. how is the team holding up? >> it's remarkable the work they're doing at the academy. he's a member of the 172nd academy, and that class has taken special steps in order to remember him and make sure he's on their minds each and every day. there's a flower arrangement set up in the main hallway, they've decorated their academy sign with a saying that he was famous for, saying, yeah, baby. so every day and almost everything they do, david is remembered. >> he wasn't a deputy yet, but he clearly made an impression as a recruit. his phrase, yeah, baby, you were saying, obviously very enthusiastic. what else can you tell us about him? >> well, he was just the type of law enforcement recruit that any agency would be pleased to have. he has military experience, he's a member of the california

national guard, he was a member with them since 2012. he responded to a number of emergencies, to assist communities. he's been up to the wildfires. he's been to several disturbances. he has an outstanding reputation with his recruit members. and the thing that's very touching to us is the work they did with his mom and dad. they're from vietnam and he was the oldest son of the family, and he took care of them every day. >> the investigation as far as we know is ongoing. can you tell us if there are any leads? >> so we work closely with the california highway patrol, the lead agency in this investigation. they've been working every day to come to a positive resolution. they have a number of leads they continue to work and we hope to have a favorable outcome and arrest the individuals hopefully sooner than later.

>> for the public, if they have any information -- i know you've been asking for weeks, the chp has been asking, if somebody now, three weeks later, remembers something or they find video, what's the best way to share that? >> absolutely, we certainly hope the public can assist us in this investigation. california highway patrol is accepting any type of information that you might have, and it's being run out of the oakland chp office. >> sheriff ahern, thank you so much for joining us. we hope that all of the services for recruit david nguyen go smoothly. . >> you can watch the complete interview with the alameda county sheriff on our nbc bay area streaming app. download it to apple, roku tv or amazon fire. new numbers this morning from the world health organization on the global spread of the omicron variant. in the nine weeks since it first was identified, more than 80 ml

omicron cases have been reported worldwide, more than the number of covid cases reported in all of 2020. deaths globally from covid happened last week, once every 12 seconds. more than 5.5 million deaths are blamed on covid since the start of the pandemic. those numbers are thought to be vastly underestimated. amid the surge in covid cases social advocates are turning up the heat on governor newsom to release hundreds of young people from state juvenile detention facilities. the state currently reports a higher number of juvenile detention cases than any other point in the pandemic. now, of the 640 young people being held in four facilities, nearly one-third have recently tested positive. advocates want governor newsom to release them within six months of their parole date or with medical concerns. now, supporters argue that the

state in mid-2020 first began releasing thousands of adult inmates. a hearing is set for march. developing now, firefighters are starting to get the upper hand on the wildfire burning between carmel and big sur. the so-called colorado fire is now 35% contained, 700 acres are burned. calmer winds are providing relief for firefighters and highway 1 does remain closed with evacuation orders still in effect for about 500 people. we certainly knew those winds were coming, and we don't expect to be talking about wildfire in january, kari. >> right, and it's been dry, unfortunately, even with all the rain that we've had for the first part of our water year, and when we did get into the rainy season. it's good that we are seeing the winds calm down and right now we have temperatures in the upper 50s in that area, near the colorado fire. and the winds are at about 10 miles per hour. and then some of that smoke is

going to be drifting into the bay area, so it's going to have an impact on our air quality today, especially for the east bay. if you are sensitive to wildfire smoke and high levels of pollution, you do want to limit your time out there. this is a measure of the particulate matter, and a lot of that is smoke that's going to make an unhealthy day for people who, once again, have breathing problems, or are sensitive to that smoke. we'll be watching that for today, as well as changes in the rest of our forecast. mike, you were looking out for people who are rail commuters as well. >> that's right. folks on the trains, let's take a look at our grid here. we only have -- we not only have delays, but a potential problem for folks using capitol corridor. if you haven't been keeping up with this, today is the day the new schedule goes into place that changes the timing on a couple lines in the morning and a few more in the evening, and that could mean you miss a train or you're going to wait a little longer than you expected. make sure you go to capitol

corecorridor.org to get the latest update. meanwhile, on the roadways things are moving smoothly. very light. haven't seen any slowing. we'll look at the bay bridge toll plaza, a smooth, easy drive as well. on the span itself we may see more volume heading through the toll plaza, but no metering lights just yet. back to you. >> thanks, mike. the surprise ending no one saw coming ahead for you here on "today in the bay." passengers left to find another way home. this is after a caribbean cruise ship avoids docking on u.s. soil. and this has nothing to do with covid. details on the seizure threat that left hundreds stranded. >> reporter: president biden is ratcheting up the pressure on russia as the situation in ukraine gets even that much more tense. >> and the 9ers now one win away from the super bowl. details on the rams thrilling win that knocked out tom brady

and sets up an all-or-nothing game.

new year, new start. and now comcast business is making it easy to get going with the ready. set. save. sale. get started with fast and reliable internet and voice for $64.99 a month with a 2-year price guarantee. it's easy... with flexible installation and backing from an expert team, 24/7. and for even more value, ask how to get up to a $500 prepaid card. get a great deal for your business with the ready. set. save. sale today.

comcast business. powering possibilities. it is 5:44. we're starting out with very cold temperatures in some spots. just a few degrees above freezing in santa rosa this morning. and it's foggy. we go from some mid-30s right now to sunshine and our temperatures reaching into the upper 50s by noon. we will have a milder day.

we'll talk about that and all of the changes ahead coming up in our forecast in just a few minutes. >> and right now as we often predict, there's some slowing right here for 101, just north of 680. our cameras are there as well. the volume is building up, but there's also a crash in the area. i'm tracking the details because it looks like cruisers have arrived on scene. we'll bring you more coming up. >> thank you. breaking news while you were sleeping, wikileaks founder julian a sang may be able to argue against his extradition to the united states. supreme court judges in the uk allowed him to appeal, although the court must still argue and agree to accept the case. the u.s. has been trying to extradite assange since 2019 to try to get him in connection with the publication of classified documents more than a decade ago. president biden is considering sending more u.s. troops to countries as russia

continues to threaten the ukraine. >> that would be an escalation at a time when so many militaries are already on edge. >> reporter: yeah, but putin really hasn't responded to any other negotiating tactic, kris, so it may be the next step for washington. "the new york times" quoting white house officials, was the first to report that president biden was thinking about sending several thousand u.s. troops, warships and aircraft to nato allies in the baltics and eastern europe. estonia, lithuania, latvia are loyal to nato. you can see why we're worried about those small countries and why we might send troops. you can see why putin is worried about which side ukraine will ultimately be on, hours under normal circumstances it's what ukrainian people largely want, or on his side if he invades and takes over the country. the u.s. has ordered families and other personnel working in

the u.s. embassy in kyiv to get out. the russians, meanwhile, are going to hold naval exercises off the coast of ireland. if russia invades, the u.s. is considering a number of sanctions. other news, the committee investigating the january 6th attacks on the u.s. revealed over the weekend it had interviewed former attorney general bill barr about an alleged plan by president trump to use the military to seize ballot boxes and voting machines, a plan that had been documented and talked about, but never put into action. the revelation came on sunday morning's face the nation. >> do you intend to go to the attorney general, bill barr, to ask him about this? i mean, how do you follow up on this kind of allegation and the paperwork to back it up? >> well, yes, we do. to be honest with you, we've had conversations with the former

attorney general already. >> reporter: that is indeed major news. we are watching that, we are watching the situation in ukraine and the possible movement of nato troops into latvia and estonia and lithuania. >> thank you. 5:48 right now and developing this morning, passengers stranded after a caribbean cruise ship scheduled to dock in miami did an abrupt u-turn. the ship ended up in the bahamas in order to avoid being seized. nbc's kerry sanders has details on the drama. >> reporter: if you're going on a crews ship, you would expect that you would wind up coming back to where you left from, like the port of miami. that is not the case for the passengers on the "crystal symphony," that's because if it comes back into u.s. waters, well, it will be seized by the u.s. marshalls. that's all because the cruise line, which has a fairly strong

reputation, has some unpaid bills, to the tune of $4.5 million. they haven't paid their gas bill, all the fuel that went into the cruise ship. so they decided that the best thing to do is to stay out of u.s. waters and they'll try to figure this out as the parent company of crystal is in bankruptcy court. kris? >> that is wild. >> thanks, kerry. 5:49 right now, and on what may have been the most exciting weekend of playoff football ever, 49er faithful have extra reason to be excited. the 9ers are one game away from the super bowl. they got there with a huge yep set over green bay on saturday. robbie gould with the game-ending kick to beat the packers, sending the 9ers to face the rival rams in an nfc championship. >> it looked so miserably cold. the rams won yesterday against

tom brady and the buccaneers. a long bomb from matt stafford to cooper kupp gave the rams a field goal as time ran out, and with that, brady's season was done. somehow things got more exciting in the night cap game, the bills and chiefs combined for 25 points, and three lead changes, into the final two minutes. sudden death overtime, the chiefs marched down the field with a game-ending touchdown. the chiefs host the bengals in the afc championship. let's hope the next one is not decided by a coin flip. the winner of those games face out of in super bowl lvi on february 13th. we'll be watching for the halftime show as well. >> that was a great weekend for football fans. trending for you this morning, for children, anyway, favorite for a lot of them, actually turns 45. >> yeah, take a look. let's see if you remember this. ♪ every day when you're walking

down the street ♪ ♪ everybody that you meet ♪ >> do you remember him? >> vaguely. >> he wasn't my kids' favorite. all right, arthur, you might remember, the most popular aardvark in history, longest running animated tv show in history. today marks 45 years since the first "arthur" book hit shelves. now in the final season on pbs, his creator is talking to "today" about arthur's impact on young people and the way he was born. >> i had just lost a teaching job and i went home that night and my son asked for a bedtime story. and i said, oh, i've had a terrible day, i really don't feel like telling you a story tonight. and he said, come on, dad, maybe it will make you feel better. and he was right. >> oh, now i love "arthur". catch the whole interview on the "today" show this morning at 7:00 right after "today in the

bay." >> from "arthur" to meteorologist kari hall. look, we want to know about that forecast today. >> and i'll say, hey! [ laughter ] >> i remember that song. i guess because i probably heard it yesterday. let's get a look at our live view right now. looking at the golden gate bridge, it is all clear out there and we are going to see the fog staying over the north bay. but then take a look at how cold it is as you're heading out the door. we have some mid-30s in morgan hill, 38 degrees in livermore and 35 in dublin. i guess after watching that game at lambeau field over the weekend, we cannot complain about this. take a look at our current visibility, down to about a half of a mile in santa rosa, but much clearer elsewhere across much of the rest of the bay area. and we are also watching the coastline today, because we are going to have the advisory for the potential of those sneaker

waves. all of these areas shaded in blue are included in the beach hazard statement where we could see some of those sneaker waves coming up and it could come up higher on the beach than some previous waves. our temperatures are fairly mild, about normal for this time of year, upper 50s, low 60s. still dry across the region and we are still looking at that high pressure, keeping the storm track well to the north of us. but we are looking at changes in the weather pattern going toward the end of the weekend into next week, possibly by february 1st we could see some rain moving in. you may be wondering how is it looking for sierra snow, and not this week, but the next week we could see a lot of snow coming in, this as we're still at 100% or above for this year. and we're doing well as far as our water year, despite the dry conditions that will continue throughout the week. we'll see our temperatures reaching into the upper 50s and low 60s all across the bay area. and, mike, you were tracking a crash and some slowing in san

jose? >> yeah, it's over my shoulder. the deal is we typically see slowing right in this portion of north 101, on the map you see the sensors slowing down at the typical spot. but just a bit further, near 880 there is a crash. chp vehicles on scene, but there's surprisingly little slowing. we'll track that. when the tow truck arrives, that may change things. otherwise, pretty much as you would expect. again, a crash north 880. a live look at the bay bridge. no backup or metering lights. we have a little slowing for 37. back to you. >> thanks, mike. happening now, caltrans starts work today to repair part of highway 9 in santa cruz county. the damage goes back to a winter storm five years ago and will include extending a water viaduct. the project covers the area in brook dale between boulder creek and ben lomond. work is expect to do wrap up in december.

>> big brother or another security measure? still ahead on "today in the bay," the new proposal in san francisco to crack down on crime, and why residents say it may ultimately have the final say. plus at 6:00, a new deadline for first responders in the south bay. we're live with the consequences they face if they refuse to get a booster shot. there's also a reason why hospitals may be scrambling for a possible break. we'll be right back.

5:57. welcome back. you're watching "today in the bay." and it may soon become easier for san francisco police to use surveillance cameras to respond the crimes. the mayor is behind plans to change the surveillance ordinance. this will allow them to use cameras in real time. the legislation plans to be introduced them and it will be put on the ballot that if supervisors can't agree on the issue, she'll leave it up to voters. california had the highest sales of recreational marijuana in all of 2021. marijuana sales boomed across the state last year. nearly a dozen states combined collected $3 billion in tax revenue from recreational sales, not counting the medical stuff. california reached nearly $1 billion alone.

washington state came in second, illinois, which legalized recreational use in 2020, came in third. well, right now at 6:00, a new booster shot deadline kicks in in the south bay. ahead, a live report. the scrambling some medical facilities may be doing to make sure those teams on the front lines are fully staffed. plus -- >> there is going to be a swift, a severe and united response. >> tensions rising overnight with russian troops amassing at ukraine's border. we are live from washington on the international standoff and the new warning for americans living in the regional. >> with a virtual halt in wet weather, all early rain this season becomes more important. where california now stands after what's been an incredibly dry january. this on "today in the bay." and here we go monday morning. thanks so much for making us a part of your morning.

i'm marcus washington. >> i'm kris sanchez. laura has the day off. don't forget, you can watch us on roku, amazon fire, apple tv and online. >> let's get started with a look at the forecast. meteorologist kari hall is tracking what we can expect. kari? >> good morning, and, yes, we've been tracking that fire that's happening just to the south of us. some of that smoke drifting in today will have an impact on our air quality, especially in the east bay, unhealthy for people sensitive to wildfires and smoke in the air. we are seeing moderate air quality elsewhere across the bay area. our temperatures today will be fairly mild, reaching into the upper 50s and low 60s, that's after a very cold start this morning. we'll talk more about all of the changes ahead and even more changes in our extended forecast coming up in a few minutes. >> thank you, kari. today is the deadline for some santa clara county