damián trujillo: buenos días, y bienvenidos a comunidad del valle; soy damián trujillo. el programa hoy, una leyenda americana y chicana, josé padilla, director ejecutivo de crla, el centro legal, aquí en su comunidad del valle. [música] y comenzamos con otra leyenda, aquí en esta comunidad, nos estamos refiriendo a siren, que cumple 35 años de servir a la comunidad inmigrante, aquí en, bueno, en todo california; con nosotros maricela gutiérrez, la directora ejecutiva de siren; maricela, bienvenida otra vez a comunidad del valle. maricela gutiérrez: muchísimas gracias, damián. damián trujillo: y feliz aniversario, ¿qué significan esos 35 años de siren? maricela gutiérrez: 35 años, significa el poder del inmigrante, el poder de la voz inmigrante, la voz refugiada, que hace en california el, el estado más poderoso, ¿verdad?, y económicamente también poderoso. damián trujillo: qué, platíquenos de los servicios que proveen en siren, porque me imagino que hace 35 años, comenzó con un solo servicio, y ahora con tanta necesidad, hay muchos servicios. maricela gutiérrez: sí, emp

damian trujillo: hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle," i'm damian trujillo, and today, an american legend and chicano activist, dr. josé padilla with crla, on our show here on "comunidad del valle." cc by aberdeen captioning www.aberdeen.io 1-800-688-6621 damian: we begin with another agency that is always on the frontlines. we're talking about siren and they're celebrating a milestone. with me is maricela gutierrez, a longtime executive director of siren. maricela, welcome back to the show. maricela gutierrez: gracias, thank you for having me, damian. damian: thank you for being here. thirty-five years. tell us what this means to you, to the community. maricela: well, it's been an amazing journey for siren, starting out in san josé as our founding place and so, 35 years is an acknowledgement of the power that the immigrant voice and refugee voice has here in the silicon valley and how important it is to continue serving this community and building them up and creating opportunities for them to thrive in this beautiful silicon valley area. damian: and so we have a-- you know, every

nbc bay area's damian trujillo joins us live from san jose. what are some of the preps people are doing, damian? >> reporter: the creeks and rivers are not a concern. it is a localized flooding and the downed power lines worrying crews. crews prepped sandbags for the weekend. they realized leaves could block storm drains triggering localized flooding and cause other headaches for residents. >> we're just keeping an eye on everything. we do storm prep before so making sure, again, everything is clear and everybody is prepared. >> reporter: valley water says it's relieved the rain season has arrived with force while in the midst of a drought emergency. pg&e is also getting ready. crews are preparing and staging all across northern california knowing strong winds will accompany the heavy rains. >> we have an all hands on deck response at pg&e to address any issues which could include trees, limbs, debris or anything coming into contact with power lines that could result in power outages. >> reporter: pg&e opened its emergency operations center in

damian trujillo, nbc bay area news. >>> get ready for another round of rain. let's take a look now at our live cams across the bay area. you can see san rafael getting rain now as other cities. let's bring in meteorologist rob mayeda. >> we do have some light rain. we'll take you in on our storm ranger doppler radar. one-two punch of gusty wind and much heavier rain rates as we head into saturday. you can see near navado, san rafael. a few areas of light rain around san jose. the back edge of the first storm already approaching the coast. we are not expecting big rain totals from this first storm. peak rain totals will be around the santa cruz mountains. what's around the corner is a storm that's going to bring a lot more rain for saturday. you can see these totals. the area in red showing up. picking up more than 1" of rain. most of the bay area about .5" to 1" of rain. very strong wind to wake up to on saturday morning. wind gusts from 30 to 50 miles per hour. we have a wind advisory up tomorrow night until about saturday afternoon. gusty winds. tree damage

damian trujillo, nbc bay area news. >>> the talk is all about the weather. we have a storm coming in. when will we start getting wet? >> you can see some of the rain pushing across the coast, and wind, too. you may not enjoy that. the wind advisories anded in watches going into effect. you can see, it is not too windy yet. tomorrow morning, things will be changing as the southeast winds pick up. we should see less fog and air pollution. right now, 50 degrees in dublin. you can see the rain drops here from our san rafael camera here. wet roads across the golden gate bridge. 52 degrees. in terms the peak impact of the incoming storm, it is mostly focused on your morning commute. might want to plan a little later in the morning or the afternoon commute should be okay. as the rain starts to push out. gusty wind and rain to start the day around than. we'll see the focus areas south of san francisco. as we head toward the afternoon, decreasing showers. by this time tomorrow night, most of the showers should be pushing away from san jose. the highs from the mid to

damian trujillo has a look at the issue and what you can do to help. >> reporter: carter looks at themakes him worried. >> it's been a little bit slow with donations. i think people are getting used to the idea we're doing toy donations again. >> reporter: sacred heart put giveaways on hiatus during the pandemic opting to give gift cards instead. toys are back on the table and the donation traffic has not been as brisk as they would like. they worry the economy is hurting both sides. fewer donations and more people in need. >> our hope is that we can give roughly 6,000 people toys in the season. >> reporter: donations are down everywhere.. the san jose fire departmtment hoping to fill its barrels. >> so many people out there who need assistance. times are tough for a lot of people. people who donate toys and the firefighters and the volunteers that help them distribute the toys get great joy. >> reporter: they are hoping for a big boost after we reported about the dire need here. things are slow again this year and the neighborhood is hoping for another christmas miracle. >> reporter:

damian trujillo: hello, and welcome to "comunidad del valle," i'm damian trujillo, and today, one ofunity service organizations in the entire country, sacred heart, the executive director is here on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ cc by aberdeen captioning www.aberdeen.io 1-800-688-6621 damian: and we begin today with the monthly visit by the consulate of mexico right here in san jose. with me is ambassador alejandra bologna on "comunidad del valle." ambassador, welcome back to the show. ambassador alejandra bologna: thank you so much for having me. damian: yeah, thank you for being here. well, you know, it's that time of year when some families are packing up, pulling their kids out of school for a week or so and heading off to mexico. what should we know about that trip that families make annually

damian trujillo: hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle," i'm damian trujillo, and today, amigos de las américas. you want to find out about it today on your "comunidad del valle." cc by aberdeen captioning www.aberdeen.io 1-800-688-6621 damian: we begin today with the monthly visit by the consulate of méxico in san francisco. with me is ambassador remedios gómez arnau. she's a consul general of that consulate in san francisco. ambassador, welcome to "comunidad del valle" once again. ambassador remedios gómez arnau: thank you, damian. i'm very happy to be back with you. damian: thank you. thank you for being here. well, this week was a beautiful week. we celebrated el día de la virgen, and it was such a beautiful celebration in latin america and here in the united states, but there was also another celebration on december 12, and that was the establishment--200 years of diplomatic relations between méxico and the united states. remedios: exactly, and many people think, "why is it that we are celebrating that starting on december 12?" well, the reason is that on that day 200 years ag

here's nbc bay area's damian trujillo. >> reporter: maria marcelo fought to keep the washington youth center open, to expand the hours and get kids off the streets. now her colleagues say they will continue that fight in her memory. her shrine still adorns the healing grove health center, a place that provides mental health, homeless assistance, and counseling. you'll also find a few tears these days, even though they try hard to keep them in. >> we had no time to cry. we had no time to because her programs are continuing at this very moment. >> reporter: besides, they say maria wouldn't want them crying. she'd want them fighting for those who don't have a voice, just like she did for so many years. >> with maria, there was no option "b." with her, it was like, noe, we're going to do this. this is how we're going to do it. >> reporter: maria was killed last wednesday. she was leading a religious holiday pilgrimage when she stepped onto the road and was hit by a car. but her spirit remains alive and vibrant in this low-income, mostly immigrant community. a woman who earned respect and

damian trujillo: hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle," i'm damian trujillo, and today, an american legend and chicano activist, dr. josé padilla with crla, on our show here on "comunidad del valle." cc by aberdeen captioning www.aberdeen.io 1-800-688-6621 damian: we begin with another agency that is always on the frontlines. we're talking about siren and they're celebrating a milestone. with me is maricela gutierrez, a longtime executive director of siren. maricela, welcome back to the show. maricela gutierrez: gracias, thank you for having me, damian. damian: thank you for being here. thirty-five years. tell us what this means to you, to the community. maricela: well, it's been an amazing journey for siren, starting out in san josé as our founding place and so, 35 years

in san jose, damian trujillo, nbc bay area news. >> fingers crossed it works out. >>> a new site is drawing visitors to san francisco this weekend. the december king tides typically the highest and lowest tides of the year. lots of people actually headed to the embarcadero to see the flooding as bay waters washed own the seawall onto the pavement. it invokes rising concerns about climate change, and it's also a curiosity. >> i love water, and then i wanted to see the king tides. i thought they were big waves, but they're not big waves. but this is cool. i like water. i like stepping in water. >> it's not as impressive as i thought it would be. last time i came out here, i got sprayed with water, so i don't want to get sprayed really. but if i do, i got some protection for it. >> he came prepared. he's ready with the right gear. i think it is impressive. that's a lot of water. state coastal commission now encouraging people to snap photos of the tides, posting them online. it's a way to get the public thinking about the damage that these high tides will cause in the coming decades if climate

damian trujillo: hello, and welcome to "comunidad del valle," i'm damian trujillo, and today, one of the greatest community service organizations in the entire country, sacred heart, the executive director is here on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ cc by aberdeen captioning www.aberdeen.io 1-800-688-6621 damian: and we begin today with the monthly visit by the consulate of mexico right here in san jose. with me is ambassador alejandra bologna on "comunidad del valle." ambassador, welcome back to the show. ambassador alejandra bologna: thank you so much for having me. damian: yeah, thank you for being here. well, you know, it's that time of year when some families are packing up, pulling their kids out of school for a week or so and heading off to mexico. what should we know about that trip that families make annually during the christmas holidays? alejandra: yes, we are more than welcome to families going back to mexico to visit our country. some of them already are mexicans that are going back to their homes to visit their families, but we have a lot of mexican americans that the ki

. >> damian trujillo knew maria. his report is coming up tonight at 6:00. >>> the number of californians in the hospital because of covid has more than doubled in the past month. take a look at these numbers. this chart we're going to show you shows hospitalizations state wide since last december. the latest data shows nearly 3500 people in the hospital with covid. that's about 115% increase just from a month ago. and you can also see that number right here this peak is roughly the same peak as we hit during our summer surge. that was back in july. and keep in mind, these are just covid patients. there are also people in the hospital with rsv and flu. >>> we want to talk about a bill that will impact families across the country. a bill that guarantees federal protection for same-sex couples is headed to the president's desk. >> the yays are 258. the nays are 169. present one. >> house speaker nancy pelosi got a little choked up after the house passed the respect for marriage act. 39 republicans joined democrats in vo

damian trujillo tells the story. >> reporter: one word people use to describe maria marcello was fiercee the mayor or the police chief, she just wanted you to help fight for the community. they gathered at their weekly meeting spot this morning to share stories about maria marcello. >> sometimes she would impact me to help other people no matter if they were good or bad. >> reporter: san jose's entire washington community is in shock this morning after the loss of their fiercest leader, maria marcello was an immigrant who used her powerful voice to speak up for other immigrants. whether the topic was crime, education, prostitution, health care, and more. >> i need to go to work. >> reporter: last night, maria was leading her community group in

. >> and there's the man, nbc bay area's own damian trujillo emceed today's ceremony. >> very good.hristmas in san francisco's chinatown, and for a good cause. the neighborhood held its big holiday charity event today. one of the highlights, of course those lion dancers. the performers were part of an array of games, prizes, food, music, and more, all part of the third annual be chinatown christmas. many of those served today live in single rooms with a shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. the event is centered around making things special for families who wouldn't otherwise be able to celebrate christmas. >> i love it. a lot of them don't get to celebrate christmas otherwise for the holiday. so to get a toy, to at least get a toy. they get games, a picture with santa, they're getting snow today. snow in san francisco, who knew? >> and several local organizations put the event on, including the nonprofit chinatown volunteer coalition. many of the 3,000 gifts distributed were donated through the san francisco firefighters toy program. >>> holiday spirit this time in oakland, mayor

coming up on nbc bay area news at 5:00, damian trujillo sits down with 49er insider matt maiocco for a closer look at what all this means for the team's super bowl aspirations. it was all hands on deck in sacramento as governor newsom called for a special session of the legislature to talk about gas prices. it began with a distinct and noisy holiday vibe. some of the excitement was generated by newly elected members who were sworn in to take their seats in 2023. lots of shaging hands and posing for pictures. you can see some even brought their children. but the important business was about the governor's call for a penalty for oil companies, when they pass ad certain threshold. it is a response to gas prices which soared past $6 a gael for much of the year in california. the state energy commission held a hearing on gas prices last month but none of the invited oil executives showed up. so what do gas prices look like today? prices are dropping. california's average today is several cents lower than just yesterday. statewide drivers are paying an average of $4.77 today. you can see p

damian trujillo, nbc bay area news. >>> i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. i'll have the latest on airport delays beginning to pop up and the chill in our next chance of rain coming up in about seven minutes. >> thank you, jeff. >>> welcoming back skiers and snowboarders in style. the gondola getting ready. >> restaurants that specialize in salad are slapped with sticker shock. what customers should expect. >>> right now, the tsa reporting a record number of guns confiscated at airport security check points and our investigation into the growing u.s. demand for monkeys for medical research. the international trade and the ethical qstions raisedue (b(boy) i ththink this i is going toto . (vo) small bubusinesses l like ths learningng center..... (smb) there's only onene way to fifd out.t. (vo) ...helelp communitities thriv. that's w why wells f fargo hs donated d roughly $4$420 million dodollars to d diverse l busineness owners.s. (smb) back to o alpha, plalant. (vo) nenew thinkingng, and new w ths ...make ththe future b brighterr all ofof us. happy hoholidays

damian trujillo wend to the mall where there were plenty of deal to be found. >> reporter: since 9:00ers started arriving knowing there were deal to be had and most were not dispointed. >> reporter: it has become a holiday tradition for many. heading back to the mall the day after christmas. it is for the nevins family. >> we're doing some returns. i wanted to get a jersey. so we came here. >> reporter: the seemed to be the theme throughout the mall today. >> just running errands and making some returns. that's about it. seeing what i can find for myself. that's about it. >> a report today shows retail sales rose more than 7.5% during the holidays. that's slightly better than expected but slower than the increase yesterday. economists believe that is due to not nation and the looming left the of a recession. the result, post holiday bargains. >> i just came to exchange a jersey. seeing the sales and loot of the, what they have to offer, we're going to walk around and see what else we can finding. probably minutes more money. and thats what they're hoping for. al rush of host christmas

damian trujillo is checking out how else people are preparing. he joins us live coming up at 5:00. if you are still thinking of heading up to tahoe, the window to get there before it starts snowing is rapidly closing. the sierra travel will be treacherous because of a winter storm. we have some views of highway 50, i-80 looking relatively clear right now, but that will change as soon as night falls. if you haven't started your journey yet, it's probably best to stay put. experts are calling mountain travel over the weekend difficult to impossible. you can track the incoming rain on your smartphone. download our free nbc bay area app. you can get exclusive access to our storm ranger radar. it will show you exactly when the rain will arrive in your neighborhood. >>> now to a developing story in san francisco. we are tracking a fiery crash that's causing a major backup on the bay bridge. this is the scene here westbound heading into san francisco. nbc bay area sky ranger near the fifth street exit. it's unclear how badly people were hurt. you can see traffic on the bay bridge was back

here's nbc bay area's damian trujillo. >> he has just one week left in office, and this morning, he wasf his prize accomplishments, a 100% affordable housing project on the grounds of the cathedral of faith. some of the homes will be used to shelter the recently unhoused. the mayor says housing the homeless has long been top of mind. >> so, we've got a crisis, there's no question. it hasn't gone away. but i would like to think there's real hope in the future. >> reporter: the mayor sat with us in his 18th floor conference room at city hall, looking back at his eight years as leader of the nation's seventh largest city. he admits there are some regrets. >> when you make a few thousand decisions, there's bound to be a few dozen that you would like to take back. >> reporter: one of them is this, the response to the floods of 2017. specifically, not getting residents out before coyote creek overflowed its banks, even though his gut told him to do so. >> the fact that we didn't warn families, particularly a lot of low-income residents who live in the neighborhoods right adjacent to the coyot

damian trujillo, nbc bay area news. >>> big news and new developments in the case against former bay area resident sam bankman-fried, the man accused of running a fraudulent crypto scheme and losing billions of dollars for his customers and clients is now being let out on bond, bail, essentially, and he's coming home to the palo alto area right there at the stanford campus. earlier today, bankman-fried was granted $250 million bail. that's the biggest bond in u.s. history. as part of this agreement now, he's also required to return home and live at his parents' home on the stanford campus. soon after the announcement was made, we see this, a lot of security personnel putting up police barriers blocks away from his parents' neighborhood. bankman-fried has been ordered to give up his passport and can only leave home for exercise. his next court date is january 3rd. coming up on our 6:00 news, why at least one expert says everyone in the neighborhood should be investing in security cameras. >>> he was supposed to protect her, but she says she needed protection from him. a law enforcemen