going up to fight inflation. we'll show you what to watch out for. this is "today in the bay." a good wednesday morning to you. thank you so much for making us a part of your morning. i'm marcus washington. >> i'm laura garcia. if you're on the go, take us with you. we broadcast not only to television, but you can watch us on roku, amazon fire, apple tv, online, on your phone. >> let's get you started. a foggy start across the bay area. take a look at this from san jose, san francisco, just fog, fog, fog. it's keeping meteorologist vianey arana busy this morning as she's tracking conditions throughout the bay area. foggy start, don't need to ask you how it's looking. >> let's start you out with a look at how it shapes out when it comes to visibility in miles. if you're heading out to work, this is what you're going to encounter. in the south bay, a quarter of a mile in san jose, even less than that, there's some parts of the

north bay. look at novato, san francisco down to about 2 miles, parts of hayward and oakland starting to see fog push through. not only is it foggy, it's also very cold. our temperatures are starting out in the 30s in dublin, 34 degrees. let's check in with mike because he has an update on some breaking news. >> yeah, in south bay, northbound 85 is shut down in cupertino. that is a tough issue for folks who are just hitting the road. north 85 just shy of de enza, the off ramp is closed. take saratoga toward lawrence or 285 if you can, past the scene, joining up with 85 north of there. i'll give tu rest of the details coming up. back to you. signs of progress in the omicron covid surge. one bay area public health leader believes it is on the decline. >> "today in the bay's" bob

redell live this morning. maybe some of these mask mandates and other restrictions could be easing soon? >> reporter: eventually, yes. the question, of course, is when. good morning to you, marcus and laura. as you're well aware, the california state indoor mask mandate is in effect until at least february 15ththe omicron appears to have peaked in the bay area. the san francisco chronicle reporting there are still a lot of people infected with coronavirus, but the number of cases are down by about 20% since january 9th. and still over 2,000 people are hospitalized with the disease, but the paper reports that that number also appears to be leveling off, the number of hospitalizations. according to the chronicle, marin county's health officer believes there will be more waves of infection, but they will be less harmful than the past because of stronger herd immunity. dr. matt willis predicts we could soon enter the endemic phase of this pandemic.

last night santa clarita county public health director sara cody spoke at the covid town hall and expressed they're on the other side of the surge. the other subvariant known as ba.2 has been detected in santa clarita county. dr. cody says it's so early to say whether it be more or less dangerous. >> my guess it will behave like the omicron variant, a subvariant. we'll see. >> we don't think it's causing more severe disease. in fact, the danish government released some data showing that so far they're not seeing increased hospitalizations due to this variant versus the regular omicron. >> reporter: even though ba.2 has been detected in 40 different countries, there's no

evidence that it is spreading more quickly than other variants, and so far it looks like our vaccines will be effective against it. marcus, laura. >> bob redell, thank you. a reminder for you this morning if you're looking for those free n95 masks that the government is offering, you can go to nbcbayarea.com and head to our pandemic coverage. you're going to find information on how to order free masks and free tests. >> the u.s. has a new warning for russia. president biden is sending in more weapons and equipment, and he's ramping up the rhetoric, warning of enormous consequences if russia invades. "today in the bay's" brie jackson live in washington. what's president biden saying, brie? >> reporter: laura, president biden says he's close to a decision on whether to send additional u.s. troops to nato countries near ukraine. he's also issuing a stark warning to russia. the u.s. sending more weapons,

ammunition and equipment to ukraine as part of a $200 million package. the president says he's considering economic sanctions on russia, and if russia invades, personally putting sanctions on russian president vladimir putin. concerns over growing tensions overseas has sparked rare bipartisan calls for action here on capitol hill. >> we should be providing the ukrainians, along with our nato partners, resources to defend themselves. >> once the russians try to overthrow the entire government, it's really too late. >> reporter: russia denies planning an incursion and insists the u.s. and nato are fueling tensions. as of now, president biden says he has no intention of sending american forces into ukraine, but is ensuring nato that u.s. troops are ready to go if russia invades. now, senior officials with the white house say that president

biden is considering publicly outlining his ukraine strategy in a speech. the timing of that is still uncertain. the administration says that's partly because they're concerned that putin could use the occasion to ramp up aggression on ukraine. back to you. >> certainly one to watch. brie jackson live from washington. thank you so much. 6:06 this morning, and happening now police are looking for smash-and-grab thieves who targeted two jewelry stores in the same peninsula mall. the robberies happened at the tanforan mall in san bruno. the first happened last week at maaz jewelers. security video shows thieves moving lightning quick as one of them used a crowbar. the store owner actually pulled a gun out to stop the thieves in their tracks. he says one of them actually drew a gun in response, but no shots were fired. it's believed the same thieves targeted a second store, s&l gem company. yesterday workers were cleaning up broken glass. new details on the fire in

big sur that shut down highway 1. some trucks are being allowed back into the area, mostly for tlifreries to businesses close to the fire zone. firefighters say it started last friday from embers from a pile that was burning, got out of control due to strong winds. about 50% contained. highway 1 is still closed to nonessential traffic. and taking a live look, you can see the clouds above the golden gate bridge. oh, wow. clouds are taking over today. meteorologist vianey arana is tracking all of the conditions for us this morning from the foggy start to the cold temperatures. >> yeah, that's going to be the most noticeable part of our morning, the fog, and like marcus said, it's cold outside. but it won't be cold all day. it will eventually bump up into the mid-60s for the afternoon and we'll get some sunshine. 65 degrees in san jose. daytime highs today in the mid-60s for los gatos as well.

east bay, take a look at your daytime highs, 65, 64, through livermore 64. and through the peninsula, 61. if you're going to be heading to the city it will be slower to clear. the temps will be also in those low 60s. let's see how the roads are doing with mike. >> breaking news, south bay commuters, heads up northbound 85 is currently blocked, all lanes just shy of de anza boulevard because of a deadly crash. someone on the roadway was hit and now we have an investigation that has to happen before they can clear the lanes. folks are slowing down approaching the saratoga exit. saratoga to lawrence to 280 is one of your alternates and 280 in general is your alternate through the area. the cones are out. it will be a while, possibly 7:00, maybe longer. a little slowing north 101. the crash did clear. and there's fog south to the san mateo bridge.

at the bay bridge things are clear. back to you. >> thanks so much, mike. keeping renters in their homes. coming up on "today in the bay," we're going to tell you the new warning landlords in one city will have to give tenants who are facing possible eviction. >> reporter: and the ups and downs of vertical farming. we'll give you a taste and take you to the futures as well. it looks like they've already priced in all the worries a couple days ago. the markets look like they're going to be going to the positive. >> and freshly baked, while some learn to make sourdough during the pandemic, one rapper took up furniture making. a look at the sofa he created is getting a whole lot of loaf. interesting.

good morning. it is 6:12, and the fog is very dense, especially for the south bay and the north bay. look at this, in san jose down to a quarter of a mile, even less than that through parts of novato. i'll have a closer look at what you can expect through the afternoon heading into your full forecast. >> the fog on the map is the yellow, south of 92, that is a major problem getting into the south bay. in the south bay, getting through cupertino is a problem. north 85, all lanes are blocked just shy of de anza boulevard. i'll give you the alternate and we'll talk about why it's

closed. 280 northbound, that's your alternate. >> reporter: good morning, happy monday -- or wednesday to you as well. you know, i talk about the fed meetings all the time, but all of a sudden everyone else is talking about them, too, caring about it. because as of today we think we'll get solid information on when the fed will start raising interest rates. there's a press conference, as there always is, coming after the 11:00 meeting end, where the head of the fed, jay powell, will tell us what the open markets committee has decided. now, the fed influences the economy in a number of ways one of them is buying up government bonds that injects money into the economy. tapering is doing the opposite, the fed slowing its purchases. and, of course, then there's interest rate hikes. interest rates are right now fundamentally at zero. raising them again slows down the economy and hopefully fights inflation. this is, after all, what we all said we wanted. every time you heard someone,

including yourself, understandably, griping about high prices, the fed was listening, and watching that price data, and now comes the bitter medicine to fight inflation. but even if the fed announces rate hikes very soon, as soon as march even, remember, that's because the economy is doing well. that's part of it as well. we've had one of the fastest returns, the up arrows, in recent history. things really are going quite well. >> at the end of the day, the most important thing for most people are two things. their paycheck and their housing. paychecks still look pretty good, in part because the unemployment rate is low and wages have indeed been rising. housing prices may come off a little bit because the fed is raising rates, but the housing market still looks pretty strong. so while we have the fed raising ratings and the stock market declining, the outlook for the economy is still pretty robust. >> reporter: now, that was steve liesman of cnbc. he'll be on the "today" show.

he's worth listening to. he won a pulitzer prize for business writing and he plays in a grateful dead cover band. these are good qualifications in my mind. wall street, investors seem to have a rate hike already priced in. things look positive. this is pretty cool, walmart says it's going to work with the bay area's plenty farms to bring the farm's produce to walmart stores. plenty grows produce inside, using robots, which cuts down on pollution and chemicals and runoff into the water. walmart is investing in the company as well. their farms are really cool. they say they can increase yields enormously. of course they don't have to deal with bugs because it's inside and because they water verticily, a plant at the top drips down to the next one as well. and the secret is this low-cost led lighting. they can create sunlight for pennies on the dollar. sunlight might be free, but you can't protect from storms and bugs.

>> how interesting, too, could it take away from california's economy as well, you know? we're a big producer. but if you could use that anywhere, it could change things. >> i didn't think about it like that. >> thanks, scott. 6:15 for you this morning, and new for you, bentley is going electric. so the luxury british automaker will start production on its first fully electric car in 2025. this is with a projected cost of more than $3 billion. now, its plan is to be all electric by the end of the decade. bentley is owned by volkswagen and it already sells a hybrid suv for $160,000. >> wow. >> that's a lot of money for a car. >> i've got a volkswagen, but not a bentley. >> a lot of people are buying them, on strong demand for those high-end vehicles.

couch potatoes, listen up. there's a new sofa idea that might make you feel like butter. >> one rapper from estonia unveiling a couch he calls the lofa, which is pretty clever. it looks like a series of dinner rolls. the rapper says if you've got more than 10,000 comments on the post, ikea said they would release it. he's reached that goal and then some. no word from the store and also no word on whether it's gluten-free. >> that looks like a pancake carpet. >> or a tortilla. i'm hungry now. >> take a bite out of your couch. >> a little ham on there. >> definitely an interesting aesthetic, that's for sure. if it's comfortable, it's comfortable. >> there you go. >> i bet that once those go out

of style and end up in thrift stores, they'll be a better find. san jose, look at that. it is so foggy and we are seeing limited visibility, not just in the south bay, also around the palo alto area as well, san francisco up through novato, santa rosa, napa. and we are expecting for that to eventually clear out, but it's also very cold. dublin 34 degrees right now. concord 36, santa rosa 39. and let's take a look at your hour-by-hour outlook. but i do want to show you your air quality forecast because the high pressure has continued to dominate. that's been keeping us dry in the bay area, from the north bay down to the south bay. the bay area air quality management strict is saying we're going to remain moderate, according to the index, between 51 and 100 all throughout the region. at least we're not tapping into the unhealthy air quality despite the high pressure. walnut creek it's about 37 degrees. if i give you an hour-by-hour outlook, pay attention to the

icons. you can see when the sun finally makes its big entrance by 10:00, 11:00 and temperatures start to bump up into the 50s, eventually topping out in the mid-60s. san francisco right now is about 46 degrees and then eventually some of the fog will clear out by about 9:30, 10:00 a.m. we'll start to get more sunshine. oakland, it's about 37 degrees. it's really cold out there. but by 11:00, we're talking 52, 57 by 1:00, and your daytime highs for this afternoon, not too bad, in the mid-60s for san jose, 65 in oakland, 63 in santa rosa. so mostly a sunny day ahead, but the dry weather will linger through the remainder of the week. we have a system that moves in sunday into monday that could bring us a slight chance of showers. but first let's see if there's an update on that breaking news with mike. >> we did just get an update seconds ago.

we learned that soon one lane of north 85 will hopefully open. all lanes are blocked by a deadly crash investigation which continues here that jams up north 85. your alternate right now is saratoga, get over to lawrence and 280 in general. one lane may open, but that will not be able to handle all of the load. the rest of the bay affected by fog. that's the big deal. here is the san mateo bridge, what we can see of it. use caution. back to you. >> thank you. next here on "today in the bay," nbc bay area responds. >> he asked for a flight refund, so should he settle for a voucher? we don't think so. neither does uncle sam. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. nbc bay area responds next.

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. 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.

welcome back. it's 6:23 right now. nbc bay area responds to an east bay viewer whose airlines canceled his flight tu to the pandemic. >> he asked for a refund, but didn't get one. so consumer investigator chris chmura's team stepped in. >> david in castro valley booked from trip from san francisco to spain for the spring of 2020. he paid the airline level $988 for round trip tickets. well, david says level canceled the flight due to the pandemic and offered him a voucher. yeah, well, he wanted a refund. federal law says he's entitled to one, but david says he made

multiple requests that went nowhere. so he called us and we reached out to level. it told us that level's care area reviewed the information received and proceeded to refund the reservations canceled due to the operational limitations caused by covid-19. that is good news. days later, $998.88 refunded to david's credit card. david had the law on his side. when an airline cancels or significantly changes a flight, it is required to refund customers. if that's not happening, well, you can file a complaint about an airline directly to the feds. we made a video recently showing you how. you can watch that and our how-to episodes on our website, streaming channels or youtube page. just look for the how-to playlist. >> thank you so much, chris. it's 6:24 right now. san francisco leaders want those struggling to make it and facing eviction to get more leeway.

supervisors have approved a new ordinance requiring landlords to provide a ten-day warning to tenants. they believe it will allow tenants a chance to correct things before the eviction process kicks in. under current laws a three-day notice is required. also during the pandemic it was temporarily stretched to 15 days. breaking news in the south bay, brand new information coming out about a triple stabbing. the victims' conditions and the search for a suspect. and meteorologist vianey arana keeping her eye on dense fog in the bay area. >> it is foggy in the south bay near san jose city hall and the city of san jose now has some clarity about gun ordinances. they have a new law that could end up before the supreme court. i'll tell you what it requires of gun owners. >> and hate crimes in san francisco skyrocketing.

the grim number it's possibly tied to and the city's department now under fire.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ it came a long way to be found by you. find more. spend less. shop now at homegoods.com. we can reduce gun harm when we see the ex spans of gun harm. >> right now at 6:30, history-making legislation. a late-night vote in san jose now requiring gun owners to get insurance and pay yearly fees. a live report on when it's set

to take effect and the pushback it's receiving. >> plus, easing restrictions at schools. the new loosened guidelines in the north bay and the temporary fix that will allow one district to keep schools open. >> also, a new warning for parents on at-home covid test kits. guidance from a local health expert on what you need to keep in mind about the threat they possibly pose to kids. this is "today in the bay." a very good wednesday morning to you. thanks so much for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. of course broadcasting on your television, but that's not all. you can join us live on roku, amazon fire, apple tv and online. let's get you started with your morning as we take a live look outside. we're starting to see a peek of the golden gate bridge there. the fog has been taking over this morning. meteorologist vianey arana actually in for kari this morning with a look at what we can expect from temperatures

today. >> we are seeing foggy conditions and it's about 46 degrees right now in san francisco. if you're wondering when are we going to get the sun? take a look at your temperature trend. by 10:00, 11:00 we're getting peeks of sunshine. we're going to top out in the upper 50s, low 60s today for san francisco and it's colder in walnut creek. 37 degrees to start right now. it's going to remain in the 30s through about 8:00 a.m. a very cold morning. by 11:00, we're talking 50s and a little bit more sunshine. let's check in with mike with an update on breaking news. >> yeah, we have this closure for northbound 85, because all lanes are blocked for an investigation, a deadly crash in cupertino. north 85 on the map, you see it jammed up before you get to the saratoga exit. that will be your way out of the backup. north 85, then go to lawrence and get to 280 if that's an

option for you. i'll give you the progress report coming up. we may have movement coming up soon. we have more breaking news that we're following out of san jose this morning. police now confirming three people have been stabbed at a home in the city's overfelt neighborhood. the attacker is still on the loose. it happened about 2:15 near waging waters. the three victims are expected to do survive. we saw police with weapons drawn this morning walking in and out of that house. it's still not clear what led up to the stabbing or if the victims knew their attacker. 6:31 right now. city of san jose is the first in the nation to require gun owners carry liability insurance, and pay a fee towards reducing gun violence. "today in the bay's" kris sanchez joins us live. everybody is talking about this. it's probably going to end up in court. >> reporter: well, it is almost a certainty that this will end up in court, and perhaps even all the way at the supreme

court. but for now, san jose is the only city in the nation that has a gun law like this one. the debate went late into the night with about 50 people speaking on each side about the so-called gun harm reduction measure that requires gun owners to carry liability insurance in the event that their gun is used in a crime. also pay a $25 fee into a nonprofit aimed at reducing gun violence in the community. the ordinance affects an estimated 50,000 households in which someone owns a gun. the mayor says this reduces the chances of gun violence in situations involving domestic violence and mental health crises. firearms policy coalition statement reads in part, however, we will not hesitate to challenge the city's policies in federal litigation and take every possible action to block their enforcement. but a constitutional law professor says gun ownership can come with responsibilities. >> it's a restriction, but it's not an overly burdensome one or

a ban. and the supreme court has held that there can be some regulations. >> reporter: for now, until this ends up in the courts, it seems like it is slated to go into effect within the next six months. in san jose, kris sanchez, "today in the bay." >> thank you. new for you this morning, we do have new numbers on a surge in anti-asian hate crimes in san francisco. police say that the number jumped nearly sixfold last year. so in 2020 police counted nine cases of hate crimes against asians. last year it jumped to 60. police also say they made arrests in a majority of the cases. all of this comes as district attorney chesa boudin faces a lawsuit filed by members of the aapi community. the plaintiff says he was attacked in 2019. he also says that the charges against his attackers were

reduced to misdemeanors without his knowledge and the da's office is falling short. boudin's office did not respond but say they continue to be a steadfast advocate for the aapi community. 6:33, and new this morning, bay area schools coping with covid. one north bay district now loosening its restrictions for gatherings and sporting events, and an east bay district reaching an agreement with teachers to keep classrooms open. "today in the bay's" cierra johnson is live this morning following both of those developments. >> reporter: good morning, marcus. we've been keeping a close eye on the schools throughout this pandemic. as you can imagine, it's been a roller coaster ride as the schools worre some developments in marin county, where public health leaders appeared before the board of supervisors to make changes to an existing mask mandate.

as it stands right now, we are dropping the 50-person limit on indoor spectators at sporting events. masks will still be required for all indoor events, and instead of recommending masks for outdoor settings, new guidance says parents, students and staff should consider masks for outdoor settings. this comes as the county sees itself on the other side of the omicron surge, and in the east bay following sick-outs by educators and walkouts by students, a tentative agreement between the teachers union and the oakland unified school district has been reached. the point of contention was the covid-19 safety measures they had in place. according to a release from the district, both parties have reached a deal regarding some of the main concerns. under the tentative agreement, the district tells us they will provide weekly covid testing access for all students and staff, they will continue to make high quality masks such as kn95 masks available for students and staff, and they will also provide all sites with a proper amount of covered eating spaces for students so

they're able to safely eat outdoors. i had a chance to talk to a fourth and fifth grade teacher moments after members were notified of the agreement and she said it took a collaborative effort to reach this point. >> the majority of the credit goes to the students and their actions, the teachers and staff who have stood in solidarity with them in unsanctioned sick-outs. if there's anything i have learned in the last few months, that organizing works. >> reporter: and the agreement is scheduled to be voted on by those union members, that will take place before it is authorized by the board of education. we're live in san francisco, cierra johnson for "today in the bay." >> thank you. doctors are getting more and more phone calls these days about covid-19 home testing kits, not how to take them but an ingredient inside that has some parents calling the poison control center.

the preservative is called sodium azide. the fda calls it hazardous we're hearing reports of children drinking it and some adults mistaking it for eyedrops. i spoke with dr. peter chin-hong from ucsf about what everyone needs to know. are we talking about the liquid that is in some of these rapid tests? >> yes, the little bit of liquid is there for a good reason, which is to help the kits last for a longer period of time, it's a preservative. but i think what happens usually is people take the solution out from the cap, you leave it on for 15 minutes when you're waiting for the test to be done, and meanwhile kids sort of, like, reach out for it and spray the water, it falls all over the place. i think that's the danger period, when you leave it unattended for those 15 minutes usually. >> that's what it sounds like the bigger issue here, is parents need to watch what their kids are doing and adults not pick up something and just put

it in their eye like an eyedrop. >> definitely. i think, you know, if you put it in your eyes, it can definitely be irritating. if you ingest it, it could definitely cause irritation in the gastrointestinal system. and if you're small enough, that concentration could be potentially dangerous. >> so parents need to be very, very aware when they're around their kids. so what should they look for, if so? is the first route to call the poison hotline? >> yeah, so the first route is definitely to call the poison hotline, but in the meantime it depends on where the solution ends up. if it ends up on your eyes or somebody's eyes, you wash it off with soap and water. if it's in your gut, continue to drink some water while waiting for poison control. if it's on your clothes, you definitely want to change your clothes to new clothes and wash that, just regular soap and water will be fine. the concentration is not big

enough. and one other population i think we have to worry about also is pets, small pets, dogs, cats, et cetera. they can also have toxicity as well. and definitely don't pour it into your aquarium. >> no doubt at all. i always thought it was something they needed for the test itself to help dilute it or mix with it. but it's actually a preservative, as you said. >> yes, it's a preservative. it's also used for other reasons like in pesticide control, et cetera. so i think it is essentially a preservative. >> the best bet is just to be careful, it sounds like, doctor. >> be careful and definitely watch if you have small animals or kid around while you're waiting for those 15 minutes and the cap is off. >> all right, put everything up high. dr. peter chin-hong, thank you so much for joining us. >> you can watch the complete interview on our nbc bay area streaming app. download it now on roku, apple

tv or amazon fire. >> don't put knit your aquarium. here we go, 6:39. look at the fog hovering around san francisco this morning. oh, that's san jose. >> it's dangerous out there. >> you're like, oh, no, it's in the south bay, too. >> it's hard to see the roadways. i missed my exit this morning. >> that fog is thick. >> we're glad you made it, that's for sure. it's really tough to see. look, in the south bay it's down to less than a quarter of a mile. that's where our station is located. a fun fact for those who didn't know, we're located in san jose. forecasted highs for today, once we see some of the fog back off, the temperatures will bump from the 30s, which we're seeing now, to the mid-60s, so it will still be dry and comfortable. san jose 65 degrees, in through the east bay. take a look at walnut creek, it's about 64 degrees today. oakland, 60s. so we are going to remain mild and dry not just for today, but

also really just through the end of the week. we've had this high pressure, air quality is moderate. breezy mainly in the higher elevation areas. let's get an update on the roads with mike. >> yeah, unfortunately, i don't have lane status updates, meaning no change, i guess. still blocked, north 85, all lanes are blocked around the de enza exit. it's jamming folks before you get off at saratoga and maybe take lawrence to 280. 280 is your alternate through cupertino. the deadly crash happened early this morning and investigation continues. the coroner is not yet on scene. i thought it would take until about 7:00, judging from the time the coroner was called. we're hoping one lane opens. there's dense fog. be very careful south of the san mateo bridge, across the bridge. and tonight a full closure of eastbound 80, the alternate will

be posted at highway 29. back to you. >> thanks, mike. 6:41 right now. relief for first responders coming up next on "today in the bay," san francisco's mayor calling for new fung. the boost that's expected to provide short-staffed departments on the front lines of the pandemic. >> reporter: president biden is going to give another try to build back better. let's take you to the big board as well, where stocks are up ahead of that important interest rate decision. but first let's check with abby. >> reporter: hey, marcus and laura. on our new episode of synced in, we are talking about the new changes for s.a.t.s and why test-takers aren't going to need a pencil anymore. you can watch on our instagram page on nbc bay area.

this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing

$1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities.

it is 6:45 right now, as you head out the door we've got fog and look at your temperatures, right now for the tri-valley in the 30s to start. eventually the fog will clear out, but slow down out there. limited visibility, especially for the south bay, north bay, and around the palo alto area as well as the peninsula. i'll have your full forecast coming up in a few minutes. >> look at the map, how much fog. that's all the yellow on either side of the bay and all of this red, a big deal for north 85. the closure for a crash investigation that's got you backed up approaching saratoga avenue. there's your alternate. we'll talk about the latest progress, hoping to have some

lanes open soon near cupertino. >> thanks for the update. quarter to 7:00 right now. new this morning, mayor london breed is proposing more funding to handle major staffing shortages among first responders. right now police staffing levels are down 20% compared to pre-pandemic levels. for the fire department, it's 16%. the plan calls for about $22 million to both departments, including $7 million for firefighters and $14 million for police. supporters say it would help address crime, maintain emergency services and meet other public safety needs. 6:46, president biden will meet with business leaders today, including ceos from silicon valley. >> scott mcgrew, the ceo's support build back better. >> you remember build back better, right? it's the bill that never made it to the floor of the senate and, frankly, there's no indication that it will. president biden is going to remind congress there are lots of american business leaders who support build back better.

the heads of ford and gm, microsoft, the bayier's salesforce and hewlett-packard will meet today. they'll keep an eye on the fed announcement as well. remember, the president has no control over the independent central bank, nothing really new on ukraine to tell you about, though the state department had tough words for putin yesterday. >> these are the kinds of actions that we sought to relegate to history after the second world war, and the vladimir putin thinks that renewed aggression won't be met with severe, swift, united response, he would be wrong. >> reporter: san francisco congresswoman, nancy pelosi, the speaker of the house and third most powerful person in government, says she will run for another term. she made that announcement on social media last night.

>> when people ask me what are the three most important issues facing the congress, i always say the same thing, our children, our children, our children. you have to be able to take a punch or throw a punch for the children. >> now, there are some in her party that would say the most important thing facing american right now is whether we continue to act as a democracy, and the threat on voting rights. while pelosi can easily win another term, how san francisco votes on her election has no effect as to whether she continues as speaker. that's up to her party to decide. you remember american hero police officer eugene goodman that led attackers away from members of congress on january 6th. he's not really talked to the press, but he did an interview with a podcast yesterday. he tells the three brothers no sense podcast someone selling sweatshirts with his face on

them outside the capitol, so he bought one. i'm like, wow, okay, this dude is going to charge me for my own face, that's funny. i respected the hustle and i bought one. everybody has got to eat. i put a link to the interview on both my twitter and facebook pages. on twitter you'll find me @scott mcgrew. our climate in crisis, the focus of a bay area appearance today from governor newsom. he's going to stop? santa clarita county where he'll highlight the state's transition to zero emission vehicles. his new budget plan, well, it includes $6 billion to promote more innovation and investments. >> checking the forecast, it's really not clearing up behind you, so foggy out there. >> it's going to take some time. definitely don't expect for it to clear before 8:00 a.m. we're going to see this linger

through your morning commute. san jose, you can't even make out what's behind it. normally we would see some fog in san francisco, very typical, very summer-like, actually, for us to see fog. but 37 degrees in oakland right now and look at your temperature trend. so eventually we'll start to bump up into the 40s and, yes, we're going to get some clearing. that's a live look from san francisco, but you can't make it out because it's so foggy. 46 degrees right now. temps will bump into the 50s by 10:00, 11:00. we're talking mid-50s, mid-60s. in concord it's so cold, 37 degrees. eventually at 49. and then look what happens on the icons. we clear out, the sunshine makes its way through and then we're talking mid-60s. now, i also want to give you a look at the air quality outlook because we've had high pressure that's been dominating, keeping us dry, but it impacts our air quality because it's sort of a dry air mass that traps particles. we're going to remain moderate from the north bay down the

santa clara valley. it's not expected to bump up into the high zone. microclimate highs will be comfortable, but we're going to see that it will get dry this afternoon. san jose 65 degrees, 63 in napa. 65 in santa rosa. and your extended outlook, we keep the high pressure in our forecast really all the way through the end of the week. it isn't until sunday, if you notice, we've got a weak low pressure system to our north that might bring us a chance of seeing shower activity late sunday into early monday. so for now, this next stretch of four days, is going to remain dry and cold in the mornings. look at the overnight lows. dipping down into the 30s at least through friday, along with early-morning fog and san francisco's daytime high will be about 61 degrees. let's get a check of the roads with mike. >> we still have this big issue for the south bay, north 85, no lanes are open yet as you're heading through cupertino, just

shy of the exit there. you're backing up, a bigger backup approaching saratoga avenue, which is one of your alternates to get out of the backup or 280 to stay clear. no word on when the lanes will open. we're hoping after 7:00, but, again, no progress reported yet. the fog really dense, where it's yelly south of the san mateo bridge, both sides of the east bay as well as the peninsula side, and also your slower drive from the north bay through fog and typical spots, including the bay area bridge, which has had metering lights on since 6:10. now starting to show a wait at the toll plaza. >> thank you so much. 6:52. california lawmakers are considering a plan to cover the cost of getting your kids to school. the measure calls for free transportation to call public schoolchildren, pre-k through 12th grade. the total cost is still unknown. and next a quick look at the top stories, including breaking news in the south bay.

new information on that triple stabbing, an update on the victims and the search for the attacker. plus -- >> it appears the bay area is on the back side of the omicron surge. the significance of the new variant of omicron that has just been detected in santa clarita county. you're watching "today in the bay." 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.

6:55 on your wednesday morning. welcome back. here's a look at the top stories we're covering on "today in the bay." >> we've been following breaking news all morning long out of the south bay. san jose police confirm three people have been stabbed at a home in the city's overfelt neighborhood, and the attacker still on the loose. this happened at about 2:00 a.m. on the street near raging waters. three victims are all expected to survive. now, it's still not clear what led up to that stabbing or if the victims knew the attacker. gun advocates this morning already vowing legal action to block san jose's first in the nation gun law. it requires gun owners to pay an annual $25 fee and maintain liability insurance. the money would go to a fund focused on reducing gun violence. an estimated 50,000 san jose households contain firearms. some legal experts already expect the battle to wind up in

the u.s. supreme court. for now, it's expected to take effect in the next six months. >> it's decision day for the fed when it comes to interest rates. our scott mcgrew is following those developments. scott, the hope is that higher interest rates will fight inflation. >> reporter: yeah, that's right. we should get some indication, marcus, when the federal open markets committee will raise rates after the committee ends its meeting later this morning. we think the first rate hikes could come as soon as march and there could be several in an attempt to fight inflation. the stock market has been rough lately as investors worried about those rates, but as you can see, they're much better today. it looks like they've priced in that news. marcus and laura. >> thank you very much. here's good news for you. signs of progress in the omicron covid surge. one public health leader believes it's on the decline. bob redell is looking at whether this could possibly change our mask mandates and restrictions.

>> that would be the hope. we know eventually the mask mandates will go away, but the question is when. we know california's statewide mask mandate is in effect until at least february 15th as of right now. the omicron surge has appeared to have peaked here in the bay area. the chronicle reports there are still a lot of people infected with coronavirus in our region, but the number of cases are down by about 20% since january 9th. and still just over 2,000 people are hospitalized in our area with the disease, but the paper reports that number also appears to be leveling off. according to the chronicle, marin county's health officer believes there will be more waves of infection, but will be less harmful than we've seen in the past because of a stronger herd immunity. last night santa clarita county public health director sara cody spoke at representative ro khanna's covid-19 town hall and

expressed her county is also on the other side of the surge. two cases of the subvariant known as ba.2 have been detected in santa clarita county. dr. cody said it's too early to say whether ba.2 would be more or less dangerous than regular omicron. this has been detected in 40 countries, ba.2, and there is no evidence that it is spreading more quickly than others, and so far it appears that our vaccines are effective against it. laura. >> let's hope the good news continues. thanks, bob. foggy news when it comes to cameras across the bay. >> it's going to linger around until at least about 8:00, 9:00 for most spots. a little slower to clear up through the north bay, and then by noon we should be seeing more sunshine. mike? >> and, unfortunately, still all lanes of north 85 are blocked. there's your alternate, saratoga to lawrence, 280 to stay away from the deadly crash investigation. we'll track that, along with very heavy fog. it's tough to see for a lot of

drivers. >> take it easy as you head out the door. that's what's happening "today in the bay." we're going to be back at 7:25 with a local news update. >> thanks for joining us this morning. we'll see you back here tomorrow. the "today" show coming up next. good morning, polar plunge, frigid temperatures now blankets much of the country and al is threatening a major nor'easter. take a hike, the fed expected to announce today that it will raise interest rates. with the economy and stock market in turmoil and record inflation forcing americans to dig deeper with this key decision could mean for you and your bills in the weeks ahead.