coyote: for nearly a decade now, he had been struggling to have the yosemite valley given back to the federal government and made part of the larger yosemite national park. but nothing he seemed to say or do had proven successful. things remained at a standstill in the spring of 1903, as muir prepared to leave his home in martinez, california and embark on a trip to europe and asia with some friends. suddenly, his plans changed. man as john muir: an influential man from washington wants to make a trip into the sierra with me, and i might be able to do some forest good, in freely talking around the campfire. coyote: it was the president still working his way up through california asking muir to accompany him during a visit to yosemite. "i do not want anyone with me but you," roosevelt had written. "i want to drop politics absolutely "and just be out in the open with you." muir realized this was the opportunity of a lifetime. he purchased a brand-new woolen suit for the occasion and hurried to join the presidential entourage. on may 15, they set off for the mariposa grove of big trees i

, yosemite valley would have been a mining pit and the reason for that is that it was still very, very difficult for the american people to relent from their commercial pursuits. coyote: with the northern pacific quietly maneuvering behind the scenes and with moran's sketches and jackson's photographs prominently displayed in the halls of the capitol, a bill began moving through congress, and by late january of 1872, it was ready for action in the senate.o, man: be it enacted that the tract of land lying near the headwaters of the yellowstone river... coyote: the senate overwhelmingly approved the bill. the house passed it 115-65 and on march 1, 1872 president ulysses s. grant signed the bill creating yellowstone park. unlike yosemite, which was being administered by the state of california, this would be a national park, the first national park in the history of the world. you wish that they had you know, gone out and rang bells to say, "this is something new on earth," because it was. a federal government was saying, "we're setting this aside as a national park." no government

tule fog hanging around central valley. 57 sacramento, you go mid 40s no precipitation in tahoe nor yosemiteow to mid 30s inland valleys upper 30s to low 40s around the bay shore to the coast. waking up tomorrow in san francisco 47°. slightly breezy tonight on the ridge tops that's that drier air moving in it will warm nicely tomorrow a few degrees warmer throughout the seven alongvyzhi÷$ the coastórh low d the bayyz upper 50s to?gzj÷ nea0 inland. év<. -- how dry that is, another seven days. >> california christmas. better for shoppers, i guess, thanks. >>> christmas has come early for commuters, the 511 traffic page is being made over. starting today you can test the version of the new page. it features a larger expandable and more interactive map as well as real-time traffic predictions that update automatically, just to name a few changes. the tests will go on for a few months. once the kinks are worked out the new site will replace the old one. go to abc7news.com and click on the see it on tv button. >>> facebook has a new home this morning. it spent the weekend moving out of its palo a

tule fog hanging around central valley. 57 sacramento, you go mid 40s no precipitation in tahoe nor yosemiteow to mid 30s inland valleys upper 30s to low 40s around the bay shore to the coast. waking up tomorrow in san francisco 47°. slightly breezy tonight on the ridge tops that's that drier air moving in it will warm nicely tomorrow a few degrees warmer throughout the seven alongvyzhi÷$ the coastórh low d the bayyz upper 50s to?gzj÷ nea0 inland. év<. -- how dry that is, another seven days. >> california christmas. better for shoppers, i guess, thanks. >>> christmas has come early for commuters, the 511 traffic page is being made over. starting today you can test the version of the new page. it features a larger expandable and more interactive map as well as real-time traffic predictions that update automatically, just to name a few changes. the tests will go on for a few months. once the kinks are worked out the new site will replace the old one. go to abc7news.com and click on the see it on tv button. >>> facebook has a new home this morning. it spent the weekend moving out of its palo a

into the east bay valleys, low 60s then drop down to the monterey bay 59 carmel, low to mid 60s for the bay and inland. around the state today everybody is quiet 39 tahoe, 49 yosemite mid to upper 50s eureka through the central valley big sur 60 to mid 60s around los angeles, san diego and palm springs. back home tonight, temperatures in the 20s livermore, fairfield, santa rose , -- santa rosa cloverdale, low to mid 30s palo alto, fremont and san jose. redwood city this morning one of our writers, producers, frost on his car i expect we'll see some of that again tomorrow morning. low to mid 40s half moon bay, san mateo, oakland and san francisco 46. east bay valleys, frost advisory just the sensitive plants are the ones that need protecting north we could have temperatures around 28° for a couple of hours where you need protect the pets, pipes and delta community. jet stream up into alaska reaching the arctic circle then coming down stwaored us we are on the back edge of this area of high pressure over the great basin we are getting a dry, cool air mass we'll cool into the 30s and 20s tonight then warm back up into the 50s and 60s tomorrow we'll keep repeating that

into the east bay valleys, low 60s then drop down to the monterey bay 59 carmel, low to mid 60s for the bay and inland. around the state today everybody is quiet 39 tahoe, 49 yosemite mid to upper 50s eureka through the central valley big sur 60 to mid 60s around los angeles, san diego and palm springs. back home tonight, temperatures in the 20s livermore, fairfield, santa rose , -- santa rosa cloverdale, low to mid 30s palo alto, fremont and san jose. redwood city this morning one of our writers, producers, frost on his car i expect we'll see some of that again tomorrow morning. low to mid 40s half moon bay, san mateo, oakland and san francisco 46. east bay valleys, frost advisory just the sensitive plants are the ones that need protecting north we could have temperatures around 28° for a couple of hours where you need protect the pets, pipes and delta community. jet stream up into alaska reaching the arctic circle then coming down stwaored us we are on the back edge of this area of high pressure over the great basin we are getting a dry, cool air mass we'll cool into the 30s and 20s tonight then warm back up into the 50s and 60s tomorrow we'll keep repeating that

gone in southern california low to mid 60s, snow showers gone tahoe 43, 49 yosemite, mid to upper 50s from the central valley coast. tonight clouds roll in not as cold as this morning, a lot of mid 30s to low 40s inland valleys, 34 palo alto, 39 fremont, low to mid 40s around the bay shore and out to the coast. low pulling away, not concerned about that one any more. stagnant air over top of us until the weak disturbance starts to roll down. thursday, last night through this morning, quiet, fog forming, as we head into the afternoon and evening nothing until tonight. there you go, coming in towards the morning rush hour showers develop in the north bay will spread south and weaken through mid-afternoon quarter of an inch possible at the coast, 1/10 for the rest of us, once we get past that 50, near 60 and a lot of sunshine. >>> san jose injury crash on northbound 87 at 101 it has been out there almost an hour it happened around 4:10 this is north 87 heading towards 101 it is blocking a couple of lanes traffic light enough to get by. basically it is still flowing well on 87. we don't see any slowing throughou

high clouds around eureka, 50 win, sun central valley and upper 50s sunshine tahoe 50, 54 yosemite mid upper 60s, los angeles san diego. tonight mid 30s to low 40s, palo alto 39 low to mid fourties bay shore out to the coast and san francisco 47. first two high pressures then three now we have four the more out there the more like lit storm tracker going to stay well north maybe next week there's a couple of lows that will glance us with a chance of a shower that's about it. it won't do anything to dent our rainfall deficits. average 100%, 46 san jose, 60 san francisco, 66 oakland, mid 50s santa rosa that is not good. here's your seven day, under a spare the air tomorrow, possibly friday i'm sure sandy and spencer will have that information this evening temperatures the same throughout the next couple of days. >>> ceremonies are being held in the bay area and around the country today to mark the 70th anniversary of the japanese national guard jets in a missing man formation soared over the attack. 120 attend the ceremony they stood and led the salute as a guided missile destroyer blew

high clouds around eureka, 50 win, sun central valley and upper 50s sunshine tahoe 50, 54 yosemite mid upper 60s, los angeles san diego. tonight mid 30s to low 40s, palo alto 39 low to mid fourties bay shore out to the coast and san francisco 47. first two high pressures then three now we have four the more out there the more like lit storm tracker going to stay well north maybe next week there's a couple of lows that will glance us with a chance of a shower that's about it. it won't do anything to dent our rainfall deficits. average 100%, 46 san jose, 60 san francisco, 66 oakland, mid 50s santa rosa that is not good. here's your seven day, under a spare the air tomorrow, possibly friday i'm sure sandy and spencer will have that information this evening temperatures the same throughout the next couple of days. >>> ceremonies are being held in the bay area and around the country today to mark the 70th anniversary of the japanese national guard jets in a missing man formation soared over the attack. 120 attend the ceremony they stood and led the salute as a guided missile destroyer blew

about how paltry the snow pack is 24% in tahoe and yes stemmy, 35% state -- and yosemite, 35% statewide. low 60s central valleyd 60s, big sur, san diego. let's look at the forecaster this weekend up in the sierra, they will be making snow nothing will be falling from the sky. 50 around tahoe and low 50s around yosemite. here's more with eric and kriss -- >> that's katie we like her. a los angeles woman accused of tacking fellow black friday shoppers with pepper spray -- of attacking fellow black friday shoppers with pepper spray will not face charges. shoppers were pushing and screaming and getting shoved on to boxes as they looked at video games. prosecutors now say the woman may have used the pepper spray in self-defense. 20 people were injured in the incident. >>> 5:48. we've seen music, movies even video games move into the cloud. the next step may be putting yourself in the cloud. jonathan bloom reports on a local company using robots to let you be everywhere at once. >> i've been a virtual assistant for a couple of years. >> reporter: faith is a real person at home now in illinois. and also here at the n

hetch hetchy reservoir made from the tuolumne river and the o'shaughnessy dam in yosemite park. 85 years ago the valley was dammed and water was sent to the city and 26 other bay area districts. for 85 years some people have complained. it has become a cause celebre. >> welcome to the hetch hetchy valley. >> reporter: harrison ford among those who are trying to drain the valley and restore it to its original glory. now a new tact from an old source. >> the act requires that san francisco use all the local water resources before diverting a drop of tuolumne river water. this was in 1950, 98 years ago this month this legislation passed. it was in 1913. >> reporter: restore hetch hetchy director mike marshall agrees with the call for an investigation which comes from conservative congress member dan lundgren. is san francisco using all its local water resources? they don't think so. >> it doesn't recycle a drop of water compared to orange county, which recycles 20% of their tap water recycled. in 1913, we used almost 15 million gallons a day of ground water. today we use less than 3. it is simply trying o

when you go to yosemite, you have that incredible, beautiful valley.there's so many incredible sights. what is not to love? >> i've been to a lot of places in america. that's one i haven't gotten to. gorgeous. what's the rest of the country looking like? >> things are very mild in places where we normally see a lot of cold. for example, last year in times square, it was brutal. it's going to be 44 degrees, still chilly, but certainly not at the freezing point. 44 degrees. in fact, we could take the map if you will if you want to, get a better gander at it. we're expecting skies to be mostly clear. in terms of precipitation, it's not going to be in the mix for tonight. winds out of the west-northwest at 6 miles per hour. again, above freezing for tonight and early morning for 2012. not a bad way to ring in the new year. we're going to have more in the forecast. many of you are traveling around the country trying to see your loved ones for the holiday. what are you going to expect weatherwise? >>> you and i will be working together tomorrow morning very

a lot of sun, a few high clouds, low to mid 60s through the central valleys, 47 tahoe, 52 yosemite, sunper 50s. >>> -- 5:47. the pentagon is admitting the remains of at least 274 american troops were buried in a virginia landfill. the landfill is located in virginia's king george county remains come from the mortuary at dover air force base, a port of entry for america's war dead. the "washington post" reports the practice of dumping incinerated partial remains span four years. the disposals were never authorized by top brass. the practice ended three years ago burial at sea is now the custom. >>> recovery operation underway in nevada following a deadly tourist helicopter crash. crews arrived near the scene last night, four tourists and pilot were aboard the craft when it crashed into a ravine near lake meade around 5 p.m.. the group was returning from a tour of the las vegas strip and hoover dam. the cause is under investigation. >>> jerry sandusky remains in jail in morning on new child sex abuse charges. he was rearrested yesterday following allegations made by two new accusers. both

around the state you will find 50s into the central valley, high country looking good, 40s and 50s towards yosemite. that ridge holding on but breaking down just a little bit. going to see a couple of ripples over the top of the ridge so, yeah, probably not quite as cold. still those clear skies outside tonight and still cold enough, 38 in san jose. by day though we'll see sunshine and 50s and 60s in much the south bay and at the coast. plenty of 60s well inland. and inside the bay in the north bay those temperatures up in the 50s and 60s. next couple of days no major changes in the forecast. temperatures will kind of ebb and flow over the next couple of days. otherwise staying dry through saturday, more clouds likely on the way more of a sea breeze into the weekend. and then things get interesting. there is a low that's going to swing down along the coastline. >> thank you. >>> the holiday season can bring cheer and trouble. fire calls spike this time of year. steps to prevent this from happening in your home. ,,,, ok, you guys wanted a space for entertaining your friends, so, open your eyes and c

worry worries today high clouds and sun 51 eureka upper 50s through the central valley a lot of sun around tahoe, yosemitealifornia mid to upper 60s san diego, palm s and los angeles. >>> -- >> 6:43. today is the 70th anniversary of the attack on the u.s. naval base at harbor. in the bay area a ceremony that includes survivors from that day is scheduled at coast guard island in alameda this morning. it was december 7th, 1941 when the japanese air attack led the u.s. to enter world war ii. 2400 americans were killed that day. about 120 survivors from across the country made the trip for this year's official commemoration. >> [ inaudible ] the planes come back with machine guns this time. >> the trip for the survivors to pearl harbor is sponsored by a non-profit call the greatest generations foundation. it takes vets back an as a way of saying thank you for their service. >>> the secret service is now heeding the investigation into the skimming devices found on the check-out stations in 20 thee bay area lucky supermarkets. officials have already received 1500 inquiries about the thefts. at least 300 custome

. -- mid to upper 50s through the central valleys not because of the tule fog the cold front bringing the winds comber air behind it. 34 tahoe, 45 yosemitenight with the driest air of the season you will notice it is bone dry this morning many areas it will drop into the mid to upper 20s in the north bay valleys 32 in san rafael mid 20s to mid 30 around livermore, antioch, concord. 32 fremont, san jose 30 morgan hill, scattered frost richmond 4 4s if. here's what is -- 44, san francisco. here's what is happening jet stream to the north driving to the south system losing all energy, snow and rain north of us drying and making it so brew fall for us where we need -- so brutal for us where we need rain. i think it will be warmer saturday and sunday before a cooling trend monday nor clouds and a chance of rain tuesday better chance wednesday. >>> good morning. pretty much holiday light. this is a live shot of the 80 east shore freeway moving well into the maze and on to the bay bridge no delays. live look at san rafael, no fog in morning very light this is the southbound direction of 101 headed past the civic center, just a few taillights he

yosemite mid 60s in southern california. tonight -- low to mid 30s north bay and east bay valleys could get to 29 in napa mid to upper 30s mosthe bay shore 40 san mateo oakland 43 san francisco high pressure keeping systems to our north and south. until they move it is going to be dry once again. minor tweaks in the cloud cover maybe a degree or two here for the most part along the coast mid to upper 50s around the bay low to mid 60s inland upper 50s to low 60s the all the way through sunday. >>> -- for the first name history this february super bowl will be streamed online and to mobile phones. the game will be available on the nfl's website and through verizon's nfl mobile app also additional camera angles, game highlights and live statistics itch the game is the big owes television -- event of the year last year's match-up due a record u.s. audience of 111 million viewers. super bowl february 5th in indianapolis. >>> tonight lottery players have a chance to make their holidays more merry. the mega millions jackpot has grown to 152 million dollars. with an estimated cash option of more than 113 million. mega millions is a m

coyote: yosemite's high country had been designated a national park in 1890, but the valley itself remained under the control of a california state commission and their political appointees, a group of "blundering, plundering moneymaking vote sellers," muir said. he wanted it all transferred back to the federal government. only then, he believed would it be safe from ruin. in 1892, to help promote yosemite's protection, muir and a small group of prominent californians formed a new organization. they called it the sierra club. muir enthusiastically agreed to serve as its president, hoping, he said, that "we will be able to do something "for wildness and make the mountains glad." [scattered applause] man: in the 19th century when the census bureau would do its census, it would draw a line that's the frontier line, and proudly say it marches westward, and their definition of it had this wonderful phrase. it would say, in the last 10 years, this many million of acres have been "redeemed from wilderness by "the hand of man." "redeemed from wilderness by the hand of man." in other words, a virgin

pretty mild temperatures 44 tahoe, 51 yosemite mid to upper 50s eureka through the central valley.snow. >>> the radar evading that crash landed over the weekend in iran was on a mission for the ci, according to a senior official. the -- cia, according to a senior official. the official says it was unclear whether the mission took it over iran or it strayed accidentally because of technical malfunctions. iran claim it shot down the rq sentinel drone the pentagon will not reveal the craft's full ables or price tag but does acknowledge it may be in iranian hands the incident has exploited by tehran or shared with other american rivals. >>> mitt romney is scheduled to be ini.  the bay area tomorw for a campaign fundraiser. he will be speaking to supporters willing to fork over from $1,000 to $2500 each for a chance to dine with him at the airport marriott hotel in burlingame. the former massachusetts governor was here last june. romney is expected to pick up an endorsement from former vice president dan quayle today. >>> newt gingrich has stormed his way to the top of the gop pack thi

much more benign forecast today 51 eureka, mid to upper 50s through the central valley big sur sunshine over tahoe and yosemiteto mid 60s around l.a., palm springs and san diego. >>> 6:43 now. attorney general harris now says she will lay-off 102 department of justice agents and 21 civilian employees next year because of budget cuts about half the 203 agents who originally were expected to lose their jobs. despite the lower numbers the department is still ending its involvement in 2/3 of california's 52 drug and gang fighting task forces next year again because of the cuts. >>> feds insist that texting, e-mailing or using any cell phone is too dangerous to be allowed while driving. the national transportation safety can't impose restrictions so it is asking every state to invoke strong new bans. tahman bradley has details. >> reporter: warning too many drivers who talk or text end up in these the ntsb wants drivers to turn off all electronic devices while driving, unprecedented recommendation that every u.s. state ban personal electronic vases in cars, except in emergencies. no hands-free devices, no bluetooth

yosemite mid 60s in southern california. tonight -- low to mid 30s north bay and east bay valleys could get to 29 in napa mid to upper 30s most43 san francisco high pressure keeping systems to our north and south. until they move it is going to be dry once again. minor tweaks in the cloud cover maybe a degree or two here for the most part along the coast mid to upper 50s around the bay low to mid 60s inland upper 50s to low 60s the all the way through sunday. >>> -- for the first name history this february super bowl will be streamed online and to mobile phones. the game will be available on the nfl's website and through verizon's nfl mobile app also additional camera angles, game highlights and live statistics itch the game is the big owes television -- event of the year last year's match-up due a record u.s. audience of 111 million viewers. super bowl february 5th in indianapolis. >>> tonight lottery players have a chance to make their holidays more merry. the mega millions jackpot has grown to 152 million dollars. with an estimated cash option of more than 113 million. mega millions is a multi-state game played in californ

yosemite. not a lot of to fog in the central valley.home we are talking about a mild afternoon for christmas. 61 campbell and san jose. look for 60 redwood city. upper 60 he is's here at the beaches. sunset district, 58. 59 downtown and in the north bay low 6 tos. a nice mild day today. 60s oakland a beautiful day to get out and enjoy. 57 in antioch. 60 dub 58 down by the monterey bay we have low to mid-60s coming in this afternoon. so the look ahead, looking about the same except for some overnight lows getting a little warmer tomorrow, increasing clouds in the north bay and a little rain comes our way north bay late tuesday into wednesday, still a chance on thursday. i wish we would have that big storm, but not yet. >> not yet. thanks, lisa. >> okay. >> well, we are about to enter a brand new year and with twelve comes a set of new state laws affecting everything from applying for a job to shopping at the drugstore. abc7s capital correspondent nannette miranda has a preview. >> good news for the 2 million californians out of work. emp

valley, sunny skies there. heading to the high countries, 40s and 50s in yosemite. 59 in monterey bay. nor fluctuations in the ridge over the next couple of days know. cold. it's couple of days, just chilly. some isolated places in the upper 20s in the valleys of the north bay but not a cold. 45 degrees in pacifica. so as we look around the bay area tomorrow afternoon, we are planning on 50s and 60s and plenty of sunshine outside. east bay numbers also running up into the 50s and low 60s. and as you get inside the bay you will find plenty of sunshine and some very mild temperatures for this time of the year. not bad. looks like it's going to hold on over the next couple of days as that ridge looks like it will settle in overhead. maybe weak offshore kicking in on thursday and friday but toward the weekend we have some changes that are coming out way. likely going to see low swinging along the coastline bringing with it a few more clouds. doesn't look like we'll see rain, just cloudy. that's a look at the forecast. back to you. ,, ♪ secondhand smoke affects everyone's health. it's not ju

yosemite. and we have temperatures in the 20s in the san joaquin valley this morning. 61 in san diego with more win in southern california tonight. our wind overnight tonight primarily for north day mountains tomorrow. 61 sunyvale. san francisco in the upper 50s. couple temperatures from the low 60s from cloverdale to napa. oakland, union city and castro valley with upper 50s here. cool for danville. down by the monterey bay, 58 monterey and 352 gill ray. another cold night but the winds will be picking up. north bay mountains, high fire danger. a look ahead. upper 50s to low 60s with a dry pattern continuing through next week and possibly even next week as well. >> and in terms of the weather, way off in terms of christmas? >> no, we can't go that far. but it goes at least until maybe the 20th. still dry. >> wow. that means waterworks on christmas. >> possibly. >> usually the way it works. thank you, lisa. >> the small town of crescent city is the biggest exporter of dungeonus crab. they were also hit by the tsunami. in fact, waves destroyed the harbor last spring. with the north crab season o

toa-Ñ upper 50s through the central valley dry there 58 big sur dry around l.a., san diego, palm springs low to mid 60s for you. sierra mid to upper 40s for tahoe and yosemiteouds hanging around mid 30s to near 40 inland same around palo alto, fremont bay shore coast low to mid 40s san francisco 47. small stop by this area of high pressure, i should say quick stop atop of us today that's why we have the stagnant air and pollution problems that would be -- could be worse in the north bay.gb noon today nothing going on, by 5:00, clouds move into the north they ought to make for a pretty sunset cloudy tonight rain moving into the north bay 2:00, 3:00, light showers through 7:00 for most of the bay then it moves into the south bay during the mid-morning and then it gone by early afternoon quick-hitting system getting barely the end of it then rainfall amounts are going to be pathetic. 10th of an inch possible at maximum inland to maximum of a quarter of an inch at the coast. once it passes breezes kick up thursday into friday, brings dry air back sunshine the rest of the forecast mid 50s to low 60s. >>> the protester has been named time's person of the year for

mid to upper 40s tahoe and yosemite mid 60s los angeles, san diego and palm springs a lot of the sun. tonight 20s napa clear lake cloverdale. low to mid 30s east bay valleyso upper 30s fremont, palo alto south into san jose low to mid 40s san francisco, oakland, san mateo and half moon bay the same as yesterday, couple of areas of high pressure jet stream to our north storm track nowhere near us so we can't sniff any flakes or any drops of rain through monday. >>> freeway traffic still looking great. a few shots around the bay area starting off with i-80 berkeley westbound flowing well no problems to the bay bridge. easy ride through contra costa county, 680 walnut creek is looking great as well southbound traffic on the right near north main street approaching highway 24. san mateo bridge trouble-free westbound on the right just past the toll plaza. south bay a very easy commute as well on northbound 280 san jose highway 17 out of the santa cruz mountains. we post all the accidents, including one in daly city now on the guadalupe a parkway, you can always find out more on abc7news.com/traffic. >>> 4:54. the supreme court says it will hear an unprecedente

toa-Ñ upper 50s through the central valley dry there 58 big sur dry around l.a., san diego, palm springs low to mid 60s for you. sierra mid to upper 40s for tahoe and yosemiteear 40 inland same around palo alto, fremont bay shore coast low to mid 40s san francisco 47. small stop by this area of high pressure, i should say quick stop atop of us today that's why we have the stagnant air and pollution problems that would be -- could be worse in the north bay.gb noon today nothing going on, by 5:00, clouds move into the north they ought to make for a pretty sunset cloudy tonight rain moving into the north bay 2:00, 3:00, light showers through 7:00 for most of the bay then it moves into the south bay during the mid-morning and then it gone by early afternoon quick-hitting system getting barely the end of it then rainfall amounts are going to be pathetic. 10th of an inch possible at maximum inland to maximum of a quarter of an inch at the coast. once it passes breezes kick up thursday into friday, brings dry air back sunshine the rest of the forecast mid 50s to low 60s. >>> the protester has been named time's person of the year for 2011. the magazine says dissent

sur mid to upper 50s sunshine breezy through the central valleys 34 if tahoe over the weekend mid to upper 40s upper 40s to mid 70s around yosemite southern capital for the holiday 66 l.a., low to mid 70s saturday and sunday the same in san diego. >>> 6:43. president obama is turning up the pressure on house republicans to approve a payroll tax cut extension before it expires on new year's day. the president will hold a town hall-like event with people representing the 160 million who will bear the brunt of a tax hike. the senate passed a two month extension expecting it to lead to a one year deal but republicans in the house have rejected the temporary extension. they are holding out for a young year tax break extension. >>> if there is no deal about 1.1 million californians will lose their extended unemployment insurance. the payroll tax extension measure includes a rider financing those benefits. warning notices will be sent out to those who are about to lose benefits. 100,000 are in their final federal extension. no deal in washington means no more unemployment checks as of january 7th. the infighting in washington could have

yosemite showers linger through the morning haven't seen reports of waterspouts lately, a couple hours ago offshore around l.a. mountain snow at their higher elevations and showers around palm springs. tonight low 30s north bay valleys east bay valleys. more fog than what we had this morning. other than that small chance thursday everything is dry. >>> heads-up if you take the bay ferry out of vallejo mechanical problems. they are going to use coach 21 buses for the 6:30 departure out of vallejo and a bus for the 7:35 departure leaving san francisco. other mass transit reporting -- no problems here southbound 680 past north main to highway 24. also, north bay, still a quiet ride southbound through san rafael past the marin civic center looking great on 101 south bay with headlights moving northbound delay-free out of gilroy. get the latest traffic by going to abc7news.com/traffic. >>> 4:55. an effort underway to switch california's legislature from fulltime to part-time. the anti-tax group people's advocate is collecting signatures for november 2012 ballot measure not only part-time but would slash salaries by 75%. to $18,000 a year. supporters say the change would attractive vick-minded people instead of career pol

yosemite 48, showers possible around san diego to a lesser extent l.a. even drier around palm springs warmer at 67°. let's talk about what is going to happen tonight low to mid 30s inland valleysper 30s palo alto, fremont, 47 in san francisco. spare the air runs until midnight. areas of high pressure dominating keeping the storm track well north once again. that's why even when winter astronomical winter starts at 9:30 nothing changes dry through sunday. update on your traffic, here's frances. >> better news, southbound 280 earlier fatal accident cleared farm hill boulevard off-ramp reopen. if you are making your way out of half moon bay towards highway 280, there is roadwork now blocking the connector ramp eastbound 92 to northbound 280 until 7:00 this morning. there is a detour you can follow that, that will take you on to 280. light traffic right now this monday morning. looking great across the san mateo bridge westbound the drive time 14 minutes from 880 to 101. contra costa county off to a good start, this is southbound 680 near highway 24 at the top of your screen. get more information by going to abc7news.com/traffic. >>> about 200 workers have lost their jobs at a ste

eureka, mid to upper 50s through the central valley big sur calmer in southern california more sun and low to mid 60s no snow in the sierra 43 tahoe, 49 yosemite only offering holiday shoppers a ride it is also offering an escort. for the third straight year bart police will walk holiday shoppers from the west oakland station to their cars to ensure people make it there safely especially with purchases. the program runs tomorrow and friday from 5 to 9 p.m.. volunteers will be wearing red vests inside the station and upon request they will escort you to your car up to three block as way >>> drivers in california can talk on cell phones as long as they use a hands-free device. now the national transportation safety board has taken an unprecedented step and recommended banning all portable electronic devices, including bluetooth headsets or the one built into your car. saying texting and talking behind the wheel have lead to at least 3,000 deaths a year and they say stpaoeuplt for a nationwide ban. >> we know this recommendation is going to be very unpopular with some people. we are not here to win a popularity contest. we are here to do the righ

valley into big sur low to mid 60s there. mid to upper 60s around los angeles, san diego and palm springs. 47 tahoe, 52 in yosemite. >>> 6:44.wners today in san francisco. wells fargo in conjunction with the consumer credit counseling service of san francisco is holding what they are calling a home preservation event today. wells fargo customers can meet with housing counselor to apply for a home loan modification the event is free runs from 9:00 this morning until 7:00 tonight at the calvary hill community church at 141 industrial street in san francisco. >>> wells fargo is hosting a job fair today. looking to fill at least 70 positions at various branches. the bank says the applicant should have sales and/or customer service experience. the job fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the wells fargo branch at 1995 elka mean yo reel in santa clara. >> -- at el camino reel in santa clara. >>> how is the dow doing jane? >> volatile, we've been up and down several times, starting with stock futures overnight. right now a little bit lower dow down about 50 points or so, 45 or so, watching what is going on in europe,