threat of viruses ahead of the holidays. >> we have the tools, we have the infrastructure and we have the know-how to manage this moment. and that means protecting people, preventing hospitalizations and deaths. a new white house plan aims to protect against the winter surge of covid, flu and respiratory infections. the resources expected to roll out to boost safety for you and your loved ones. >> releasing police patrols on campus. the growing debate in the south bay and where some parents believe that money would be better served instead. plus playoff bound. the 49ers beat the seahawks clinching the division in the process. one important rookie again playing beyond his years, his reaction to their dominating win. this is "today in the bay" streaming live on roku, amazon fire, apple tv and online. what a good game. it's always a great game when you win. >> it's hard to feel bad about that. >> it makes a fun morning for us

here on "today in the bay." good morning to you. thanks for allowing us to be a part of your morning. i'm marcus. >> and i'm ginger conejero saab. ginger, i guess. just ginger. laura has the morning off. it's friday. i know you've been keeping an eye on the commute, mike. first, we're going to check out the still chilly weather we keep experiencing. is it going to happen this weekend, too? >> it does continue into the weekend, more freeze warnings and fog developing in parts of the north bay. novato visibility down to zero. that fog may make it icy on the elevated bridges and overpasses. we're watching out for that. we're at 29 in santa rosa. 30 in dublin. we'll stay below freezing and then that freeze warning will be allowed to expire as we get sunshine and head to the mid to upper 50s.

mike, you're seeing more issues? >> it's a major crash. everything else is moving quickly. in fact, the crash out of san leandro i believe is clearing down to the san mateo bridge. in the south bay southbound 101. the counter commute i know but still only two lanes are open mckey, julian. it blocks your two right lanes. it sounds like a pedestrian was hit and killed. close to 7:00 before the coroner can be on scene. the northbound distracted by what i imagine is a lot of activity. folks can take surface streets but not a need. we'll track this one closely. new for you, three people are injured after a shooting at a candlelight vigil around 8:00 last night as people were gathered above interstate 580. mourners there were there to remember a person killed in a

car crash three years ago. police say the three victims showed up at a hospital. so far no update from police on the victim's conditions or that investigation. new overnight, a former east bay elementary school up in flames. fire broke out on the property of the long closed school in san pablo near contra costa college. firefighters say they received a report about squatters on the property before the fire. so far no one has been found. there are no reports of injuries, and the cause is still under investigation. the website says the school closed in 1990. and doctors this morning are out with a new warning to protect yourself against the flu and covid. >> "today in the bay's" bob redell joins us live from contra costa county this morning. what are the experts saying about flu season comparing it to years past? >> reporter: well, good morning, marcus and ginger, the cdc says the flu is hitting us harder and

earlier this year compared to anytime over the past ten years and the cdc also reports that 44 states have high or very high flu activity. add into the mix you also have covid. the white house says covid cases are up 90% nationwide with more hospitalizations and, unfortunately, more deaths. almost 3,000 deaths last week alone mostly in people 65 and older. the white house is sending covid-19 test kits to schools, community health centers and clinics. the administration also making available for free at home covid rapid tests to households who want them. they urge us to get our flu vaccines. >> the reason for wearing a mask and hand washing, yes, to help with covid. it works well against some of the other pathogens and that's the thing to be mindful of there's a lot circulating right now as we head into the winter. >> reporter: and there's a third

respiratory virus called rsv that is also circulating. the white house says they believe that has peaked and appears to be on the decline. reporting live here in walnut creek, bob redell, "today in the bay." bob, thank you. happening now at some starbucks stores around the nation and here in northern california workers are kicking off a three-day strike. about 100 stores are believed to be impacted including the one at 18th and castro over in san francisco. that's one of the unionized locations where workers last month held a one-day walkout. two santa cruz stores will be impacted. this comes as workers continue to push to unionize more stores. the company opposes the unionization effort arguing it functions better when it works directly with employees. the strike is sending some people to social media tweeting about disrupted routines. starbucks says recent labor actions are having little impact

on their revenue. south bay parents with a new call in one school district to ship money away from on-campus police officers. that topic led to heated discussion yesterday in san jose. last year you may remember san jose board members approved the formation of an advisory committee to determine the need for school resource officers. opponents argue the $800,000 budget is just too high and more money should be allocated to things like mental health. >> every dollar they spend on a cop doesn't go to what the kids really need which is support. it's really tough for kids these days and we think they need mental health support. >> the district says they have also increased their counseling budget for students from $12 million to $18 million. currently each school has a discretion over the number of officers that can actually serve on campus. 6:06 this morning. and how does best in the west sound, ginger? >> i will take it. do you know what this means?

my husband will be in a really good mood before christmas. >> that's a good thing. well, for the 49ers faithful they're hoping to be saying this morning. the niners have now locked up the nfc west with those moves, not the dance moves, but they're guaranteeing a divisional playoff game at home because of that win. that's because they came out on fire against seattle last night on both sides of the ball. a big hit in the second quarter led to a fumble. the defense returned to the 5 yard line. christian mccaffrey followed with a touchdown to make it 14-3. and rookie brock purdy again looked like a veteran leading the niners to a 21-13 win. afterward the kid made props to help him along the way. >> honestly i don't think jimmy and trey get enough credit for what they've done. i'm just now coming on the scene. they have been here throughout the off-season for trey and jimmy coming in and leading these guys and winning.

for me to come in and i just want to continue what them got rolling. >> keep it rolling, brock. the niners would need a whole lot to happen to top the conference and get the first-round bye. they'll play three more regular season games before the playoffs begin in early january. >> take a look outside right there dark and early this morning as we take a look at the golden gate bridge. hopefully a big win when it comes to that forecast. meteorologist kari hall has a look at what we can expect. >> playoffs? we're talking playoffs? all right. let's get a live look outside in san jose. christmas in the park all lit up. it's going to be a great weekend to check it out. a lot of people weren't able to do it last weekend with it raining. it is going to be very chilly and even right now as you step out the door, 36 degrees and very close to freezing but most likely frosty as you make your way to work throughout the rest of the morning we do start to warm up a little bit. headed for 59 degrees today, better than yesterday, heading

up to 55 for a high in dublin, martinez and 59 in santa rosa. we will freeze again for tonight and we'll talk about what's ahead coming up in the next few days and, mike, you have a look at where we may stop to get some of that frost off before you hit the roads. make sure your tire pressure is good. concord leads the list again at national on clayton road. it's down to $3.25. concord dominates the gas buddy reports for the entire state right around $3.25. san ramon, a few spots below $4. marathon helps out at $3.99 a gallon. a lot more above that $4 mark there. while we report prices down below $4 around san jose, neighboring campbell, the best can you do is $4.19. the lowest price for gas buddy at the safeway on hamilton. check the website. might take a short drive.

on the roadways plenty of opportunity to do the great driving except the south bay. a big, big problem. half your freeway is blocked but more importantly someone has been killed in a crash southbound 101 just about mckey road. south of there, alum rock is moving south. the commute is distracted by all the activity. the coroner has been called and i will say it will be closer until 7:00 before that activity has a chance of clearing. so you can avoid that by using 87 and 280 or you can use your patience 101 through the area. back to you. >> thanks, mike. okay. 6:10 and if you are flying for the holidays listen up. we'll talk about that new report calling out one bay area airport as one of the worst of the worst. which airports may be flying high when it comes to on-time rates. >> and the latest drama from twitter. they're kicking off prominent journalists.

take a look at that. we'll take a look at the futures. we'll have to come back to this board. > instagram taking us back t the '90s. we'll show you the new feature that has many feeling nostalgic.

as you get started on this friday morning, gather up all the stuff for the holiday parties and get the kids ready

for school. pittsburg starts out with frost and temperatures in the mid-30s. as it heads to the pickup time, it will still be cool but we will have sunshine and we're headed for the mid-50s here. we'll talk about the weekend coming up. i'm also watching in addition to that crash in san jose we're looking at 880 southbound. through oakland with the headlights everything is smooth down in toward hayward right around a crash blocking your two right lanes as well. crews are on scene so there's some slowing through the area. by the time you get to the san mateo bridge, it's all clear once again. good morning. a very happy friday to you. stocks got hit hard thursday after that stern talking to we got from fed chairman jay powell. he said the fed will keep interest rates higher for longer than planned. i said yesterday i'm not sure i believe him but wall street clearly did. sunrun is down after that decision ginger and marcus was telling you about about solar.

avaya, these numbers are correct. "the wall street journal" says the south bay company close to bankruptcy and without going into it too deeply, you can imagine one of the big reasons the company makes office phones. when is the last time you used an office phone? it looks like a rough road on wall street. that will continue. the future is calling for a lower opening this morning. mortgage rates continue to fall down for the fifth week in a row. the 30-year fixed now in the low 6s. they were about half that a year ago. more drama at twitter. the company has suspended or banned a number of prominent journalists in some cases for no discernible reason. for others it was claimed violated elon musk's new rule saying you can't post information about a person's location. this comes a day after musk suspended a college kid's account that tracked his private jet using public data. the reporter from "the washington post," "new york

times" and others say they didn't publish any of that information. they posted links to a website that shows where elon musk's jet is. you may recall a week or two musk tried to make a big deal out of what he called the twitter files recalling the time twitter blocked a link about an article about hunter biden. musk and his supporters at the time said that seemed arbitrary and counter to free speech. twitter's new policy specifically prohibits posting actual physical location, other identifying information that would reveal a person's location regardless if this information is publicly available. now that's a broad rule. if i post a picture of a rock concert and you're in the picture, it reveals your location. if i as a journalist post air force one is wheels down at sfo, location. if some twitter user pointed out norad posts the location of a certain person every christmas eve, participate of the north american air defense, tracks santa as he and the sleigh make their progress around the world.

now i am a good reporter, or at least i try, so i did follow the nbc rules and i contacted the pentagon for an official statement on whether they were going to post santa's location. i wrote it all out in the proper format and strangely enough the united states military has not gotten back to me on this very important question. but it would technically violate twitter's rules because, as we have established, santa is a real person. >> i was going to ask if you checked your twitter account to see if maybe they answered your question through there. >> it's almost like they have better things to do. i don't see it. >> like what? i don't know. >> i mean, santa will be there whether you like it or not. >> we'll be looking out for santa's list. you're on the nice list, scott. >> i heard that. all right, speaking of locations and tracking certain locations, we're taking a live look at sfo.

how are those flights coming in? it's one week out from the busiest travel day of the holiday season and the worst airports for holiday travel. sfo is ranked seventh worst with nearly 5% of flights arriving late plus ticket prices are up an average of $25. san jose and oakland airports landed on "forbes" list of best airports with sjc at number three, oakland at number five. that's not a bad -- two out of three in the bay area. >> not bad. now trending this morning aol instant messenger may be dead but the away message lives on. >> old school. we all have instagram and the app rolled out new updates that includes the notes feature that will allow users to leave text or emoji updates and posts up to 60 characters and within hours

of that release social media users notified a similarity to the aol messenger in the early -- back in the olden days. one twitter user writes instagram brought back away messages and didn't make any fuss about it? about to fire up my mid-2000 emo -- >> you are being emotional. >> oh. >> we'll make you a play list. >> we're dating ourselves. >> i'm definitely in that era but i don't remember saying emo. >> i'm feeling emo today because the weather is so cold and chilly and i want to lock up and listen to some alanis.

>> alanis morrissette? let's get started in san francisco. it is all clear this morning looking good but it is cold as you step out the door. we do have to stay bundled up. maybe you want to head out to the ice rink today. it will be a nice one for that but we're keeping on the coast as we're out there. the sunshine makes it feel a little bit better only reaching into the low 50s in union square and then going into this afternoon into the evening dropping down into the upper 40s. we are all back to about the same temperature as we've had throughout the week. but in some spots it's a degree or two warmer for today but not a huge change here. 59 for san jose as well as santa rosa. and then looking at our lows tonight, still very chilly as we make it down to 31 in napa and 31 in livermore. fremont getting a low of about 37 degrees. looking ahead, we are making you aware of what may be coming our

way as we make the travel plans. a couple storms coming onshore. not much for the bay area. closer to christmas it looks like that storm pattern stays into the pacific northwest. a slight chance of rain. if you're going to the sierra, that's a look. going to the tahoe area we're at about double the normal amount. it does keep it dry and temperatures in the mid to upper 50s but freezing mornings throughout the weekend. the reason for the slowing in san jose is because of a deadly crash. two lanes blocked and chp notified caltrans cannot get

there to do the closure and cleanup duties they need to do until about 45 more minutes. counter commute the volume builds. south on 101. the right two lanes are blocked about mckey. do focus on your drive. the rest of the bay shows a lighter drive, no backup at the bay bridge. >> thanks, mike. next on "today in the bay," nbc bay area responds. >> reporter: our energy bills are up. we want to help you bring them we want to help you bring them back - [narrator] every day, our lives are filled with choices,

both simple and life-changing. what's not a choice? addiction to opioids like fentanyl. but even with opioid use disorder, you still have a choice. by choosing treatment, you choose family, your career and your life on your terms. choose change, california, and find medically proven treatment options at choosechangeca.org.

6:25. welcome back. well, keeping the house warm this winter, you probably know this, expected to cost 17% more than last winter. >> it's been cold, too. we asked our consumer team to find ways to cut our energy bills. investigator chris chmura shows us how. >> reporter: unfortunately, the best way to cut your energy cost is to use less energy. but that doesn't necessarily mean you have to be uncomfortable. let's start with your thermostat. pg&e says each degree you lower your thermostat can save you 2%. drop it five degrees at night and you might save 10%. blankets to the rescue. when you leave home try to keep

the warm air inside. close those curtains, shades and blinds. then set the thermostat to 56 while you are away. look at your water heater. many are set to 140 degrees by default. consider 120. if that is warm enough for your showers and doing the dishes, you might save 22%. pg&e says you can save roughly another 10% on your bills if your attic, walls, doors and win dopes are sealed. caulk is cheap and it easily fills those gaps where warm air can escape or cool air weasels in. if you qualify as low income or receive government assistance, click this qr code. you might be eligible for savings of 20 to 35%. >> thanks so much, chris. good information. 6:26 right now. next the top stories we're following including another frosty morning. meteorologist kari hall tracking

these bitter cold temperatures being felt, plus, the next chance for rain in our horizon. >> reporter: there's a kidnapping case that garnered national attention and the two suspects at the center of it will appear in a san jose cour

how could this horrific tragedy have happened? it happened because two rival gangs having a rolling gun

battle on highway 880 going northbound across the freeway at 2:00 in the afternoon. >> right now at 6:30, a major break in a high-profile crime. three people now charged in the shooting death of a toddler caught in a crossfire on a busy freeway. one is due in court today just hours from now. ahead for you in a live report, the case prosecutors are building against them. plus, re-assessing your economic outlook, how recent hikes by the federal reserve may impact the direction of the economy and the new year. this is "today in the bay" streaming live on roku, amazon fire, apple tv and online. good friday morning. i'm ginger conejero saab. >> and i'm marcus washington. well, we have so much to get to this morning but first let's check out new video from san jose. look at this. yeah. frost on the windshield. kari has been telling people, use that credit card to scrape off the thin layer of ice. people scraping that layer of

ice early this morning as they get started with the day this will be something a lot of people will have to do before they head out this morning. >> i don't know about ice scrapers. >> most on the west coast don't, at least in california. >> meteorologist kari hall has some news for them depending on how cold it is. >> here is another pro tip, wear some gloves. that ice is going to get on your hands. if you don't have gloves, i'm guessing you're just wrapping a blanket or some cloth around your hands. >> dish towel. >> something. we do have to take some extra steps to get ready again this morning as that freeze warning continues for those areas shaded in purple, and where we have the blue you could wake up and head out to frost on the windshield as well as elevated surfaces. it's going to continue to be cold for at least the next two and a half hours as the frost advisory continues. it is well below freezing in santa rosa and it is 31 in palo alto. we'll get a look at what's ahead

for the weekend coming up. mike, you've been tracking a major south bay. >> focusing on the area because the rest of the bay looks mild for your build. as we look at the map i will zoom in toward san jose. we continue with two lanes of southbound 101 closed because of a deadly crash right around mckey road. it sounds like it will not be any more before 7:00. probably after 7:00 caltrans will assist. the coroner also needs to arrive for the report. northbound is distracted by this activity. it's a small section of the south bay. we're doing all right. no need for an alternate route. the bay bridge has a backup forming at the top of your screen coming off the overcrossing. it looks like it's starting to slow down right now. back over to you, ginger. it's a story that caught national attention and it returns to the courtroom later this morning. two suspects accused of kidnapping an infant who became

better known as baby brandon are expected to appear for their sentencing hearing. "today in the bay's" pete suratos is live in san jose looking into how it may all play out. pete, what can we expect today? >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, ginger. according to the court document, that sentencing hearing will take place in a matter of hours today and another one set to take place next month. we know the two suspects at the center are yesenia ramirez and jose portillo accused of kidnapping baby brandon back in april from his grandmother's house. they did both plead no contest in the preliminary hearing in august. now let's talk about this preliminary hearing. now during that hearing prosecutors say that either ramirez or portillo put a tracking device on baby brandon's family car and also allegedly campered with the brakes. they say ramirez asked to take baby brandon shopping twice but didn't bring him back until the next morning on one of those trips. so the big question, what was

the motive behind all of this? during the hearing they say ramirez told another man that she gave birth to baby brandon and he demanded she show him the baby to prove it to him. as far as those charges ramirez could face up to 14 years. portillo could face up to five years. the hearing is set in a matter of hours for 9:00 a.m. live in san jose, pete suratos for "today in the bay." >> thanks, pete. it's 6:34 for you that morning and one of three suspects accused in the shooting death of a toddler on interstate 880 scheduled to appear in court. the d.a. nancy o'malley announced those charges yesterday. this is tied to the shooting that killed 23-month-old jasper wu. a stray bullet pierced the windshield during an apparent shoot-out. bullet casings, gun residue and witnesses led to those arrests. that news is relief to jasper's parents. >> at some point they thought

it's time to give up but when they hear about this, they were so, so excited, excited, happy, but also very sad. >> as you can imagine. one suspect identified as johnny jackson you see here will appear in court today. authorities say two other suspects are now in custody in contra costa county on unrelated charges. a fourth person has since died. now shootings on bay area freeways have more than doubled in the last three years. our investigative unit has mapped out where the most freeway shootings have occurred. they looked at the causes of the crime as well as searched for possible solutions. you see that full story on our report at nbcbayarea.com/investigations. as many gear up for the last holiday push, a big decision by the fed will impact our budget in the new year. scott mcgrew joins us with more. scott? interest rates raised

another half point in an effort to slow down inflation. sam gaeta joins us. the fed doesn't set the rates on my credit card or mortgage but they are related. >> they are. the federal reserve sets the rate for banks and essentially banks buy the federal government's debt and that controls the monetary supply. they target a rate. they say if you are going to buy a bond we'll give you a certain rate between this range and that's what they're controlling. when they raise rates, they're raising that rate but that trickles down into the economy. the point of raising that rate is to use it as a system to control the monetary supply in the united states. >> jay powell gave a stern lecture threatening to keep rates higher for a longer period of time. i said on tv it's a little like your parents saying don't make me pull this car over. sometimes the threat of high

rates are just as effective as actually doing them. >> exactly right. and we saw that play out in the markets almost to a t. weep got a good inflation print meaning it was trending down. seeing some good news in the inflation data. the market reacted thinking, well, we know there will be probably a 50 basis point raise in december but what does the future look like? the market kind of thought the future looks better. >> thank you for your advice and happy holidays to you as well. back to you. >> thanks, scott. a live look this morning at palisades ski resort in tahoe. now preparing for a day years in the making along with its neighboring resort alpine meadows. starting tomorrow the two will be connected allowing skiers and snowboarders to travel back and forth in about 15 minutes. tomorrow the new two and a half mile mountain top gondola opens. the resort owners had to overcome numerous hurdles to get to this point including legal

opposition. palisades says that the combined ski area will provide visitors, get this, the most terrain anywhere in california. kari hall is monitoring all the snow. should we get more soon? >> it won't be more at least in the near term but at least it's good to get there. the roads are clear. there's still a lot of snow on the ground, and it will be a great weekend for going anywhere around tahoe or the sierra. we will start out with temperatures in the single digits this morning. we're headed for 32 degrees so it will stay below freezing and a lot of that snow staying on the ground due to the cold weather that continues. it's also going to be cool and maybe can you go ice skating here in san jose at paypal park. it's going to be a chilly evening. you might want to grab a hot chocolate with temperatures dipping down into the upper 40s. those last-minute presents and

support small local businesses. we're going to have a lot of pop-up shops and events going on around the bay area including in mountain view. go around downtown. super saturday will be bright, sunny and we're headed for the mid-50s. if you're hitting the road and heading to l.a. this weekend it will reach into the mid-60s for today and low 60s for the rest of the weekend. a mix of sun and clouds and then we'll wrap up the weekend with a hanukkah festival in brentwood. a lot of these going on around the bay area as well as we are going to see temperatures in the low 50s at the time that it begins, and then it cools down into the mid-40s. mike, you are still following that crash, right? i just wanted folks to know about this. a light commute around the bay. this is inconvenient but someone has died as a result. two lanes are still blocked. caltrans and the coroner are both needed until they can address the scene and then clear the lanes. they're both not going to get there until about 7:00 a.m. this will remain the build for

the northbound commute starting. that typically happens in that direction. the southbound side not so bad. not a need for a reroute. a lighter friday commute continues but it is friday. the metering lights for the on ramp kicking in, a very popular time for folks who head to the sierra. you may have to wait to get on 680. portions will move more smoothly and we have a gentle build for the rest of the bay. the bay bridge metering lights have been on about 40 minutes. very little backup over at the metering lights. back to you. >> thanks, mike. good to know that the traffic is lighter. people are looking for super savings just in time for christmas. coming up on "today in the bay," some stores are calling tomorrow super saturday, but there really are good deals to be had. we'll break down where to find them. and building bikes for those in need. the heartwarming project in the

east bay right now. don't want to miss that and how you can help. stick around.

happy friday to you. it is 6:43. as you head out for the morning drive, you may need to scrape some frost off the windshield again. in gilroy it's in the mid-30s right now but that sunshine sticks with us throughout the

day, and it's going to be a nice one. we'll talk about the weekend coming up. looks like a nice one here. i am focusing on the traffic and it's getting slower. heading to the north bay, the build is on here, very little backup at the bay bridge. the big issue is in the south bay that alert continues to follow southbound 101 in san jose. 6:44 now. new this morning a setback for the white house. in its push to end the trump era remain in mexico policy, that policy requires asylum seekers to wait in mexico for their cases to be heard before ever setting foot in the u.s. a district judge put a hold on halting the policy pending the resolution of legal challenges. in his ruling the judge suggested the biden administration had failed to sufficiently consider potential financial burdens on texas and missouri for more migrants using their state's social services.

the mass of people at the border is a huge issue for the biden administration. no matter what the court decides. >> scott, you've been reminding us on they are following the rules. yes, these immigrants, the issue is just the sheer number. it's unmanageable. the immigrants are following the rules. remember american law. we say if you want to apply for asylum in the u.s., show up at an official port of entry to present yourself to an immigration officer. so if and when this title 42 is changed, that's exactly what people are going to do. but there's no question it's too many people. more than our system can absorb. the laws have not changed. president biden has asked congress for more money, for more officers. president biden got way more money than he asked for in the latest defense bill. there's also money to arm ukraine and taiwan and give the service men and women another raise. the bill also ends the requirement for members of the military to get a covid vaccine

though they still have to get the other vaccines including one for chicken pox. the new rule will not do anything for those kicked out for not getting a vaccine. they didn't follow orders. they're not permitted back. speaking of covid, the white house says its winter covid plan is more of the same, continue to encourage americans to get that new bivalent vaccine and more free tests. much like other diseases leaders say if everybody did their part we would be better off. >> if every american does their part, gets an updated vaccine, if every american gets treated who is eligible for treatment, we can have a very different winter ahead. and that is a goal. >> do keep an eye on the situation this china. this will be a growing news story. they had the big protests. that almost never happens in china over the government's crackdown on covid. well, the government loosened the rules and now we're getting word a lot of people are sick. china does not have the

vaccination rates that it's been claiming it has. good news back home our government is not going to go out of business. both the house and senate have approved a continuing resolution to fun the government until they can figure out a budget. so we're watching all that as it happens as we slide into a friday here. we'll talk on facebook. you can find me @scottmcgrewtv. last-minute shopping for gifts is expected to pick up. in fact, retailers call this upcoming weekend super saturday. one final chance for suppliers to get rid of their 2020 inventory. experts say the day is a great opportunity for gift givers to give a great deal. >> shoppers should zero in on those items that retailers want to get off their shelves before the holiday spending kicks in. things like games, toys, stocking stuffers, seasonal decor and those holiday-themed

gift sets. >> for more tips on how to score the biggest last-minute deals tune in to the "today" show. it starts at 7:00 a.m. right after "today in the bay." >> then everyone will know. trending for you this morning, the long-awaited film "avatar: the way of the water" hits theaters. we spoke to managing eld tore of fandango. >> it has secured the largest share of 3d ticket sales since 2015 "star wars: the force awakens," the highest grossing film ever in the united states. all indicators are showing this film will be big. just how big and will it be as big as its predecessor we'll have to see. >> the first one was so good, too. it is still the highest overall grossing film ever with just under $3 billion in revenue.

"avatar: the way of water" grossed $17 million from last night's midnight showing. >> wow. can we predict how that will go? a live look in walnut creek where a team effort is under way. county firefighters and uc berkeley cheerleaders are putting together bikes for children in need. this is one of several stations where that effort is now under way. volunteers say the help is needed right now more than ever. >> it shows we are just here in our community in times of dire emergency but we are also here to make their christmas better for those who may not have a good christmas. we are pretty fortunate here and would like to share that holiday spirit and give to others in their time of need. >> this two decades old program only now coming back after a two-year hiatus from the pandemic. >> look, there's nothing like a bike on christmas morning.

do what you can. >> wear a helmet. >> spoken just like a parent. marcus is like, yeah, get that bike. parents, wear a helmet. >> kneepads won't hurt, too. >> and a jacket on the bike today. that adds some extra padding for you in case you fall down a couple times and we do have sunshine in our forecast going into the weekend. a live look outside at this beautiful view from oracle park looking toward the marina and san francisco. it is chilly out there. only 46 degrees, but we are below freezing in much of the north bay where we do continue the freeze warning there and frost advisories for the inner bay. palo alto, it's 31 degrees. san jose at 36 degrees. frosty there. we are starting out with frost in pittsburg as you get the kids bundled up for the last day of school. we will see temperatures in the mid-30s there and at pickup time

we'll head for the mid-50s with sunshine and reaching 57 in fremont and hayward as well as oakland and in san francisco. 57 in novato. then going into tonight it's going to be another one where it dips below freezing in the same spots we've seen all throughout the week. and really the past month it's been so cold and it's going to get even colder. this is going to be making big headlines. the polar vortex plunging into parts of the midwest. causing that jet stream to dip south. we will see mild weather and a few storms move onshore. it may be a while before we get a good rain chance and we'll see anything through christmas. that's good for people travel here locally we're not expecting

any major storms. near term for the weekend we're shopping, getting things done for the weekend and we'll continue with sunshine reaching into the mid-50s inland and san francisco will see about the same temperatures. mike, you're still seeing that slowing in san jose? a major crash, the bay very light traffic but here in san jose this deadly crash blocks two lanes and the caltrans crew needed. they're not going to arrive for the next few minutes. they're not there yet. maybe another half hour. this will probably be clear by 8:00 but not before 7:30. northbound is distracted by the activity. southbound restricted to two lanes. the rest of the bay, this shows you how light traffic is. vasco road only reaching 28 minutes for that drive and the east bay no delays. back to you. >> thanks, mike. happening now new numbers highlight just how hard it is to make it in the bay. san francisco's metro area was the most expensive region in the

u.s. for the year 2021. that, according to just released data, federal data, now the biggest reason for that crushing housing and you kilt costs. in fact, overall prices in the san francisco, oakland, berkeley triangle 21% higher than the national average including housing costs that were 113% higher. and utilities nearly 70% higher. a quick look at the t top stories. fending off a triple threat of the viruses. the free resources now expected to roll out to boost safety for you and your loved ones. plus, playoff bound. the 49ers defeat the rival seahawks clinching the division in the process and one important rookie, again, playing beyond his years.

♪♪ my name isis austin jaj. as a mususician livg withth diabetes, fingerersticks canane a real c challeng. that's why i use the freestyle librbre 2 system. with a p painle, one-e-second scac, i know m my glucose e nums withthout fingererstic. with a p painle, one-e-second scac, now, i'm'm managingy diabetes b bett, with a p painle, one-e-second scac, and i'i've lowered my a1c1c from 8.2 t to 6. and i'i've lowered my a1c1c tatake the mysystery t of m managing yoyour diabes and lower r your a1. now w you know. try y it for fe at frereestylelibrbrs

welcome back. we are moving you forward with a look at our top stories including new warnings about the potential surge in flu, covid and rsv cases. >> health leaders are growing more concerned about the impact from the triple threat of viruses, confirmed covid cases up 90% with nearly 3,000 deaths just this week mostly impacting people 65 and older. the cdc also reports all but six states with high or very high flu activity. the shooting death of a toddler on interstate 880 is scheduled to appear in court today. alameda county d.a. nancy o'malley announced charges yesterday tied to the shooting that killed 23-month-old jasper

wu in oakland 13 months ago. a stray bullet pierced the windshield of his family's car during af apparent shoot-out. investigators say bullet casings, gun residue and witnesses led to the arrest. two other suspects are now in custody in contra costa county. a fourth person tied to the shoot-out has since died. a look at san jose's hall of justice. two suspects in the kidnapping case that made national headlines are expected to be in court for a sentencing hearing. yesenia ramirez and jose portillo are accused of taking baby brandon from his grandmother's home. prosecutors say ramirez told her boyfriend she had given birth and the man demanded she show her the baby. ramirez is facing up to 14 years in prison. portillo could face up to five years. the 49ers have locked up the nfc west guaranteeing a division playoff game at home. that's because they came out on fire last night in seattle even

before they hit the field they dominated both sides of the ball. a big hit in the second quarter led to a fumble. the defense returned to the 5 yard line. christian mccaffrey followed with a touchdown to make it 14-3. rookie brock purdy again looked like a veteran throwing two touchdowns and leading the niners to the 21-13 win. >> we like games like that. a last look at the forecast this morning. >> it looks nice and sunny as the sun comes up around the bay area on this friday. we will head for the mid-50s. as we check out san francisco it will be in the low 40s for tomorrow morning but then we're back to the upper 30s. we have more cold mornings ahead inland with our valleys near freeding into early next week. we still have this traffic alert blocking two lanes of southbound 101. i do think it will be here another hour. southbound restricted to two lanes. northbound the commute direction distracted. that should clear as the other side clears. >> i like the look of that.

it is friday. >> look at that, yeah. >> we made it to friday. thank you for joining us this week and this morning for "today in the bay." our next newscast at 11:00. after ra good friday morning. no letup as the monster storm system slams new parts of the country. >> yeah. we're tracking it all for you. it's december 16th. this is "today." snow, ice and rain to tens of millions in the northeast. in the south families clean up from that rare outbreak of