. >>> and a special guest plans to visit san quentin's new death chamber. what it may mean for the future of executions in california. >>> this inhaler, i have several of these i carry them in several locations, if i end up in difficult in breathing i take it. >> reporter: chief ioni shows us an inhaler he has to use, he says he never had these problems before the 9/11 attack. >> he worked 16 hours a day inhaling that toxic ash. >> reporter: this is one of the 9/11 reporters who have fallen ill because of their work at ground zero. he worked closely with lawmakers to put together the 9/11 bill. >> we worked basically in a grave site. we pulled people. >> reporter: the toxic fumes, dust and smoke took a heavy toll on the people working on the site. he told us a month after returning from new york city, team members began suffering a variety of illnesses. >> 70% of our people were sick, we knew something was wrong. we never had that many people sick at an event. >> reporter: the rescue bill will provide aid to survivors of the 9/11 attack and responders who b

pan y agua will be transferred to san quentin prison. >>> we have new information about a vallejo man accused of sexually molestic two underaged girls while living at her parents day care. the state department of social services has suspended the day care's license. coper's mother claims the allegations against her son are false. >>> a virginia man accused of kidnapping a 12-year-old girl and then taking her to san francisco was arraigned on abduction charges today in virginia. jeffrey easley was the mother's live in boyfriend. he is expected back in court in february for a preliminary hearing. >>> san jose police today released surveillance photos of a man accused of robbing a bank at gunpoint. he showed a handgun to a teller and demanded money. investigators say the man was given an undisclosed amount of cash and ran away. the man is described as between 45 and 50 years old. about 5 feet 5" tall and weighing 550 pounds. >>> a former bart police officer who was fired following the deadly shooting of oscar grant on new years day is getting her old job back. john sasaki joins us now, h

now he wants to see the new chamber firsthand and hold a hearing at san quentin nex year. >>> oh, myosh! >> boy, it caused a stir at the time two navy pilots caught on home video dipping their choppers into lake tahoe. now both have been banned from flying for the navy. it cost a half million dollars to fix those choppers. the pilots admitted what they did, saying they were trying to get a great picture for their facebook page. >>> 6:13. it is a bittersweet homecoming for one dog in the bay area. >> they brought him in on a little gurney all wrapped up in blankets. >> the schnauzer being called a real survivor. how he is bouncing back from a gunshot wound. >>> and it's a quick trip no matter where you're going across the bay area right now. here's a live look at the san mateo bridge. we are watching the ride toward area airports. we'll have all the details after the break. ,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> good morning. out the door this christmas eve, you have some last-minute shopping to do? you're in luck, today pretty decent day. some clouds expected out there with cool temperatures in t

he wants to see the new chamber firsthand and hold a hearing at san quentin in early february. >>> thelara county district attorney's office will not file charges against a substitute teacher accused of inappropriately touching students at a san jose elementary school. 64-year-old [ indiscernible ] was arrested in october when more than a dozen mckinley elementary school students accused him of touching them inappropriately. he says he never did anything wrong. after further investigation, the d.a.'s office says there is insufficient evidence to file any charges. >>> four days after two pit bulls mauled a san jose woman officials today continued searching for one of those dogs. the other dog was captured tuesday night. she was bit in front of her home trying to get into her car. she honked the horn and a neighbor threw a landscape stone to scare the dogs away. the dog's owner is unidentified but that person could face charges including animal cruelty. >>> be prepared to pay more if you stay too long at the expired parking meters. where the fines are going up and how much more you're go

one of the things i would highlight is i have brought jobs behind bars to people in san quentin where you have employee years -- employers come in and give people a real hope. thank you. supervisor campos: thank you. terry goodwin. welcome to the rules committee. >> thank you for this opportunity. i feel honored i am being considered. i'm the director of employment services at the arc of san francisco. specializes in placing people with intellectual disabilities in jobs. i have been managing the successful service and have been placing people in many sectors, including retail, office services, and hospitality. i have developed successful partnerships with over 200 key employers. i have been a leader in the job placement arena for people with intellectual disabilities. i was instrumental in starting the first support of employment program in the state as well as recently working with maria shriver's office to get people employed locally in city government, and we do have somebody, thanks to maria, in the mayor's office. i have worked actively and collaboratively with neighborhood organ

a federal judge will take a tour of san quentin's new death chamber to determine whether the state is continue with legal executions. the challenge to the lethal injection proceedings have put executions on hold for five years. death row inmates say the three-drug cocktail poses a risk of crew and inhumane execution. the state recently replaced the old gas chamber with a new one designed for lethal injection and revised other parts of the ekts cougs procedure as well. >>> no one was smiling at precious smile dental in san jose today, because a car came crashing into the office before 10:00 this morning. police say the 36-year-old driver heading down the road had some sort of medical emergency when he lost control of his car. the driver and a woman in the office were taken to the hospital with injuries. the building as you can see, suffered significant damage. it's now undergoing structural and electrical evaluation. >>> time ticking away for last-minute shoppers looking for the perfect gift. if you're willing to deal with crowds, it appears there's deals to be found. here's the story

in 1957, he did two years and nine months locked up in san quentin.t me the absolute necessity of honesty. you know, you can tell somebody at san quentin that you're going to do something on a tuesday, you best do. ♪ i turned 21 in prison doing life without parole ♪ >> san quentin transformed haggard in more ways than one. on january 1st, 1958, the legendary johnny cash performed a full concert for inmates. >> he captivating 5,000 convicts. and i said, hey, this guy's got something. ♪ from now on, all my friends are gonna be strangers ♪ >> reporter: it was a defining experience for haggard. from that point forward, he understood he could find his way with music ♪ i raised a lot of cane back in my younger days ♪ >> it was cash himself who later told haggard to put all of his hardships into his songs. ♪ i walked in on the fightin' side of me ♪ >> reporter: and it paid off. haggard has recorded more than 600 songs, including 40 number one hits. he's won three grammys and just about every country music award imaginable. >> single of the year, 1970, is "ok

i would highlight is i have brought jobs behind bars to people in san behind bars to people in san quentin where you have emplo

to the people of your community, but that is one of the few in the country, the one you have at san quentin. so all they could get is a ged in general. they come out with no date money, no clothes. none of them have jobs when they get out. and they come home to what? when they have been locked up 5, 10, 20 years, they go home, and their families do not even want them home. >> what impact does somebody's criminal history have on this transition from the system into the community? >> in seven states, you can never vote again. most states, you cannot vote while you are on paper. because of the criminal background record checks that are now ubiquitous, incredibly, a, you have a hard time ending an apartment, getting a car loan, getting any kind of job. i'm a convicted felon, and it would not hire me and walmart. i could not work the cash register at burger king. most occupations and recessions are close to you because you are a convicted felon -- occupations and jobs. when you see homeless people outside, most of them have felony convictions, mostly bullshit felonies, the little felonies. that

district court judge vogel says he wants to hold a meeting at san quentin to help decide if california's revised lethal injection is constitutional. >>> rave supporters and d.j.s say a new bill targeting to ban raves is discrimination toward them. moss says two deaths at the cal palace this year prompted her to act. some say the bill violates the partygoers freedom of expression. >> the community is very upset and there's a lot of organizers going on. we won't sit quietly and let this legislation discriminate against us. >>> in kenfield tonight, the question is was it sabotage that led to a massive sewage spill. in all, hundreds of thousands of raw sewage and waste water overflowed into the streets. and it appears it might have been a deliberate act. >> the pipeline that was clogged is in kentville. heavy pieces of debris were dropped into a sewage pipe installed this year. >> we're talking about thick pieces of rubber, some of them measures 22-inches thick, very heavy. >> reporter: it's highly unlikely the pipeline contractor dumped the debris. >> the only other explanation we can come

he's accused of injuring edward shaffer at san quentin last j uly. shaffer is serving time for a dui crash in novato that killed a 9-year-old girl and maimed her father. sousa is there for killing a homeless man. >>> a walnut creek animal center is trying to determine who is responsible for a horrible act of animal cruelty. somebody severely burned the e ars of a 13-month-old cat. workers at the animal rescue foundation are caring for the pet. she was found in a box at the concord b.a.r.t. station a few days ago. workers have named the cat valentine and hope to find her a home by february. >>> and three sea lions will be returned to the wild in marin county in three hours. kraig debro is live at the marine mammal center in sausalito where they've been nursed back to health. good morning, kraig. >> reporter: good morning, tori. we were just preparing for our shot here. we're on the second level of the marin mammal center. we wanted to show you what this $32 million facility looks like. about ten years ago, probably less than five, this place l ooked n

he's a man who served time at san quentin but has now turned his life around. he's hoping that along with support from community leaders and politicians will help convince the governor to pardon him. lloyd lacuesta is live with the story. >> reporter: that man is appealing to governor arnold schwarzenegger for a pardon to keep him from being deported. freddy yang is a youth advisor. at 16 the young chinese immigrant was sentenced to seven years to life for a home invasion robbery in china town. >> i didn't rlly fully comprehend the consequences of my actions, how much it affects the victims and the community and my family. i was naive, uneducated. >> reporter: he thought himself to read and speak better english. he earned a high school diploma, a college degree, became a model prisoner. >> i took the support from my parents and many of the friends that i encountered to my participation from the outside and my self-determination, my dedication to change that i was finally able to make that rehabilitation work. >> reporter: after 19 years, ye n g won parol in 200

he's a man who served time at san quentin but has now turned his life around. he's hoping that along with support from community leaders and politicians will help convince the governor to pardon him. lloyd lacuesta is live with the story. >> reporter: that man is appealing to governor arnold schwarzenegger for a pardon to keep him from being deported. freddy yang is a youth advisor. at 16 the young chinese immigrant was sentenced to seven years to life for a home invasion robbery in china town. >> i didn't really fully comprehend the consequences of my actions, how much it affects the victims and the community and my family. i was naive, uneducated. >> reporter: he thought himself to read and speak better english. he earned a high school diploma, a college degree, became a model prisoner. >> i took the support from my parents and many of the friends that i encountered to my participation from the outside and my self-determination, my dedication to change that i was finally able to make that rehabilitation work. >> reporter: after 19 years, ye n g won parol in 2

governor schwarzenegger to grant him a pardon -- pardon. 41-year-old eddie zheng served time in san quentin but serves at an outreach program. he was imprisoned for a h ome- invasion robbery. he was paroled. immigration wants him deported. >> i deserve the chance using the skills i have cultivated staying in the united states with my family and continue to serve the community. >> several prominent politicians and community leaders have j oined in with governor schwarzenegger that he should be deported. >>> five chairs at sugar loaf fell 30 feet. eight people were hurt. some of them were children. none of the injuries are considered life-threatening, though. that lift started the day on a wind hold because of the weather there. but sugarloaf officials decided it was safe enough to operate. they are not sure if it was a mechanical accident or w ind- related. >> i heard a big jerk and i heard people screaming and then i heard the chairs drop. yeah. for a little bit. i thought i was going to go d own. >> they say they inspect them every day and the slopes will be open today to skiers. >>> we no

. >>> the judge who stopped lethal injections in california in 2006 is set to tour san quentin's newas chamber. jeremy hogel says he wants to hold a hearing sometime in early february. in an effort to determine whether the lethal injection procedure is constitutional. vogel says he wants to view the improvements firsthand before ruling on a case. >> reporter: caltrans fairs are about to go up, we'll tell you when and how much it's going to cost you. he may be a yankee but his heart is here in the bay area. the mayor league pitcher who returned home today to help put smiles on the faces of a lot of people. >>> hear how a recent incident involving actress lyndsey lohan may have caused an evacuation of the betty ford center. >>> >>> caltrans riders can expect major changes on january 1st. fares will be going up 25-cents per zone. raising the fair from san francisco to san jose by $7.75 to $8.50. caltrans will eliminate two trains, but will add baby bullet trains on the weekend with trains making seven stops instead of the 20 made by commuter trains. all of the changes are aimed to close

he's accused of killing fellow inmate edward shaffer at san quentin last july. shaffer was serving time for a dui crash that killed a girl and sousa is there for killing a homeless man. >>> homicide detectives in antioch say a man shot in the head has died. the victim is 24-year-old arnold mercleroy of pittsburg. -- muckleroy of pittsburg. police say he got into a green ford escort where people were waiting. police say muckleroy was shot almost immediately and then pushed into the streets where officers found him. >>> let's go to back to southern california. that's where a series of storms have left a path of destruction. that's where bob decastro is. bob? >> reporter: hey, kraig. yeah, this is one of many neighborhoods now under a lot of mud. cleanup underway. sanbernardino declaring a state of emergency. you can see the front loaders out here. they have guys with shovels out here just trying to dig everything out. this path, this front-loader. this is a home that was severely damaged by the mudslide. the entire first floor is actually buried in mud. the whole

now he wants to see the new chamber firsthand and hold a hearing at san quentin next year. >>> anywheredown on drunk drivers. the chp starts its christmas maximum enforcement period tonight running through sunday night. law enforcement agencies all over the bay area are also participating in this campaign. >>> stay where you are. a look at your holiday weekend traffic and weather when we return. ,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> good morning, if you are taking bart, to go to a shopping mall or to an airport, so far there is no delay on any bart trains. but they are running longer trains midday to accommodate all those procrastinating last- minute shoppers out there. ace train no service. golden gate ferry and caltrain are also operating on a holiday schedule. as far as the roads go, we are off to a great start. no delay at all at the bay bridge toll plaza. in fact, they never turned the metering lights on. that's your traffic. here's tracy with your forecast. >>> hey, thanks, elizabeth. i'm one of those procrastinators. so i'm happy that today's weather is decent. a mix of sun and clouds and great day t

judge that stopped executions in california four years ago plans to visit the death chamber at san quentin. he says he wants to hold a hearing at the prison in february to help decide if california's revised lethal injection procedure is constitutional. in 2006 he ruled it was unconstitutional based in part finding the old death chamber was too small, poorly it will and outdated. jerry brown plans to reduce the lobbying force on capitol hill. brown is cutting the staff in california's d.c. office from six to two. the governor elects transition team hasn't confirmed the cut bus reportedly this is in an effort to save money. >>> the controversial local hire ordnance will become law after mayor gavin newsom decided not to approve it. newsom returns legislation to board of supervisors unsigned at first saying he had reservations about part of it. the san mateo county board of supervisors wanted him to veto the measure saying it would hurt worker there is. >>> in oakland parking meter fines are going up in the new year. a violation increase will start january 3rd. that would raise the cost from

including alcatraz although he had a little bit of a ruse to get off the island and he broke out of san quentin in a kayak he builds paint him on the side rubber dub dub. he wrote this last night when he was 78 years old with what appeared to be a hearing aid that but was a police -- where two is here. when i read about that in terms of the length of time, it was several times before he wrote the story and he would never agree to speak. i wrote them a letter every month in prison i said if you ever change your mind i'm here. it became a form letter and i would just ride write it and sign it and maybe change one word, and eventually after two years he said come on down. he had decided he was willing. >> he finally found the time. >> finally found the time. [laughter] i think at that time he was about 80 and he didn't think he was going to get out although he had aspirations. just to go together point of not knowing where you are going to go with the stories. the stories are journeys and for example there is a story in the collection about the search for the giant squid and i found out that there

who put a hold on california's lethal injections wants to tour the state's new death chamber at san quentinjeremy fogel halted executions in 2006 over concerns staff members were inadequately trained and the death chamber was too small and dark. the judge requested a hearing to look at improvements officials have made since then. san francisco's local hiring ordinance is becoming law after the mayor declined to veto it. gavin newsom didn't sign the legislation either telling the board of supervisors he has reservations about parts of it and wants the city to pursue reciprocal agreements with neighboring counties. city-funded projects set aside a percentage of the jobs for san francisco residents. that percentage eventually grows to 50%. it will hurt workers there and had urged newsom to veto it. >> the san francisco 49ers have signed on to stay at candlestick park for at least another year. mayor newsom says it settles a $6 million dispute over improvements which could have resulted in a lawsuit. a spokesperson for the team says the agreement does not change its commitment to be in a new st

he's serving time in san quentin for time served in alameda county. new a's stadium may never be built. the money will be used to pay for an environmental impact study at a site a few blocks south of jack london square. a's owner lou wolf says he has no interest in staying in oakland. it will stop the study if a decision is made to move the team elsewhere. >> 5:07 now. did the sound of rain overnight keep you awake at all. >> i was passed out. must not have been raining too hard. what about you? >> no, i slept. not all that noisy as far as storms go. >> rainfall pretty impressive three-quarters around the bay to 1 to 2 inches in the mountains. took the noisier weather with it. southern california still getting pounded right now while we're starting to look at a little bit of a drying trend after the morning commute. take a look at these temperatures as you step out. low to mid-50s. 54 now. mountain view and san jose, pretty close where our highs should be this time of year. temperatures running from 2 to 9 degrees warmer than yesterday. as we head int

hold on california's lethal injections has set a date to tour the state's new death chamber at san quentin. the judge halted executions in 2006 over concerns that staff members were inadequately trained and the death chamber was too small and dark. the june has requested a hearing in early february to look at improvements officials made since then. that could determine if and when the judge will lift his ban on execution. >> two incoming lawmakers are raising flags about budget cuts after touring the napa state hospital in the wake of serious attacks by staff members by patients. a lockdown since donna gross was murdered there by a patient in october. two more assaults on staffers since then. the hospital increased security but many employees say it's not enough. a look was taken of the conditions inside. >> this facility's been absorbing budget cuts and they're understaffed. it's an outdated, outmoded facility. they don't have the security technology they need to have and basically we're seeing the system fracture because of the pressure put on the state budget. >> the director of califor

. >> where did you go, san quentin high? >> jimmy: similar. something like that. was touching the fence. wouldn't things not want to touch the electric fence on their own? >> well, i mean, you would assume this. >> jimmy: you would assume that? >> yeah. >> jimmy: and you'd have like critters running around and all sorts of weird things? >> yeah. one was a little thing called trapping pocket gophers. >> jimmy: trap what? >> pocket gophers. >> jimmy: okay. >> we had 40 to 80 acre fields in the back of the house. one of the things we had to do was trap pocket gophers. >> jimmy: these are real or video games? >> they made these mounds -- >> jimmy: it sounds like -- >> when the tractor and equipment goes over them, it would sort of damage equipment. so you're losing more money than you're make. my dad would send us kids out there. and we'd have to trap the pocket gophers. so he didn't have to lose any money. within this, you have to dig a hole with the post hole digger and set a trap and when you come back and find it in the morning, you find it. you know, forgive me,

california's death row at san quentin prison has 717 condemned inmates.includes 28 who received death sentences this year. the state has not executed anyone since 2006 because of legal challenges to lethal injection and a shortage of the key drug used in the procedure. the "l.a. times" reports a federal judge is expected to rule early next year on resuming executions. >>> the california supreme court is denying governor schwarzenegger's request to sell state buildings. the ruling means the decision on the fate of the properties will fall to governor-elect jerry brown. three former members of the state building authority sued to stop the sale saying it amounts to an unlawful gift of public funds. >>> san francisco's outgoing mayor is working on ways for the next mayor to save money. gavin newsom has found nearly $20 million worth of savings. that after he asked department heads for ways to cut budgets by 20%. the "chronicle" reports san francisco's deficit for the next fiscal year will be about $380 million. newsom leaves the mayor's office early next mont

the boy's father was convicted and later committed suicide at san quentin. >>> you soon won't need to around for 1 or 2 cent stamps when rates go up. next month new first class stamps will be marked as forever. it's to help people deal with the increases. they plan to announce the new policy january 14th. the first first class stamp under the new policy will be the lunar new year. >>> an animated movie lovers, you'll want to get your hands on these. u.s. postal service giving pixar its own stamp series. there will be five stamps in all. you won't be able to get these until august. >>> caltrain is about to begin a safety improvement project at train crossings in palo alto. it means there probably will be a few overnight lane closures. improvements will include wider sidewalks, additional guardrails, metal fences and a new pedestrian and vehicle gate. informational and warning signs will be posted to help drivers and pedestrians. the work will happen sunday through thursdays between 8:00 in the evening and 4:00 in the morning. there are as many as four intersections that will be impacte

later, he mentioned johnny cash, mecksed he had seen him perform earlier at san quentin earlier.h said, because i don't remember you being in the show. and merl had to explain to the man in black that he hadn't been in the show, he had been in the audience. that performance had inspired merl to start writing songs, and he's written thousands of them since. about three or four hundred keepers, in merl's opinion. 38 of those songs have been number one on the charts including oakie from musscogeie, which he performed for richard nixon right here in this room back in 1973. through it all, his power has always come from the truth he tells about life and love, and everything in between. as he says, the best songs feel like they've always been there. so tonight we honor a man who feels like he has always been here. [applause] now, growing up in new jersey, jerry herman and his family used to play broadway tunes in the living room. jerry on the piano, his mother on the accordian, and his father playing the sax. he never took a music lesson but always had the ability to play anything he h

country star, meryl met johnny cash and mentioned that he had seen cash perform years earlier at san quentinon. that's funny, cash said, because i don't remember you being in the show. and meryl had to explain to the man in black he had not been in the show, he had been in the the show, he had been in the audience.