. >>> in san francisco where new equipment needed to keep the bay bridge project ontime has arrived. >>> a cash-strapped school district gets something it desperately it needs. how one video did what limited funding could not. >>> radar showing rain in the valley. i'll tell you how long that rain is going to stick around. >>> police in las vegas are looking for a man who made off with about $2 million from a casino. the pictures show the bandit inside just before 4:00 this morning. police say he walked into the casino pit, demanded chips, ran outside, hopped on a motorcycle and sped off. the case is likely connected to a similar heist last thursday at a different casino. >>> construction crews today unloaded some cargo needed for bay bridge's eastern span tower rise above the bay. the project now appears to be moving ahead rapidly. >> reporter: this ship has very important cargo onboard needed for the bay bridge construction project. these white pieces are part of four segments that are going to be added to a bridge's main tower. in this item surrounded by green tarps, it's part of t

have duis are did not renew ontime. they are not driving or getting paid, but medical and retirement benefits continue, as much as $1,000 per person. and it impacts service. not enough drivers mean longer wait times on some runs. >> not having a license, that's important, i believe. >> i wouldn't want to pay for anything that's not doing anything, i guess. it's anoising. >> reporter: it annoys bosses too. >> we can always do better. and i think that having open runs which are basically caused by not having enough operators is not something that we are very happy with. >> reporter: they admit, they have 80 openings and they are behind on hiring. and they are still trying to restore some services cut because of budget problems. but their own records show that at least three of the unlicensed drivers have been on that status since 2008, 20 since last year and 29 this year alone lost their licenses. now the drivers ewe i don't know blames the dmv for -- drivers union blames the dmv for some of the delays. >> and the plan is

reporting everything ontime. that's your traffic. back up to you guys. >> thank you very much. >>> sit 4:55. a run down part of san francisco's market street is getting a new look. it's an interactive art project designed to create new life in the depressed area. >> reporter: it's shabby, store fronts are boarded up, and some buildings aban donned for years. -- abandoned for years. now many say it's unsafe, dirty and undesirable. >> it's amazing what we step over on the way to 5th street. sorry. >> reporter: the city is banking on change. with great fanfare, a $250,000 art project was switched on. window art and street sculptors. >> is this going to make that big a difference? >> well, you need to start somewhere. and one of the things we wanted to address was the challenge of being in the market, on market street at night. and what better way to sort of fight the fear than with art and light? >> reporter: poetry is projected on the 7th street building. a block away, passer byes can see themselves -- passer-byes can see themselves pr

. >> engineers were able to speed things up because there is deliver arriving ontime. there is a package of incentives to workers building decks and towers. a shipment includes the third of five tower autos three california sea lions home for holidays tonight. they were released this morning in a beach in marin head hands. >> i think every animal is union. but it's something magical to see. some make a bee line, others look around and wonder hey, i've been at this pool. i mean being fed every day. do i want to go back? at the end of the day they make the decision like ocean is the home. >> and this center treated a thousand marine mammal buzz those three are delighted to be back. >> not exactly beach weather. >> no. not quite. >> it's milder than you might expect. and they're thrilled. >> every day is beach weather. >> exactly. >> there is a live view now from our camera in emeryville. we can see glitter of lights on the bay bridge and business district. we have clouds above and almost nudging in the way of rainfall now. there is where we do have moisture. just east of

mass transit, all ontime.a lot to show you. just so you know. a look at the radar. most of the rain fall has moved out. and just a few light showers. forecast for today, what can you expect? well, misting still out there. we will not rule that out. cloudy skies, highs in the 50s. thursday, how about sunshine? yeah, i would love that myself. drying out thursday and friday. but just in time for christmas, saturday ask sunday, more rain fall. >>> check it out, the crowd still out here on a wednesday morning. they've been here all morning. >> that's how you do it. >> that's how you do it. >> i love this guy's sign, i love you mom. can we get a shot of that? >> was there a doubt in mom's mind you didn't love her? >> he says he wants santa to come by with lots of gifts. >> ohh. >> all right. welcome back to "the early show." i'm russ mitchell with rebecca jarvis along with betty chen, texas and minnesota and broth freezing. >> i'm not used to this weather. >> cold either way no matter how you cut it. >> coming up th

check your airline to make sure your flight is running ontime. >>> be prepared to get your bags inspect before you ride metro. it will look in riders' bags at random before it enter the stations. it won't say when certains ll begin. this is not a response to a specific terror threat. simil programs are under way boston and new york. >>> this afternoon, president obama will si the tax cut compromise ll into law. lawmakers burned the midnight oil to pass the bill. >> on this vote the yeas are 277, nays are 148. the motion is adopted. >> the huse passed the bill before mnight, after several delays fro liberal critics. the bill extends the bush era tax cuts, reduces socia security payroll tax, extents unemployment benefits and allows families to pass up to $10 million to hei tax-free. anything more will be taxed 35%. lawmakers on both side of the aisle voiced their concern bere the vote. >> nobody on the floor likes this bill. and therefore, the judgment is, is it better than doing nothing? >> if we don't pass this legislation, there's about to be a $3.9 trillion tax increase on the america

having the russians and the united states sit down within a year's time of negotiations and tion ontime negotiations and >> who could be against that? you will h now, you will hear from my a friends on the other side who dn are defending this treaty and ae voting outnd all of the mms beit offered on the side of the aisle that we can't amend the treatyay because if we amend the treaty it's a poison pill. the russians will not accept it. if that is true then we are notc fulfilling much of a function w. here, are we? some speci under the constitution there are some special privileges that are in the into the system. the trey one of them is the treaty all ts privilege. the treaty power. all treaties must be confirmedt. by the senate on a two-thirds ct vote. if we can't amend it, all we'rem doing is you're saying yes or no. to me that limits our ability. and if my friends on the other lall, i ask them to look at the language.just i am just putting in the treaty if they would accept events that within a years time we have to sit down at the table and entert into these negotiations.eems to not