relentless attacks on several ukrainian cities rage on. forces fire at the ukrainian nuclear power plant. >> anything in that area is extremely dangerous, any fire, any kind of disruption. >> a radiation expert details the dangerous consequences if the shelling continues. and --

>> the war in ukraine hits very close to home for some people in the bay area. we'll show you how one uc berkeley music student wants to use his talent to help loved ones overseas. this is "today in the bay." here we go. friday morning. good morning to you. thank you for being a part of our morning. i'm marcus washington. >> i'm kris sanchez. it's nice to be this close this morning. all the folks in the newsroom not wearing masks. >> i know. oh, that's what you look like. >> i've aged a little bit over the last few years. we are broadcasting, also, on roku, amazon fire, apple tv and online. i think the filters are better there. we're going to start with a look at the forecast. my one daughter said i knew it was going to rain because i watched kari, and my other daughter was like, oh, i should have watched kari. >> grade a for one daughter,

okay. we are going to have the change of our weather. and you do want to make sure you're prepared. you'll know the people who didn't watch the forecast because temperatures will be dropping significantly today. we're not talking about 70 degrees. we're going to stay in the 50s and we'll see off and on rain with high winds for this afternoon. we'll even have a chance of storms possible again today. for tomorrow, we'll start out the day with active weather with rain, possibly some snow on some of our bay area hills. but then after that, we are headed for some sunny and warmer weather. let's take a look at storm ranger right now. waking up to some rain and we're so happy to see it. this is actually a lot better than what the computer models initially showed. and some of the pockets of heavier downpours moving through alameda, as well as parts of the peninsula. we're seeing some of those heavy downpours and we're going to have this possibly affecting the commute. mike, you have two issues for the north bay. >> neither one of them are whether related, but we do see

that green highlighting here, wet roadway, wet around many of our cameras. right now we still did have an overnight closure for the road and sometimes the rain has crews call that off. but eastbound 80 is still closed and the opposite direction closes tonight into saturday morning. keep that in mind. a traffic break may be going on north 680 because of a crash there. should be cleared from lanes shortly. but overall, light traffic. watch those slick roads. back to you. >> thanks, mike. developing right now, ukrainian leaders say europe's largest nuclear power plant is secure, but there was a fire on the ground. >> here's what we know so far. this verified video shows russian troops shelling that plant. there have been no elevated levels of radiation reported so far, but we now know that russian forces are in control of the power plant located in the southern part of the country. this led the united states to activate its nuclear response

team. ukraine's president warned that a disaster at that plant would be ten times larger than chernobyl. we spoke with an epidemiologist who says the destruction could be unimaginable. >> after everything that we know about chernobyl accident, that anyone would do this, this is completely irresponsible, unimaginable. i just don't have words to describe it. >> the plant accounts for about 25% of all ukrainians' electricity. the power plant assault comes as the invasion enters its second week with no end in sight. >> "today in the bay's" brie jackson is in washington with more on reaction from our lawmakers. >> reporter: a fire at europe's largest nuclear plant in ukraine, extinguished this morning, following an attack by russian forces. another sign of the path of destruction left behind.

president biden spoke with the president of ukraine about the attack, after announcing more sanctions on russian oligarchs. >> we're going to continue to support the ukrainian people. >> reporter: there are growing calls from both parties for the president to go even further and ban u.s. imports of russian oil. >> i don't want u.s. dollars to be funding this carnage in ukraine. >> and we're sending strong signals to our allies. >> reporter: the administration cautions gas prices will spike even higher, and pad president putin's profits. president zelenskyy says he wants to speak directly to his russian counterpart. >> i think i have to talk with putin, the world has to talk with putin, because there are no other ways to stop this war. >> reporter: putin claiming the military operation is going as planned, as russia captures its

first major city. >> we seek no conflict. if conflict comes to us, we're ready for it and we will defend every inch of nato territory. >> reporter: with attacks ramping up, nearly 4 million ukrainians are expected to flee their homeland. negotiators agreed to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens. with the russian convoy stalled roughly 15 miles outside the ukrainian capital, there's warnings the worst is yet to come. in washington, brie jackson for nbc news. >> even before the invasion, some 20,000 ukrainians called the bay area home, at least temporarily, and now after the bombings and all of the chaos, their stay in the u.s. may be more permanent. "today in the bay's" ian cole explains how the federal government is stepping in to help. >> reporter: this is a visiting scholar at san jose state and from ukraine, she got here just a month ago to study migration. >> it is peaceful, nice, amazing

country. but now they are destroying whole cities, big cities. >> reporter: tens of thousands now flee her country and she's constantly worried for her grandparents, cousins and best friends still there. >> they're actually seeing everything that is happening there. they are sleeping in the bomb shelters and we are speaking every day. every day i'm sending them messages in the morning and evening, are you okay. >> reporter: though she will not need it, the biden administration added some protections for ukrainians in the u.s., adding ukraine to the list for temporary protected status. it means those living here on a visa before monday can stay for 18 months without fear of deportation. >> our relief, our hearts, are with them and we will do everything in our power to support them. >> my heart goes out to the people of ukraine. >> reporter: some are joining in to help those people.

sandy snider has experience helping and organizing during the bosnia crisis. she's helping them find jobs, whether in the bay area or abroad. >> i just want to give them the opportunity to look for work and help set up a platform that makes it easier for them, gives them hope and dignity, and obviously stability going forward. >> reporter: you can see her on campus proudly wearing her new shirt with the colors of her school that match the ones on her country's flag, hoping for peace. >> the world should help ukraine to stop russian invasion and war in my country. >> reporter: ian cole, "today in the bay." a grad student who attends uc berkeley watching the attacks against ukraine very closely. that's because the devastation there is personal. his grandmother is from ukraine. so instead of just watching what unfolds on tv, he decided to take action. he actually is working to put together a concert with other musicians to raise money for

people there fighting for their country. >> people whose lives are similar to mine being disrupted, that made me feel like this was, like, a tragedy that we're watching unfold. >> san francisco theatre is offering them a space on march 13th. it's going to cost them 3 grand. they're hoping to get money donated so they can use all the profits to send to ukraine. 4:39, stopping production. next here on "today in the bay," the reason the automaker, one of them, anyway, is halting the rollout of some trucks and suvs. >> on the next episode of "saving san francisco". >> that's our unhoused neighbor. >> he rang my doorbell completely naked. >> he just needs help. >> he doesn't want help. >> he's a representation of a lot of people in this city. ♪♪

>> join us as we search for solutions to move san francisco forward. "saving san francisco" episode 2 extremes monday.

right now at 4:41 as you're heading out the door, make sure you have the umbrella and a heavier coat. temperatures will be much colder today, and as we take a look at storm ranger, some pockets of heavy rain, mainly from marin county southward. we're going to be tracking this, as well as more rain in the forecast in a few minutes. >> some of that activity looks like it's over the san mateo bridge and this is what it looks like over the san mateo bridge. a clear flow as far as traffic goes. some slowing toward the venetian bridge. let's check in with bertha. thanks very much, mike. i'm bertha coombs with cnbc. this morning it looks like wall street is going to open in the red again, on the back of the

sell-off we've already seen in europe and asian markets today, following news of the russian attack and reported takeover of the ukrainian nuclear power plant. stocks closing lower yesterday in choppy trading. for the week, the dow is on pace to be down at least 1%. the s&p 500 about half a percent and the nasdaq by more than 1%. while investors are watching the situation in ukraine, we do have a big number coming out this morning at 8:30 eastern, the monthly jobs report. it's expected to show employers added jobs at a robust pace in february, as the cases of the omicron variant dropped. one of the things people will be watching for will be just how much wages are increasing as we all continue to watch the situation with inflation, which is likely to get worse as oil prices rise because of the war in ukraine. meantime, if you're looking for a new ford pickup, you may have to wait. ford is going to cut production of highly profitable trucks and suvs at two plants in kentucky

and ohio next week due to the ongoing global chip shortage. the kentucky plant makes the ford super duty pickups and expedition and lincoln navigators, while the ohio plant makes medium duty trucks and cabs. they made the announcement this week before gas-powered operations into separate units. meantime, honda and sony are teaming up to develop and sell electric vehicles as well. the consumer electronics giant is expanding its goal to become a major player in the next generation of automobiles. the companies aim to sell their first model in 2025. honda will be responsible for building the first vehicle and the body of the car, of course, while sony will develop the mobility software. marcus and laura, seems like everybody is getting in on this ev act. >> when you said sony, i was thinking about the system

inside, the speakers. >> i don't know if you can control and start your -- >> maybe you can start your car from your playstation or hopefully you won't be playing your game in your car. >> end up doing mario cart. >> a lot going on. something we probably don't want to talk about this morning, gas prices, which are hitting record highs all across the na hit 5 bucks. some drivers are paying more than $100 to fill their tanks. ahead on "today in the bay," the actions state lawmakers are considering in trying to help consumers in california. >> and i really do not like getting out of the car and pumping gas when it's super windy and raining. we have wind advisories in effect for today, especially for all of these areas shaded in

yellow. we'll be talking about that and the rain in the forecast coming up. >> kari is talking about rain and i am, too. look at the golden gate bridge. very light volume of traffic, but we definitely have slick roadways here, much wetter in other parts of the bay. we're going to talk about what's going on approaching the north bay bridges coming up. you're watching "today in the bay." since i left for college, my dad has gotten back into some of his old hobbies. and now he's taking trulicity, and it looks like he's gotten into some new healthier habits, too. what changes are you making for your type 2 diabetes?

maybe it's time to try trulicity. it's proven to help lower a1c. it can help you lose up to 10 pounds. and it's only taken once a week, so it can fit into your busy life. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. it's not approved for use in children. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, and may worsen kidney problems. the choices you make can help control your a1c. ask your doctor about once-weekly trulicity.

happy friday to you. so excited to see this rain moving through before we go into

the weekend. but it's also bringing much cooler temperatures and you do need the windshield wipers. seven-day forecast is coming up at the bottom of the screen. it's going to be cold today, but we will have a warm-up over the next several days. let's get a look at storm ranger, the red scan you're seeing. we have it parked on san bruno mountain. we see the rain from fairfield extending down to san francisco, and up and down the peninsula with some light rain elsewhere. so as we get a closer look at where we're getting pockets of heavier rain, right now just about to move over toward 880. but we've seen the rain moving from san mateo over across the bridge and into parts of the east bay. so we're looking at all of this moisture streaming this, and also the cold air starting to drop in from the north. it's going to start to kick out the rain faster as we go into the next several hours and there may be a break for this afternoon. but take a look at the larger

view of this system. we're not the only ones getting in on this rain and we're also seeing it moving into southern california, as well as across the region. rainfall totals so far, about a quarter inch of rain. the highest amount has been in clearlake. san francisco getting about 0.1 inch of rain. palo alto 0.2 of rain. this map just lighting up with reds and purples, indicating gusts that could reach over 45 miles per hour, but then calming down quickly tonight. make sure everything around the house is secure and we're also going to see colder temperatures as the system moves through. behind that, it's dry and we're going to see temperatures really starting to plummet. we're only reaching into the mid-50s for today and then we'll dip into the 30s for tomorrow morning and then sunshine, warmer temperatures in the forecast after getting this light rain and a little bit of a shakeup for today.

mike, the red roads are a big factor for the commute right now. >> definitely as folks wake up, just a reminder you're going to have wet roads in most spots around the bay. the green highlighting shows you where there may be puddling and slick conditions. chp hasn't reported any major problems, but even if we've had wet roads, we did have slowing, one because of a crash that has been cleared for 680, the other was overnight closures for eastbound 80. westbound 80 will be your commute direction tonight, starting at 11:00 until 4:00 tomorrow morning. overall an easy drive toward the bay bridge. the crash has cleared in san francisco. back to you. well, this morning the rising gas prices are being felt in the bay area. some places now charging more than $5 a gallon. as the price rises, so does the number of people calling for the repeal of gas tax and other fuel fees, but it's not that simple. here is "today in the bay's"

christie smith. >> gassing up means paying up lately at this san francisco gas station. >> they are ridiculously high. >> his solution is to buy the minimum at $5.90 a gallon and go hunting for something cheaper. >> to get me to the east bay and then fill up from there. >> reporter: aaa says the current average is $5.05, up 13 cents from a week ago. there are several factors. the cost of crude oil was already rising before the russian invasion of ukraine sent it sky high. californians already pay more for gas than anywhere else in america. now questions are coming up about the gas tax. >> it's never popular to defend the gas tax. >> reporter: state senator scott wiener tweeted about calls to cancel or reduce california's gas tax but he says it's a bad idea and would have little impact on prices and mean less funding for infrastructure. >> it's very hard for people, i

understand and respect that. but it also is not in the public interest to start letting our roads, highways, and transit systems deteriorate. that doesn't help anyone. >> reporter: some republican leaders have proposed temporarily suspending the tax, noting the state already has a budget surplus. the governor also proposed halting the next increase, but some say there's more to consider. >> it's inevitable, if you fund the government with the kind of progressive taxes that we have in california, that you're going to hit some bad years and you're going to need that gas tax. >> reporter: in france, christie smith, nbc bay area news. new developments in a case that rocked the world. you might remember this one. there was a northern california woman who claimed she was abducted, but then she was arrested and now she's accused of faking it all. sherri papini was reported missing in 2016. when authorities found her weeks later she had injuries, including a brand on her right

shoulder. at the time papini said she had been kidnapped and was held at gunpoint by two hispanic women. the fbi says papini had been staying with a former boyfriend in southern california and gave herself those injuries. over the past few years she's received more than $30,000 in victims assistance. she now faces charges of lying to federal agents and fraud. papini will be arraigned in sacramento, but a date has not yet been scheduled. and you will have to wait a little longer to see that first pitch of the giants or the a's. next on "today in the bay," the negotiations under way with the mlb and the request that the players are making. >> and happening now, if you still need to get a covid vaccine or booster shot, today is your chance. there's a free clinic at west valley public library in san jose near saratoga avenue. no medical insurance or proof of immigration status is necessary. the clinic begins at noon, ends

at 7:00 tonight. appointments are encouraged, but not required. we'll be right back.

if you love baseball, you know this already. there is still no deal and no season for the san francisco giants, for the oakland a's. the baseball owners and players met yesterday for less than two hours. so far the first week of the season has been canceled and it's likely more games will be canceled as the lockout continues. trending this morning, levi stadium is set to host some pretty big names. >> the weeknd, one of them, he's going on his first-ever world tour and the weeknd just announced the first leg of his tour with special guest doja

cat. they'll perform in august and tickets go on sale next thursday. 4:57 right now and a new call to protect the children. still ahead on "today in the bay," the message from the foibs whistleblower will social media platforms. when you open a jar of better than bouillon

you open-up dinner time to great flavor mix it into a stir fry better! sauté it into some veggies better! or brush it on to a steak way better with better than bouillon the possibilities are endless. make your everything better with better than bouillon right now at 5:00, the war in ukraine rages on. now europe's largest nuclear power plant based in ukraine is. the overnight fire sparking growing concerns.

>> plus, the latest attack fueling calls for more sanctions. u.s. lawmakers now urging the president to take additional action. we have live team coverage, including a report from washington on the reason president biden might be holding back. >> and silicon valley responds, what high-tech companies are doing to help. this is "today in the bay." good friday morning. thanks so much for allowing us to be a part of your morning. i'm marcus washington. >> i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia today. we are broadcasting to your tv, but you can also watch us live on roku, apple tv, amazon fire and online. >> our storm ranger on top of san bruno mountain scanning the skies for us. and meteorologist kari hall is here now looking at things. how long is the rain going to stick around? >> it's going to be today and early tomorrow before it clears out and then we go back to our dry weather. so hopefully we can soak in as