the quest's home port is in marina delray in california. >> this is really a ransom case and i don't know how they're going to get out of it. very, very scary. >> in those waters, you're not that well protected so i'm a little surprised that they would even put themselves in that position. >> this morning the white house is assessing possible ways to respond to the hijacking which happened just days after a somali pirate was sentenced to 33 years in prison for the hijacking of the mersk alabama. >> if you drive around fremont in san jose, you can't miss it. we have got the snow to help us, san jose, 39 degrees this morning, that's pretty close to sea level, so you know oow hills getting close to 2,000 feet. quick tour here on the radar, you'll see scattered showers, yo n u ca see a few light showers meound san francisco and stiu s snow flurries across the hill tops there out towards the tri-valley. that cold air offshore is going to keep snow levels at times close to 2,000 feet, some chilly showers and a slight chance of thunder as you get some daytime heating. 40s and low 50s, comin

john blackstone is in marina delray, california. and, john, i know two weeks ago, the government said toyota's electronics were not to blame for unintended acceleration. these recalls are actually about floor mats. >> reporter: that's right, katie. this is about a rather low-tech car part, the floor mat, which toyota says can become displaced and potentially jam the gas pedal. now, it's a problem that had already been identified in some models, but this recall shows floor mats are a potential problem in far more cars than previously identified, katie. >> couric: and why didn't toyota catch these problems earlier, john? >> reporter: well, toyota and the government say these recalls come after reviewing some 400,000 pages of toyota records. this is really an extension of the earlier recalls, but now, older models of toyota and lexus are being added. the toyota models involve all suvs, including rav4s, 4-runners and highlanders. under the lexus brand, more than 400,000 vehicles are being recalled for the floor mat and accelerator fixes

the pirates hijacked a yacht from a couple in marina delray. they had been on an around the world sailing trip for more than a year. a distress signal was sent a week ago. they're viewing options for a rescue. still to come this morning why california 8th graders are >> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >> welcome back. more and more kids are encouraged to take algebra in 8th grade and not wait until high school. california watch, lee ann melendez takes you to one school where the 8th graders are ready. >> by the time students reach 8th grade in california, most of them should have the skills to tackle algebra. but one-third of those who took the test in 8th grade scored at below basic or far below basic levels. this according to a nonprofit that studies education issues. >> this report i think is really not that the kids shouldn't be taking algebra in the 8th grade but that they need more preparation. >> for example, before tackling algebra, they should have mastered fractions and percentages. lewis freeberg is with our m