now at noon -- the message is the same but today unique group is getting involved. black lives matter. >> for the first time, public defenders throughout the bay area join the movement in rallies across the country. we're expecting to hear from jim harbaugh, a day after a team releasing defensive lineman ray mcdonald as mcdonald's mother speaks out about the situation. the u.s. government is saying north korea is behind the cyber attacks on sony as the company cancels the release of the latest movie.

the millions of dollars the cancellation is expected to cost. good afternoon. i'm tori campbell. people who are closely involved with our justice system are now joining in a controversial demonstrations and adding their voices to the call that black lives matter. sal castanedo joins us live from san francisco where attorneys from the public defenders' office are gathering right now. see see them behind -- we see them behind you. >> reporter: these are members of the san francisco public defenders' office and i recognize people who made it across the bay from the alameda county public defenders' office. they are on the steps of the hall of justice part of a bay area protest after two grand juries did not indict two police officers in the death of two unarmed black men. the men who died, michael brown in ferguson, and eric garner in new york, have become focal

points of protests around the country. some say race relations have suffered as a result of the controversy. four and a half minutes in the alameda county protest, i should say, we're watching it now. they stood on the courthouse steps. four and a half hours to symbolize the time michael brown's body was in the street before it was removed. members of the office told us they hope these actions will bring change. >> as a public defender, we see in court daily how the system can treat people and often those outcomes are based on race. >> reporter: now, in the bay area some of the demonstrations after those grand jury decisions have turned violent, prompting many to say the protests have gone too far. over the last few weeks, some members of the law enforcement community have called for an open dialogue in order to allow

these important issues to be discussed and i want to show you, take you back live here if you are looking at it, you can see there are 100, maybe 150 people who are here on the steps of the hall of justice. this is where the public defenders' office is. this is the headquarters of san francisco police and the court building in san francisco and i don't know how long they will be out here but definitely everyone who is walking by is stopping to look, take pictures and notice what's going on. tori, back to you. >> all right, sal castanedo, live in san francisco. thank you. oakland police are investigating a report of a noose found at frank ogawa plaza. this photo was posted on instagram. the noose was discovered tuesday. oakland police spokes bom said investigators are trying to -- spokeswoman said investigators are trying to figure out who put it there. the embattled president of the california public utilities

commission is ending his tenure as he presides under his final meeting. michael peavy has come under fire about e-mail exchanges. the e-mails pointed to alleged back room dealings involving regulatory and political issues. peavy was also scrutinized and called to step down after the 2010 gas line explosion in san bruno that killed eight people. peavy credit the outgoing president for advancing greenhouse initial -- initiatives in california. 2,000 bolts and rods are not in danger. now a report found the bolts and rods should stay in place. caltrans spent $45 million testing and securing the cracked rods. the draft report is scheduled to be presented tomorrow to the

bridge oversight committee. four rain-soaked counties have declared local emergencies following the recent storms. according to the state office of emergency services, marin, sonoma, lake, and tehama counties have made local declarations. last week's rains brought flooding, mudslides and other damages to the counties. the proclamations jump start for aid if the need arises. san mateo county where flooding forced dozens of families to leave their homes is also preparing to make the proclamation. >> they got a problem. all of these areas between harbor, ralston, san carlos, everybody. we all know it. i have a business down here. it's just a mess. >> officials are still assessing the damage in several of the counties. however, sonoma has requested $17 million. marin county has asked for $1

million. happening today, 49ers' head coach jim harbaugh is scheduled to make his first public comments since the team released ray mcdonald. yesterday, the team cut him less than an hour after police announced he's being investigated for sexual assault. a search warrant was served at his home after a woman who is not his fiancee claim ed sexually assaulted her. ray mcdonald's mother spoke to ktvu by phone from her home in florida. >> the surveillance camera will tell the whole story. my son has lost his job over some accusations that will be proven that are merely accusations. >> this case comes one month after prosecutors declined to file charges against ray mcdonald because of domestic violence. many teammates are not surprised by the team's decision. >> i feel like jed made it

pretty clear on how he feels about everything. you know, that's -- you gotta -- you know, you gotta go with what the owner says. it's his team, obviously, and everyone knows what's right and wrong. >> 49ers' general manager said ray mcdonald has showed what he called a pattern of poor behavior which led to the decision to cut him. in the meantime, there are reports harbaugh's all ma matte, the university of michigan, is ready to make him the highest paid coach in college football. he was offered a six-year $49 million contract. it's widely speculated this will be the last year with the 49ers due to his battles with the front office. new developments in the high-profile corruption case involving leland yee. we now know what charges yee will face and when he's set to go on trial. he appeared in court today along with more than 25 other defendants who have been

indicted on corruption and racketeering charges. a federal judge announced yee, former school board president keith jackson and two other men will go on trial on june 1st. the defendants face charges including extortion, wire fraud and dealing firearms without a license. the judge has yet to announce a trial date for raymond shrimp boy chow and the other defendants in the corruption case. union city police need help identifying a man who they say has been recording women inside the bathroom of a walmart store. store cameras captured these images. police say the man was hiding in a bathroom stall for ten minutes before a woman noticed him. police say the man managed to walk out of the store and is still on the loose. he's described as white, about a years old, with curly salt and pepper hair. u.s. government sources are

blaming north korea for the cyber attack that led sony to cancel the release of its comedy about an assassination plot against kim jung un. major theater chains announced they will not show the movie called "the interview" set to open on christmas day. hackers calling themselves guardiance of peace exposed -- guardians of peace exposed sense touch sony e-mails and made terror thefts against theatergoers. the white house is considering a range of options concerning the hacking. >> the president and administration stands squarely on the side of artists and other private citizens who seek to freely express their views. >> some people we talked with said the reaction is overblown. >> it was weak. i think that the sony and the actors were bold in making the movie. and they had to expect this

reaction and the fact that they are pulling it at the last minute is shocking. >> canceling the movie is costing sony pictures an estimated $55 million. boston marathon bombing suspect, dzhokhar tsarnaev, today made his first public court appearance in nearly a year and a half. he was in federal court in boston under heavy security. it was his final pretrial hearing before his trial starts next month. prosecutors say dzhokhar tsarnaev and his older brother debt tated two bombs last year at the boston marathon. three people were killed and more than 260 were injured. his brother died in a shootout. jury selection is set to begin january 5th. we're learning new details about a horrific crash in southern california that left three people dead. what the crowd was doing moments before the deadly incident. i'm steve paulson. after about 18 days of rain, i decided to get out of the studio. we're live in benicia at the benicia pier under a cold,

foggy, gray day. no rain now but there's more on the way. and popular ride sharing company uber is promising increases to rider safety.

now to the latest on a

hollywood tragedy in southern california, where three people were killed outside a church in redondo beach. a 56-year-old woman is now charged with felony dui and vehicular manslaughter. police say her car struck a group of people leaving a christmas church pageant last night. three women, two in their 80s, were killed. >> the vehicle actually carried some of the pedestrians and then collided head on with another vehicle that was traveling southbound on pacific coast highway, and actually threw a couple of the pedestrians into another vehicle. >> five children and eight adults including the suspect and the other driver she hit were hurt. repairs are being done at an east bay george zimmerman after a car crashed into it this morning. this is what it looked like after the honda slammed into the ufc gym at the willow shopping center in concord. police say the 81-year-old driver mistook her gas and brake pedal while walking. no one was in the area of the gym where the car entered the

building. no one was injured, including the driver. a benicia man was shot when he went into the wrong house while he was drunk. police say 24-year-old true hatch was pounding on the sliding glass door of a home at 4:30 yesterday morning. the people inside called 911 but seconds later, hatch smashed the glass door and walked in. the homeowner told police he warned the intruder he had a gun but hatch walked into the family room so the homeowner shot him. >> and right after my dad fired the shot, benicia police broke in the front door because they were already en route from my mom calling. and they arrested him pretty much on the spot. >> police say hatch was not trying to steal anything but was very intoxicated trying to visit his ex-girlfriend who lived down the hill. the homeowner is not being charged. hatch was treated at the hospital and was released. holiday candles apparently sparked a house fire in emeryville this morning. we're told the one-alarm fire

started around 4:30 a.m. on beaudry street near 55th. firefighters say the woman who lives there said she left candles burning and woke up to see her bedroom engulfed in flames. >> this time of year, especially candles, christmas trees, those are the cause a lot of fires, also chimneys with people lighting their fireplaces that haven't been maintained properly. all of those three things are very dangerous this time of year. >> the woman who lived there got out safely but crews say her cat died in the fire and the home is uninhabitable. here is a graphic example of the fire danger the crews are walking about. you see san francisco firefighters setting a christmas tree on fire. the tree took ten seconds to burn. firefighters say to keep your capacity tree well watered and away from flames. they also say never leave the christmas lights on overnight. uber promised new measure focused on rider safety on the

same day one of its driferenters was arraigned on kidnapping and rape charges. they will work to improve background checks on the drivers. the company said it's working on measures including tracing every ride with gps and setting up special teams that can rapidly respond to safety related reports. the announcement comes as a 46- year-old driver in boston was arraigned today accused of raping a woman who ordered a ride home earlier this month. also this month, an uber driver in india was accused of raping a passenger. now to the weather. we've been seeing a break in the rain but that's about to change later tonight. steve paulson is live in benicia with when we can expect the wet weather to move back in. steve? >> reporter: that's correct. we decided to get outside for a little bit and come out to benicia and kind of like a little hidden gem. many people don't know about the benicia pier. also towards the beach. what you are looking at, you are looking a little bit towards crockett. sometimes the train goes by and

around the bend is crockett and then the carquinez bridge and san pablo bay. it's a cold, foggy, gray day. but we're getting a little bit of a break from some of the rain here. i tell you, it's chilly here. bundle up. overall, we had rain last night and also early their morning, that system has moved on. last night's system didn't do much. left .25 to about .23 of rain. but the last couple of systems have been pretty strong with a couple of inches of rain. last night we got a break but it still rained. another system is on the way. it looks to be the last one in the series, then i think the pattern will change as we head towards saturday and sunday. we will get some cloudy skies. there are a few breaks in the clouds. but not many here. i see a little bit on the vallejo hills but that's about it. overall, look for increasing clouds to continue to tonight into tomorrow and then it looks like a rainy morning commute on friday. this system looks to have a little bit more energy to the north bay. i would not be surprised if we got .50 to .75.

after that there is a weak system on saturday. all signs point towards a drying trend coming in. sunday, monday, tuesday and also wednesday. joining me now is cristina from the benicia city council. hi. >> hi. of. >> reporter: what makes this benicia pier so nice. why don't people know about it? >> i don't know why people don't know about it. we're really doing an excellent job marketing our town. we've got a big tourism effort. but people come to our town and are charmed just like you are today. it's quaint. it's really well located and we have the best weather. >> reporter: real quick on the weather, beautiful sunsets. we can see that. but in the summertime, you are cooler. in the winter time relatively warmer. >> the water is a big factor. there are not a lot of big cities on the water. our history dates back to -- i was pointing out the tee po. the intercontinental rail system used to come through here and trains were ferried over to the port costas.

this was a big hub for transportation in the 1900s. >> reporter: today we're enjoying the cold weather. >> that's right. >> reporter: we are live from benicia pier. tori, back to you. it's cold. one more system. >> all right. >> reporter: and then we'll start to dry things out. >> okay. all right. nice job out there. enjoy the lovely cool weather. thank you, steve. it's an annual tradition in the south bay. while it may bring smiles to families, organizers say there is a troubling trend behind this holiday giveaway.

stocks are rallying big time for a second straight day after word the fed would take a patient approach in raising rates. oracle is leading a rally in technology shares after the redwood city-based company reported earnings that were better than expected. that stock is up over 9% right now and taking a look at the dow, it is up 323 points. the nasdaq is up 83. s&p up 36. all of the major indexes up almost 2% today. surf's up for women at the legendary mavericks in senate county. this week 14 women are gathering to surf off the coast of the northern end of half moon bay. it's not a competition. organizers say it's still a landmark event because so many women are surfing the big waves. mavericks has some of the most

intimidating waves on the plan net. >> we were out there braving incredibly harsh conditions. it kind of goes to show how gnarly everyone is. i wouldn't have paddled out normally but to be out with these amazing women was history. >> swells can bring waves with up to 40-foot faces and under extreme conditions could reach close to 100 feet. thousands of south bay families today are receiving some much-needed help during the holidays. alex savidge has more on sacred heart's annual food giveaway. >> reporter: making the holidays a little happier for those in need. volunteers at sacred heart in san jose handed out boxes full of food this morning. this woman was so overjoyed, she broke into song.

♪ >> okay. thank you, god. >> reporter: today and tomorrow, sacred heart will help 3300 homeless and low- income families with boxes full of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, bread, and, of course, a bird. and this year, the need has been overwhelming here as many people struggle with the high cost of living in silicon valley. >> for a lot of folks that are in low-income occupations working in service and retail and, you know, taking care of families, in some cases even teaching our kids, those kind of folks are still struggling right now, especially with the cost of living increases in this community. >> reporter: this individual has been coming to sacred heart for years and is looking forward to a wonderful holiday meal with her family thanks to the generosity of others. >> it's good. very good for the people. it's very good. nice. >> reporter: while donations are strong, sacred heart is watching a troubling trend. the number of families in need is creeping back up in this

area. close tos what was -- close to what was seen during the height of the recession. after they hand out food, volunteers will hold their annual toy giveaway next week. passing out presents to 6,000 kids in need here in the south bay. in san jose, alex savidge, ktvu channel 2 news. also today, oakland firefighters were busy helping to put holiday meals on the table. >> firefighters want to help out and that's the bottom line. it's just another way to help serve our community. turkey and beans and rice and canned foods and everything people need to have a nice family dinner. >> we visited station 18 near 50s and bancroft avenues in oakland this morning. that's where firefighters and recruits were parking up food boxes for families in need. we're told this effort started 29 years ago with just two families who neilded help. it's now -- who needed help. it's now grown to 200 families who will get the packages.

thank you for making ktvu your choice for news. we are always here for you at ktvu.com and you can follow us on twitter and facebook. have a great day.

up next on eco company -- >> eco friendly guitars? that's right. and what makes them good for the planet. >> we have written a responsible timber policy here at taylor guitars. it's our responsibility to procure the woods legally and do it responsibly. >> what some guitar makers are doing to preserve natural resources and eliminate waste. >> plus, eco friendly shopping. alternatives to going to the mall. >> someone would come into our store and trade in old clothes to purchase new clothes. >> what you can do to get brand name fashions. and save resources, too. >> two girls with a passion for the planet and buying local.