natural gas explosion that cut a two-story house in half. we know what the owner was doing out here. the story in a live report. >> the forecast for 2011 according to some economists. i'm theresa garcia live in san jose. the state economy expected to add new jobs but it could feel like wading through the mud. we'll explain coming up. >> good morning. big story weatherwise, the cooler conditions and the fog decreasing out of the north bay into the bay. we'll have a pretty sunny and mild afternoon but more rain on the way. it could be here this time tomorrow. >> all right. everything flowing well here at the bay bridge toll plaza. no delays, no hot spots right now. >> looks like we're off to a good start on this tuesday, thanks for joining us. i'm kristen sze. >> i'm eric thomas. an oakland man is hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns from an explosion and fire at his home last night. fire investigators want to know exactly what caused it.

terry mcsweeney is live near the scene. any clues? >> an entire duplex worth of clues or what remains of a duplex worth of clues. what is left of this house after that explosion and only the first part of this investigation into what brought this duplex down has taken place. take a look of pictures at this building. you get an idea how devastating this was. a gas explosion 8:00. the building's owner, leon spencer, had been renovating the house, working on it. but some say they were smelling gas out here three days ago. whatever caused the blast, it was a big, loud explosion. >> i felt the rumble first and then i seen like the explosion. you could see it and feel the heat from inside the house. >> when crews arrived on scene the fire was actually out. so we did have a partial collapse of the building. the second floor collapsed on to the first floor and we found one

critically injured gentleman in the front of the house in the grass being treated by citizens and neighbors taking care of him. >> mr. spencer suffering burns over 80% of his body. he is hospitalized in critical condition right now. as far as clues, pg&e, and i talked to them this morning, they tell me they sent out crews, tested the perimeter for a gas leak following the explosion and they found nothing. the explosion does seem to have occurred from the inside out. if a natural gas buildup took place inside, it could be ignited by anything as simple as a match, a pilot light. mr. spencer according to neighbors had been working on this house for days getting it prepared for rental. live in oakland, terry mcsweeney, abc 7 news. >> terry, thanks a lot. peninsula assemblyman jerry hill is introducing a pipeline safety bill. he plans to talk about the measure tonight during a state legislative forum held in san

bruno. it's the first such forum to be held since the pg&e explosion and fire that killed eight people and destroyed 37 homes in september. it would increase oversight on pipeline safety including how utilities spend rate payers' money. it would force them to share plans with fire and fire departments and prioritize repairs to pipelines close to earthquake faults. it would make the state public utilities commission set up rules requiring the installation of valves that can automatically close during a pipeline rupture. this morning a new report out paint a rosier picture of the california economy. the latest anderson forecast from ucla credits voters with putting the state on a healthier financial footing. theresa garcia is live at our san jose bureau to explain. >> the state government reforms, kristen, are just one element to help boost this economy. what the forecast is saying is that november's ballot measure

allowing the legislature to pass by a simple majority any of its budget reforms or issues like that can make california more attractive and improve its borrowing costs. achieving a modest growth is akin to wading through the mud. growth is expected at a faster pace in the nation in the technology sector. economists predict that the hi-tech sector will start to hire as overseas commerce demand california products. include computers, electronics, aerospace components. on the down side the anderson report says the housing market will continue to struggle except coastal communities. even though the forecast report expects more than 150,000 new jobs added in the state next year, it's certainly not enough to help shrink the unemployment

rate to barely under 11% until the end of next year. part of the problem for slow growth in california and nationwide is the huge numbers of displaced workers and trades like construction. typically those workers would take manufacturing jobs but the problem with that those jobs are going away because of increased automation and outsourcing. theresa garcia, abc 7 news. >> all right. the fire district is talking about asking voters to approve a parcel tax that would average about $4.50 for every registered voter for a total of $240,000. some officials worry about the cost of holding a special election for the parcel tax. a mail-in election in may could cost more than $205,000 with another $100,000 to hire consultants. the district has had money problems and had to close two of

its eight fire stations due to budget cuts. >> the santa clara board of supervisors will consider slashing executive benefits and percs when it meets today. it needs to trim $1 million from the county's budget but board members are considering a provision that will put the budget deeper in the red next year. the san jose mercury news reports the board is also deciding if it should pay out more than $5 million in vacation time. that county executive the managers are already accrued. top level executives and managers can carry over 117 days of earned vacation. union leaders question paying a lump sum in the middle of a budget crisis. >> police are looking for three men who held up a san bruno 7-11 at gunpoint. it happened sunday. take a look at this video released by police. the robbers ordered everyone inside the store to hit the floor. they robbed the customers and took cash out of the register. they were last seen leaving on foot. anyone with information is asked

to call san bruno police. >> there might soon be quicker justice for a rape victim in san francisco. part of a new mandate will require the police department to pick up rape kits within 72 hours of a reported incident. the police department will have to show what it's doing to meet this goal when it makes its budget request. timing can make all the difference in successfully prosecuting a rape case. >> marin county assemblyman huhman has introduced legislation that would allow pg&e customers to opt out if they don't want smart meters installed in their homes. hoffman's bill directs the utilities commission to have an alternative for wired

technology. the bill directs you to disclose information about smart meters including the timing, magnitude and duration of radio frequency emissions. an independent report on those emissions is expected later this month. >> stepped outside this morning and notice it wasn't very cold. it was kind of a pleasant surprise. >> it was kind of mild. but there's a change in the weather on the way. how often do we say that? >> a lot lately because it means a difference between rain and sunshine. here's a look at live doppler 7 hd. a little radar return there around santa rosa. probably the fog as it is really thick up in the north bay. it's starting to slide out of the north bay taking even san francisco right now. eventually could slide down the peninsula and to sfo. hadn't happened yet but there's a possibility. temperatures, look how much cooler than yesterday. all of us low to mid-50s yesterday. now we're all back to the 40s except for san francisco 50 degrees. as we head into the afternoon

hours, pretty delightful day. if you like warmer than average, have it here. clear lake behind it, 57. monterey bay, high clouds and sunshine. also temperatures low to mid-60s. accu-weather seven-day forecast. this time tomorrow it should be raining in the north bay. and that will go across the entire bay wednesday. stay unsettled with the potential to be wet thursday and friday but the weekend sunny and warmer than average. good morning, frances. >> good morning, mike. right now i'm enjoying the very light commute and accident-free commute all around the bay area. no delays at the toll plaza. we'll check out the golden gate bridge for you. the fog will be moving in but so far none here but you see the bridge crews there changing the lane configuration right now so four lanes southbound very soon. if you're planning on driving across the san mateo bridge, it looks great in both directions. 880's fine in hayward.

101 looking great through san mateo. the south bay next and show you the 280 and 17 interchange. the road work from highway 87 to southbound 280 has been all picked up. all clear and all gone. but, of course, you can find out anytime by going to abc7news.com. eric, kristen. >> frances, thanks very much. it's 5:10. >> still ahead, the lawsuit pitting wal-mart against millions of its workers. >> are you tired of dropped calls and high phone bills. "7 on your side" michael finney gives new ratings on the best and worst cellphone companies. >> plus the tech startup that's putting a new spin on the line we'll work for food.

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>> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >> good morning. we begin your "moneyscope" report with president obama and republicans making a deal. the president and democrats agreed to extend the bush era tax cuts for two years. in exchange, republicans agree to extend long-term unemployment b benefits. the treasure department made a profit by bailing out citigroup. the u.s. supreme court is set to hear a sex discrimination case pitting wal-mart against all women that worked for the retailer. the 1.5 million women are too diverse to be represented in just one case. that is your "moneyscope" report. >> it's now 5:13.

an offlimits spot in the bay area may be open to the public. you may be allowed to go to the top of a mountain for a view from monterey bay to san francisco. it has been closed for three decades. on thursday the government agency that owns the land will vote on a plan to allow visits with permits in a couple years with full access in six years. officials need to first remove old military buildings and secure millions more in funding. >> the reviews are out on the best and the worst cellphone service providers. 60,000 subscribers weighed in to determine the best service and the money saveers. here's michael finney with the good, the bad, and the ugly. >> we're so confident in the improvements to our network, our phones, plans. >> sprint ceo's confidence in his company's improvement appears to have struck a chord

with sprint customers. >> for years sprint has been one of the lower-rated cellphone companies in our survey. but this year we saw a dramatic improvement. >> sprint tied with verizon for cellphones with a contract. most sprint customers said the carrier offers good value. >> it's cheap, it's small. small bills, a lot of service. >> even better, "consumer reports" survey were rated highest for customers satisfaction. now, at&t is solidly in last place, again for almost everything. from customers support to problems making calls to value for the money. >> my i-phone bill is over the top. at times i get bills for $200. >> if you're looking for cellphone service with no contract, a small company called consumer cellar comes out on top. >> it has a limited choice of phones. >> "consumer reports" says consider t-mobile which offers

most of its phones, even smart phones with a no-contract option. keep in mind if you do decide to buy a phone without a contract, consumer report says the phone will probably cost more, however your monthly fees will probably be less. no contract plans are best suited for people who only make occasional calls and text, that don't surf the web or use their phone for e-mail. i'm michael finney, "7 on your side." >> here's a twist on the line we'll work for food. a bay area company offering food for people that want to go to work for money. yesterday they started up free tacoless outside an industry convention at san francisco's center. apiro has some 40 openings including ten engineering jobs. it's been tough finding people. >> we're kind of competing with the twitters and the facebook.coms and the googles of the world so it's kind of hard to get attention.

we have cool things with technology. so it's hard to compete. >> it currently has a staff of about 200 employees. it plans to continue to use a taco-truck concept to try to find perspective employees in the coming weeks and months. >> do you think -- i'm sorry, go ahead. >> by the way, if you're looking for work, you want to check out our next hire event job fair. it takes place today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the windham hotel in san jose. don't think it's a taco truck but jobs that are hiring. >> do you think people are stopping, getting a taco and going over to interview where they really want to work? does that hurt or what? these a hurtin' thing. >> yeah. >> you stop by their truck, pick up a taco and head over to google. thanks for the taco other getting attention though. >> that's for sure. >> marketing strategy. speaking of marketing strategy, what do you think, sunnier

early, mild later? >> rain in the near course. have to do that in december but no snow. not here. up in the sierra, absolutely. you can see that fog comin' down from the north. it is over the embarcadero. can't even see the bay bridge now. barely see the ferry building. give you an idea how thick it will be and how quickly your transition from mostly clear conditions to being hardly able to see in front of you, that's what we're dealing with the commute this morning. talk about temperatures, stepping out, fairfield at 41 degrees. that's the cool spot. 42 livermore and napa. then we jump into the mid to upper 40s. most other neighborhoods. even a 50 in san francisco. monterey bay and selenes nas, mid to upper 40s. gilroy slightly cooler, 39 degrees. other highlights. partly cloudy today and warmer than average this afternoon. the rain, it returns tonight. it will hit the north bay first and slide southward along the

bay and into the south bay. once that passes, we still have some wet and unsettled weather through at least friday. let's take a look what's going on as far as your temperatures today. how about mid-60s down in the south bay. there you go, high clouds and sunshine, 65 campbell looks to be the warm spot. on the peninsula mid-60s with redwood city warmest at 65. near 60 all along the coast. daly city 51. downtown south san francisco, 62. throughout the north bay we have temperatures low to mid-60s. the exception bodega bay and clear lake upper 50s. east bay shore 64 oakland and fremont with the warm spot. everybody else low to mid-60s. 62 around dublin, pittsburg and walnut creek. fairfield, too. low to mid-60s monterey bay. inland 64 to 65. tonight look at the rain shield moving into the north bay. this time tomorrow that's where the rain will be falling. it will be a little warmer

tonight with mid to upper 40s. possibly 50s around oakland and san francisco. high pressure held steady yesterday and will do so today even though it will be run over by some high clouds. rain will roll in with this next system. this low pretty much camped there through thursday and friday. that's why it's going to spit the energy at us that will turn to rain. 5:00 tomorrow morning, rain moving down during the commute and into the afternoon hours and become more showery nature in the afternoon. the front moves back. a warm front on thursday. that's when we'll see some more rain and into thursday afternoon. rainfall amounts at least through thursday noon, about a quarter to half inch around the bay. double that up in the north bay. once we get past this, look at the mid-60s and sunshine for the weekend. have a great day. here's frances. >> mike, look out for that very thick fog as you make your way through the north bay. especially 101 through san rafael. i wanted to show you the camera but we couldn't show you anything because it was all

fogged out. socked in. here's a live shot of interstate 80 in berkeley. headlights look great westbound. really no accidents or major problems to slow you down on bay area freeways right now. 680 looking good in walnut creek. that's southbound traffic there on the right making its way towards highway 24. it's fine as you head to the caldecott tunnel as well or continue through the san ramon valley. we'll check out the south bay for you. no trouble at all. that's highway 17 across your screen coming out of the santa cruz mountains. go to abc7news.com. eric, kristen. >> frances, thanks a lot. it's 5:21. >> next the proposed blueprint to steer the u.c. system into the future. >> why the company trying to build a replacement for the space shuttle is delaying a critical test launch. >> talk about a wooper of a fish tale, a southern california man reels in a swordfish that may be one for the record books.

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>> there's been a settlement to upgrade the wind turbines along the altamont pass in alameda county. the turbines are 30 years old and built on a major migratory bird hike. thousands of birds are killed by the blades. attorney general jerry brown brokered the deal between environmental groups and next era energy resourceless as the operator. 2400 will be replaced with largeers ones more efficient and less dangerous to birds. >> a sea lion captured near he oakley over the weekend will have to be euthanized. he has a fatal case of red algae poisoning from eating infected fish.

it affects their navigation abilities. >> a central california man has reeled in what may be the largest tuna on record. mike livingston caught this tuna during a trip to mexico. the crew returned to san diego yesterday where they weighed it. the unofficial weight is 405 pounds. it's not official because the international game fish association has not confirmed the weight. right now the record for the biggest ever tuna caught stands at 386 pounds. that fish walls caught in 1977 and eaten in 1978. >> not by one person? i hope! >> well, i had a big chunk of it myself. >> california's economy may be turning the corner. next at 5:30, the prediction a new report is making about the

year ahead. >> i'm terry mcsweeney live in oakland where a two-story due flex is now a one-story building. the latest on the investigation coming up in a live report. >> also next at 5:30, the dispute over a san bruno fire fund. why the city is holding on to hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for victims. >> temperatures will be warmer than average. look at the rest of the country. a deep freeze especially for fargo toward atlanta and the eastern seaboard. we have winter weather to talk about in the form of some snow and lake-effect snow which shouldn't affect major airports along the east coast. our flight

♪ i'm terry mcsweeney live in

oakland where the question this morning is what caused that natural gas explosion that took the top floor of a two-story home right off. the story in a live report. >> i'm jenelle wang. a deal made between the president and republicans will be presented to senate democrats today. why the president is urging both sides to approve it despite their unhappiness. >> also foggy start in the north bay. look how it's connecting into the bay heading down san francisco. that will burn off rather quickly to sunshine and warmer than average temperatures beginning today but rain will be here this time tomorrow. i'll tell you how much you'll get. >> you'll find quite a bit of that fog on your drive through san rafael and 101. these that he had lights southbound. new injury accident reported at the san mateo bridge. this point not blocking any lanes westbound approaching the toll plaza. >> 5:30 on this tuesday morning. a little milder than we've experienced the past few days. i'm eric thomas.

>> i'm kristen sze. topping our news, a man is fighting to stay alive this morning after a natural gas explosion at his home so powerful it caused an entire floor to collapse. terry mcsweeney is live at the scene on 87th avenue. what's pg&e saying? >> pg&e is saying that they sent out a crew following the explosion. they brought out their detection equipment and could not find any evidence of a gas leak outside the house. this is what the house looks like right now. it was a two-story duplex you can see reduced to one story. this blast happened about 8:00 last night. it caused the second floors of the duplex to give away. leon spencer who owns the house and lives downstairs had been renovating the building. some say they had smelled gas out here a couple days ago. witnesses saw spencer come out of that building on fire. >> ran back in the house and got a blanket. and i ran right out the door,

everything, debris, everything, and went down the stairs. as i was running down the stairs, i'm up here screaming, anybody can help me, get a water hose. i could see leon. he was burning. he was burning. >> he was burned. the neighbors actually saw him coming out of the building on fire. assisted with putting the flames out on his person and treating him with first aid immediately on scene before we arrived. >> last word is mr. spencer is in critical condition with burns over 80% of his body. and, again, pg&e says they sent out a crew trying to detect a gas leak on the street or in the line servicing the house. they could not find one. the responsibility for the gas line inside that house falls with the owner of the building and in this case we are told that is leon spencer. terry mcsweeney, abc 7 news. >> it's 5:32. thanks, terry.

this morning a new report says california may slowly be returning to the right financial footing. the latest anderson forecast from ucla credits voters with putting california on the right track. theresa garcia is live at our san jose bureau to explain. theresa? >> the thing is you've got this quarterly forecast for 2011 indicating the state economy will pick up slightly but kind of like having to wade through the mud. there is one positive note. you're talking about voters, the report says that recent state government reforms could actually help the economy. and the way that could happen, for example, is november's ballot measure allowing legislature to pass with a simple majority could make california more attractive to businesses and improve its borrowing cost. economic growth is expected at a faster pace than the nation's due to global trade and the technology sector. economists predict the hi-tech

sector will start to hire again. leading exports are in the manufacturing sector and include medical devices and aerospace components. on the down side, the report says the housing market will continue to struggle except for rising demand in coastal communities. even though the forecast report expects more than 150,000 new jobs added in the state next year, it's certainly not enough to shrink the unemployment rate to barely under 11% until the end of next year. and part of the problem for slow growth nationwide is the displaced workers and construction. those construction workers will usually take manufacturing jobs. problem there, many going away because of increased automation and outsourcing. so it will be very moderate growth. theresa garcia, abc 7 news. >> all right, theresa. thanks a lot. president obama will try to get democratic lawmakers to reluctantly support a deal he cut with republicans in order to keep jobless benefits flowing to

millions of americans. jenelle wang is here to explain why. >> that's right. it would extend all bush era tax cuts another two years. that includes the wealthiest americans. the vice president will present the plan to the senate. senate democrats hoping they'll agree to it. >> i have no doubt everyone will find something in this compromise they don't like. in fact, there are things in here that i don't like. as for now, i believe this bipartisan plan is the right thing to do. >> they agreed to extending college tuition and child tax credits and lowering the payroll tax by 2 percentage points for one year. plus unemployment benefits will be extended for an additional 13 months for some americans, something republicans say the u.s. can't afford. >> the things we can do to help with increasing tax revenue across the board is to get the

economy moving, have more people hiring, more people working. >> the president is urging congress to act quickly because if no action is taken, taxes go up for everyone january 1st. the president says this is not a time for both parties to wage symbolic battles but agree to a plan to keep the economy moving forward. >> thank you, jenelle. it's 5:36 now. three months after the natural gas disaster in san bruno, some victims say they're still waiting for financial help. the city of san bruno collected $380,000 in donations but so far none of it has gone to the victims and some of them are asking why. >> they shouldn't be involved with that. that's bureaucracy that's not their place to be involved with. i think the people that donated the money wanted the money to go immediately, directly to the people that need it. >> there's some things that i think the community would like to see. we've had people talk about a memorial park. >> san bruno councilwoman irene

o'connell says there's also question of how the money should be divided up among the victims. she's organizing a commission to help decide how to spend it. >> a discussion about the appointment of an interim mayor in san francisco to succeed gavin newsom will be held at the supervisors meeting. the board will need to approve the process proposed two weeks ago how to replace newsom that will become lieutenant governor next month. up to 11 nominees would be chosen and voted on. if they receive six or more votes he or she will be chosen as the next mayor. anyone in the city's electorate can be nominated. >> time for a look at the weather forecast. you assumed up things rather well for the next day or so. >> i was. >> what do you expect? >> i don't know. did i say sunny and milder tomorrow and then a big change. >> that's exactly what you said.

nicely done. >> he does it better. >> we can expand on that, sure. >> you're very much needed. i didn't put it a very pretty way. >> you can do it today. not feeling good. good morning to you. we're all feeling a little under the weather nowadays. 50 in san francisco. 49 fremont. just about all of us low to mid-40s. high clouds and sunshine around noon. kind of like the deep voice though. upper 50s to near 60 degrees. lunchtime. as we head towards the 4:00 hour, temperatures hang out in the upper 50s to near 60. antioch may be a little cooler or warmer i should say at 63. let's talk about how our highs today compare to average. everyone warmer, san francisco 2 degrees warmer, oakland 4. fremont and san jose, santa rosa 5. san francisco 6 degrees warmer than average. sunrise, it will set at 4:51. accu-weather seven-day forecast, this time tomorrow should be raining in the north bay.

all of us will get some rain tomorrow. it will become a little more scattered but hang around for thursday and friday and a mild weekend with temperatures above average and sunshine in store. here's frances with a new accident. >> in fact, a couple of situations going on. one is a new crash heading towards the san mateo bridge toll plaza westbound but apparently a car swerved off the freeway. chp there, fire department there but not blocking any lanes as you make your way towards the san mateo bridge. breaking news in castro valley. fernway is closed between edwards lane and omega avenue due to a residential fire. we'll keep you posted on that. here's a shot of the san mateo bridge where traffic is flowing well westbound there on the right. at the bridge toll plaza, no delays but look out for that thick fog in the north bay, especially on that drive through san rafael on 101 where we have this live shot where you can see the cars now but there are times when you can't see the cars because the fog is so thick.

eric, kristen. >> frances, thank you very much. our time now 5:39. let's make it 5:40. >> still ahead. >> the container actually hit me directly on the ear. >> the senseless prank that's left a northern california drive-through worker scarred for life. >> some of the bay area best selling authors raise money for a flight to hawaii using our points from chase sapphire. last minute... on christmas. and sitting next to us, chevy chase. and we really hit it off. we play golf, and then the luau. he's like da vinci with ice. and after, we help hang christmas decorations. wait, wait, wait. you flew last minute... on christmas... with points from chase sapphire? yeah. amazing. believe it. with points from chase sapphire, you can book airline tickets with no blackout dates or restrictions.

>> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >> welcome back. it's 5:43. a crude prank left a worker with second degree burns on his face and neck. 21-year-old david was working the drive-through window at a boston market friday night when a customer that ordered a dish of scalding spinach threw it back at him. next thing i knew i had spinach. >> fire in the hole is a prank which people throw food and drinks at a clerk. the burns might leave permanent scars. roseville police say they only have a vague description of the attacker. he could be charged with a felony if he's caught. >> best selling authors are

joined forces to raise awareness and money for two hikers still held in iran. also there to share the story with sarah shourd, the woman had who been a prisoner. >> it was the same story two months ago. >> i was moved. i actually don't know sarah personally but i heard her on npr. and she did such a great job of talking about her story and her plight that i decided to get involved and organize the event. >> the event dubbed three all three was a fund-raiser to bring other bay area best selling authors and friends together to help support and raise funds to pay ongoing legal fees for the family of the three imprisoned graduate students. >> the toll on our families is real. it's something that i was

protected from when i was in prison. they didn't want us to know about it. as soon as i got out, it's one of the most difficult things for me to see. >> the event was held in san francisco. silva study abroad with josh fattal. >> everybody donated something. i donated my gardening services. this is a bowl from a friend's mom. we're just all so excited to do anything we can to bring home these two innocent people. >> andrew sean greer who entertained the crowd with a lively reading believes more needs to be done. >> what's surprising is that people, because of this event, have come out. well, here i am talking to you. that's the most important thing, more than raising money, is raising some kind of awareness. >> it's 5:45 now. the wireless carriers consumers like the most and least. the bloomberg business report is coming up. >> also the joke that caused a

long-time bay area santa his job. >> the major development in a wikileaks controversy. why police arrested the founder of the organization today. >> an aspirin a day.

5:48 on this tuesday. some light rain will hit eureka, 56. the rest of us dealing with sunshine and upper 50s to mid-60s from chico, sacramento, fresno. 55 big sur. 46 tahoe today, 54 yosemite. the warmth around l.a. and palm

springs, low to mid-70s. here's kristen with the news. >> mike, thanks a lot. the spokesman for wikileaks is calling the arrest of its founder an attack on media freedom and promises it won't stop the organization from spilling diplomatic secrets online. julian assange was arrested on a sex crime investigation that stems on allegations from two women he met over the summer. he appears in court later today. wikileaks released diplomatic cables last week. since then the u.s. government has launched a criminal investigation against wikileaks which has also seen its bank accounts cancelled and its website attacked. >> the grinch has spoiled christmas at the union square macy's. john toomey who has been chris crinkle for some 20 years was friday for telling a couple naughty jokes he says he has

used for years when adults visit. >> they sat on my lap, and i said have you been good this year? they said oh yes. i said, oh, that's too bad. then i said you know why santa's so happy and jolly all the time, don't you? and they said, no, we don't know. and i said that's because santa knows where all the naughty boys and girls live. >> well, the couple complained to management and toomey was fired. some macy's employees say the store overreacted. they say they're devastated by toomey's firing. they won't comment because it involves an employee. those are pretty tame. you can hear worse things than that on your tv all the time. >> that's a bummer. >> it really is. >> it's 5:50. this morning we didn't see it coming in but now fog out there, quite a bit. >> a lot up in the north bay and slowly leaking out of the north bay and taking over parts of the

bay shoreline. show you how that's happening. not only some of san francisco but you can see in the foreground, emeryville getting socked in by fog. if it makes it to sfo, flight arrival delays. not there yet but keeping an eye on it for you. let's talk temperatures. cooler this morning. may have noticed your heater running harder last night than it did yesterday when all of us woke up low to mid-50s. now mid-40s. fairfield the cool spot, 50 san francisco. monterey bay temperatures mid to upper 40s and cool inland. gilroy slightly cooler. about 39 degrees. partly cloudy today. one more day to keep the umbrella tucked away. sunglasses. warmer than average. the rain returns tonight. about this time tomorrow it will be raining in the north bay first and slide across the rest of the bay. an unsettled pattern will bring us waves of wet weather thursday and again friday.

east bay valleys, brentwood 62 with fitchburg, fairfield and dublin some of the cooler spots. everyone else 63 to 64. hit the 64 degree mark in oakland today and fremont. the rest of your neighbors low to mid-60s also. mid-60s south bay with 65 campbell the warm spot. 65 redwood city. the rest of your neighbors on the peninsula, 63 or 64. near 60 all along the coast today downtown and south san francisco 62 degrees. throughout the north bay low to mid-60s. clear lake and bodega bay, a little cooler upper 50s. monterey bay seeing more sunshine. that includes our inland neighborhoods. the rain, here it is all throughout the north bay with temperatures mid to upper 40s there. the rest of us all mid to upper 40s. 50 oakland, 52 san francisco. 5:00 tomorrow morning you can see the cold front taking over right there. and by 5:00 wednesday, it's

starting to dissipate but we still have scattered showers in the forecast. those will hang around. the front comes back kind of with a warm front on thursday and opens us up to even more rain. rain totals through at least noon thursday will be an inch the north bay. about a half inch around the bay and a tenth of an inch in the south bay. accu-weather 7-day forecast, the coolest weather will be tomorrow and thursday because we rebound with sunshine over the weekend back into the mid-60s. have grate day. here's frances. >> you saw some of that fog in emeryville. it's now moving towards the bay bridge toll plaza. in fact, our berkeley camera also got socked out -- socked in rather. here's a live shot of the toll plaza where it's still delay-free. you'll encounter thick fog depending where you drive. fog for headlights moving southbound still looking good out of novato. that's the golden gate bridge. also heading towards the san mateo bridge, traffic still flowing well westbound despite

an injury accident approaching the toll plaza. but it's not blocking any lanes at this point. you can always get the latest traffic by going to our website anytime. abc7news.com is the place to go. it's under the bay area traffic link and we're following a residential fire firmly closed in castro valley at this point. kristen. >> looking forward to getting more details on that. thanks, frances. it's 5:54. the government made a costly error in its effort to make anti-counterfeit $100 bills. the new bill has a 3-d security strip and a color-shifting image. but apparently the paper folded okay the press and $110 billion worth of the new 1 hundreds are being held. 30% have the crease. they're working on the fix for the misprint. the new bills were supposed to be released in february. the government spent about $120 million so far on the bills'

production. >> no rain? just a ding. for at&t wireless and turning a profit in bailing out citigroup. >> here's bloomberg reporter jane king with the "moneyscope" report. >> good morning. another ding to at&t's reputation. "consumer reports" ranking the cellphone company the worst in terms of overall satisfaction. beat out wireless and sprint which tied for third. hollywood playing the grinch who stole christmas. barely any christmas-related movies this year or next. it says yuletide themes have worn out their welcome and haven't been bringing in the big money. taxpayers see a profit on the bailouts. selling a big chunk on citigroup bringing its profit on citi shares to almost $7 billion. though we're not done with citigroup just yet. taxpayers still own the right to buy shares at some point in the future. chrysler may be paying off the

u.s. and canada before planned. part of the deal long-term benefits will be extended. possible good news if you're looking for a job. more employers plan to add jobs early next year with almost all industries including hospitality. put out the help-wanted sign. the fed chairman said the economy may need even more stimulus to perk up. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king with the bloomberg business report. >> time now 5:56. a major new study this morning shows one low dose of aspirin per day could significantly cut the risk of death from common forms of cancer. the finding came while study ying 25,000 people taking daily aspirin to prevent heart disease. >> where people had taken aspirin four, five, six, seven years on average, the risk of dying of cancer was reduced by about 25%. >> the daily dose of aspirin was

found to reduce the death rate for an array of cancers. they include colon, lung, esophageal and gastrointestinal cancers. side effects include bleeding and stroke. you should consult your doctor before taking aspirin on a regular basis. >> it's 5:57. just ahead at 6:00, a carjacking in antioch that leaves a victim hospitalized. >> a live update on the mysterious explosion that destroyed an oakland home last night and seriously burned the man to lived there. >> a rosie glow on california's economic horizon according to one prominent report just out. live in san jose, this means more exports, more jobs in

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