i'm terry mcsweeney live in san jose, nearly two dozen firefighters coming back on the job today. more expected over the next few months but they all may be sent packing in the not too distant future. >> reporter: i'm amy hollyfield, police are pushing back, they will not put up with the protests at bart stations anymore but protestors have something to say about that. >> we're looking at clouds and drizzle but warmer afternoons on the way throughout the weekend

and update on hurricane irene. we've got a live shot of the bay bridge incline section and big event going into the north bay that could have your traffic snarled most of the weekend. >> it's 5:00. thanks for joining us. i'm eric thomas. >> topping the news this half-hour, breaking news out of the nigeria where many people are dead in the capital after a car tore a part of a wing of united nations building. ten people are dead. they confirm a bomb attack. it houses about 400 employees of united nations in nigeria. the blast happened in the same neighborhood where the u.s. and other embassies are located. we'll bring you more information as it becomes available. federal government is coming to the rescue of the san jose fire department. a grant from fema is allowing the department to hire back nearly half the 49 firefighters laid off last year.

terry mcsweeney is live in san jose with more. that leaves another 20 some odd firefighters, what is going to happen to them? we apologize for the technical difficulties. 22 firefighters go back to work today and rest will come back to work later thanks to a federal grant. >> san francisco police will do less watching and more arresting for the next bart protest. amy hollyfield live. why the change in tactics? >> reporter: bart riders are really frustrated and police say they have rights, too. the protests have been happening during the evening commute on monday night an causing a lot of hassles for the bart riders. forced the closure of some stations. police did move in on this last monday and made some arrests but it wasn't until about four hours

into the demonstration. they promised this monday they are going act a little more quickly is welcome news for most bart riders. they are inconveniencing us the passengers. you are not inconveniencing -- to me go to the bart administration office and protest but not the service. here is the statement from the police chief. he says while the demonstrators have the right to protest we will continue to facilitate it to an extent where it doesn't infringe on the rights of others. the group anonymous released its own statement saying we do not appreciate threats nor do we take well to them. the group is promising another protest this monday. >> a bill that would have given voters a chance to appeal the death penalty in california has died in committee. it would close death row in san

quentin. a recent study found that the state pays $184 million more a year to keep them there than they would keep them there for life. a san francisco federal judge has delayed ruling whether barry bonds obstructed justice during his grand jury testimony. bonds was in court for a 30-minute hearing. he did not address the judge. the obstruction charge is the only count in which he was convicted after a three week trial last spring. his lawyers want the judge to set aside the conviction. he gave rambling answers during grand jury testimony. his attorney says that is not the same thing as being untruthful. >> a main road into yosemite park is closed as hundreds of firefighters battle a wildfire just outside the park. blaze broke out in a mortgage hometown thursday afternoon and burned about a thousand acres.

highway 140 is closed for 15 miles from el portal to the entrance and some tourists have been told to evacuate nearby motels. >> the highway patrol said we have a short time to do it. >> we're only here for a accumulate case. >> we may not make in there after all. >> the prior to sfier burning in very steep terrain. they have been using a dozen planes and helicopters to fight it. >> we told you earlier the federal government is coming to the rescue of the san jose fire department with a check from fema that allows the department to hire back and put nearly half of the 49 firefighters laid off last year back into firehouses. terry mcsweeney is live in san jose with more. >> 22 of the firefighters coming back on the job today, the rest

are coming back over the next several months. san jose fire department will be back at full staffing. the question is for how long? take a look at pictures from the ceremony last month when firefighters received their badges between that time and this. they went through a fresher course, not because of a term turnaround in the economy but as you mentioned because of a $50 million federal emergency management agency and return of the firefighters may not be permanent. this grant is good for two years. what is the economy going to look like then? firefighters took a 10% pay cut. police took a pay cut, too, but 66 officers were still cut and there might have been more without federal aid there. they are expecting a multimillion dollar deficit for the next seven years, $80 million this next year. the mayor suggests closing every library branch next year and shrinking pensions but as for right now, 22 firefighters coming back on the job.

the ceremony this morning at 11:00 and then 29 more firefighters coming back over the next few months. it will be fully staffed for two years at the least. hurricane irene has weakened slightly to a category 2 storm but could gain strength before it hits the east coast. it's expected to slam into the coast and turn up to new england. 6-9 foot waves have been hitting the outer banks this morning and winds are expected to pick up later today. hurricane warning area has been expanded to cover a large chunk of the east coast from north carolina to new jersey. it stretches all the way to massachusetts. >> i know it's hard for folks that have small businesses to leave but everybody should take this seriously. we cannot replace lost lives.

>> six states have declared emergencies. it could be the most destructive n east coast history. the effects will stretch to the bay area. hundreds if not thousands of flights are expected to be cancelled from north carolina to maine that could create a ripple effect. several east coast refineries are expected to close as irene arrives and that is boosting gas prices in new jersey, pennsylvania and north carolina. experts say we could see price increases as well even though our gas comes from west coast refineries. mike, you've been checking the radar and also you've been looking at those pictures as people go out and surf before the hurricane hits. >> they surf and try to get out before the big surge moves in with the eyewall later in the heart of the storm. i want to show you how big it is

it's nearly 500 miles from north to south, very big storm. overnight, it did encountered some shear and did weaken down to but 110 mile-an-hour winds. it could get up to back a major hurricane which i expect it to have has it slams into north carolina early tomorrow. then it heads for the del mar peninsula and then right up into new york and through boston. boston could get the brunt of the storm because it's on the northeast side to east side. that is where the winds are fastest and surge is highest. it will be interesting to see what it does to new york and boston. back here at home, you can see pretty quiet, high pressure is starting to stream in from the south. that will mean a few mid-level clouds from time to time during the latter parts of the

afternoon hours but a warming trend is on the way through the weekend. right now we're in the 50s and 60s with patchy drizzle and cloud cover everywhere. clouds will be back to the coast about an hour quicker. low to mid 90s in the east bay valleys. low to upper 80s in the north bay valleys. my had to upper 70s through most of the bayshore. out into the coast, mid to upper 60s. accu-weather seven-day forecast, it will be 4 degrees warmer throughout the weekend. good morning. hello, happy friday. so far so good. quiet commute. we like it that way. an event happening today at infineon raceway, grand prix is going to be there and big traffic delays too on 37 past infineon. 101 in marin and vallejo beginning this afternoon as fans head there. live look to san rafael, construction areas down by north

san pedro well, it's flowing well. 80 through berkeley is a bit bunched up as you head towards the macarthur maze but moving at the limit. we'll check on that for our next report. >> still ahead, joining the men and women in blue. which bay area police department is putting out the help wanted sign and how you can apply. >> a bay area county takes on a food giant and wants salty claim. >> one trillion and counting. facebook sets a huge milestone but that number is only half the story.

>> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. 5:14. if you thought about a job in law enforcement this may be your chance. san francisco want you to be a member of the blue line. they will take online applications to become an entry level police officer. you have to be at least 20 years old and not convicted of a felony. the application period will close after the city receives 2500 applications. there is a link to the application on our website at abc7news.com. a "7 on your side" investigation has led to legal action against a soup company. campbell soup labels it had less

sodium than it actually did. they have settled a civil lawsuit for $173,000. last we saw, deirda. she was showing soup, she wanted to buy it because it said 25% less sodium. >> heart healthy, of course, it calves your eye. >> she compared it with the less sodium soup with the regular soup and what she found was astonishing. >> that is what they found they were identical. >> here the regular soup has 480 milligrams of sodium and soup with less sodium has 480 milligrams, too. the only difference seems to be the price. soup labeled 25% less sodium cost about 50 cents important the district attorneys in alameda and san diego counties were surprised, too.

they filed a civil lawsuit claiming the labels were misleading. the suit says less sodium soup did have less sodium but recipes were changed in 2009 giving both types the same amount of sodium. a representative from camp bels bell's told us they denied the allegations in the case and labels were accurate and in compliance with the law. we settled the case to avoid the expense and inconvenience associated with litigation. they agreed to a new process for labeling and advertising claims in california to avoid inconsistent comparisons between the two varieties of soup. >> the funds will go to the consumer protection division to cover legal costs and pursue other cases. facebook has a new reason to brag this morning. google says the social network

has had a trillion views in june and 870 million visitors. june is most recent month that data is available. they reached 47 of all web surfers. web experts say the real numbers are likely to be in even higher. all right. time to take a look at the weather forecast. >> we have clouds, a little bit of drizzle. get ready for it this morning. we'll have flight arrival delays to sfo later this morning. by the afternoon hours, i think we'll see sunshine quicker today. warmer weather on the way as the clouds aren't as thick as they were yesterday. let's talk temperatures. let's go with the 50s, antioch, fremont, redwood city, mountain view, san jose and los gatos, everybody else in the mid to upper 50s. monterey bay, clouds and drizzle and fog temperatures in the mid to upper 50s.

let's talk about those highlights. faster sunshine and warmer temperatures not only today but tomorrow and sunday. it won't be quite as cloudy tonight but patchy drizzle at the coast and temperatures will taper as we head through the early parts of next week. compared to average we will be 5 degrees warmer in livermore. that is what happens when the highs back their way in from the desert. oakland will be right on, san jose about one degree cooler. napa 2. redwood city, 4 degrees shy of average. sunset at about 7:48. here you go with the cloud cover. very extensive everywhere seeing clouds but by 9:00 you can see the retreating already by noon out of the valleys and almost out of the bay. definitely out of the bay by 1:00 and hanging out along the coast keeping nut 50s. 90s as we head into the east bay valleys.

so we'll have low to mid-80s south bay with san jose and cupertino at about 82 degrees. a lot of upper 70s along the peninsula. 75 in san mateo. 72 in millbrae. as you look out at the peninsula we have low to mid 50s for you. i should say the coast. downtown san francisco, mid to upper 60s. 68 in sausalito and upper 70s in san rafael. 82 in petaluma. now go to the east bayshore, richmond at 74 and 81 in fremont. 88 in dublin. cool spot in the east bay valleys. low to mid 90s for everybody else. mid to upper 80s hollister and morgan hill. gilroy at 91. cooler near the bay, watsonville 73. only mid 50s around monterey and pacific grove. can we beat the astros tonight?

we'll give it a try. cool breezes, 61 dropping down to 58. 7:15 first pitch at at&t park. accu-weather seven-day forecast, saturday is the warmest day, another 4 degrees warming today. temperatures will slightly tape other sunday and monday but notice the much cooler weather in the middle parts of next week. have a great weekend. here is sue. >> hopefully you will have a great weekend. we do have another event this evening the last friday of august, hard to believe, but critical mass coming to justin herman plaza around before 15. it could delay traffic. 6:15, we never know what route they are going to take. let's take a look at public transit this morning. that is great way to get into the city, no delays, problem free, checking in with bart. ace train is on time out of central valley. 680 is moving at the limit on as you head out of concord and bay

bridge toll plaza, very light, metering lights are off. this is an incline shot and moving well into san francisco on the upper deck. abc7news.com is the website to go for all the latest including your drive times. click on bay area traffic lower left-hand side of your computer screen. >> simple thing your kids can do to drastically cut the number of days they are sick. >> open a cage and put them in. >> he is talking about a man on camera stealing thousands of dollars worth of snakes. what police say he got for them. b

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good friday morning, just about 5:24 on the morning news. a live look from the rooftop camera at the embarcadero. you can see the bay bridge in the background but what you don't see is some of the fog and low clouds out there. mike will tell us more about when they will go away coming up. 480 brand-new citizens to the census. heritage theater in campbell was packed yesterday with folks who endured the difficult five-year road to u.s. citizenship. family and friends watched with pride as they took the oath. congressman mike honda addressed the group. thousand people were naturalized usually in three ceremonies that are held on a single day.

get this story, a new study is giving moms when it comes to telling kids to wash their hands. researchers have found that teaching kids to wash up or use hand sanitizer can cut the number of days sick by 25%. they also had 22% fewer illnesses overall compared to those that didn't. >> a thief stole thousands of dollars worth of snakes from a pet store by stuffing them down in his pants. surveillance video at mesa recorded the heist. >> he just opened a cage, dropped them and put them in his pants and hung around for a couple of minutes and walked out the door. >> it was long shorts. >> the snakes were rare albina boas worth about $7800

each. he sold them to another pet store for $175 in store credit and 60 gallon reptile tank. police used the surveillance video to arrest the 22-year-old suspect. >> one of the n.f.l.'s top executives is headed to san francisco to help ensure there is no repeat of the candlestick violence this weekend. >> reporter: i'm terry mcsweeney. nearly two dozen firefighters coming back on the job in san jose and more than two dozen to follow in the future but feeling of increased safety may be fleeting. >> hurricane irene is barreling toward the east coast. i'll have that story coming up. >> 94 in atlanta and mid to upper 80s new york. 102 in dallas and throw upper 80s around seattle and portland.

no flight delays reported on the east coast but they are taking precautions and there will be flight delays and precautions, use flight tracker at abc7news.com. you'll find it at the bottom of that page.

>> reporter: i'm terry mcsweeney live in san jose. 22 firefighters laid off over the past year coming back on the job today, but they may be laid off in the near future. also this morning, san francisco police say enough is enough. they are warning bart protestors that they will take quicker action if things get out of hand. >> here is a look from downtown san francisco, hard to see the clouds but they are out there. so is the patchy drizzle and it looks like we'll have warmer weather this weekend. >> i'm sue hall in traffic

central. macarthur maze is flowing smoothly into san francisco. >> no calm before this storm. east coast braces before the worst as hurricane irene is less than 24 hours from making landfall. it's 5:00 29. i'm eric thomas. two dozen laid off san jose firefighters will be back on the job today thanks to millions of dollars in grant money from the federal government. terry mcsweeney is live in san jose. a total of 49 were laid off. what is going to happen to the rest? >> they are going to be back shortly. 22 coming back today. more than two dozen coming back over the next few months but the question is for how long they could be laid off again in the not too distant future. it sounds crazy and you could make a case it is crazy. take a look at the ceremony last month when where they got badges back and six weeks of training.

it's official, they are back, 27 more firefighters rejoining them over the next few months. money to do all this coming from fema, $15 million to fund the 49 firefighters. the city of san jose is projecting an $80 million short fall. will there be more layoffs? so far firefighters have taken pay cuts. firefighters not only got the pay cuts but got layoffs. mayor reed is calling for the closure of library centers and cut in pensions and more cuts to the fire department might be called for. so they are being brought back today and maybe laid off in the near future. 11 coming back on the forced to and 27 more expected over the next few months. question is for how long. terry mcsweeney, "abc 7 news." this morning, two of the men

convicted of murdering oakland journalist chauncey bailey is stepped. a judge is expected to the two to life in prison without the possibility of parole. bey the head of the defunct your muslim bakery was convicted of ordering bailey's murder. broussard was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. it was part of a deal he made with prosecutors in exchange for testimony against bey. san francisco police say they'll be changing tactics during a bart protest scheduled for next monday. demonstrators have been snarling the rush hour commute on monday prompting them to close downtown bart stations. they were angry about them blocking cellphone service to stop a protest.

police will be less patient. they released names of 35 protestors and they will be quicker to stop any disruptions to bart service. >> san francisco police are promising to beef up presence at candlestick tomorrow to prevent the kind of violence that marred the 49ers raiders game. there were multiple fights in the stands and a man was injured in a restroom during the game. two men were shot in the parking lot after the match-up. some fans complained police weren't around. san francisco police say there will be extra off duty officers at tomorrow's home game against houston. oakland police chief says the n.f.l.'s head of security will be at both the niners game and raiders home game on sunday. security has not been a problem at the coliseum. >> he has given applause in how we run football games and

suggested san francisco take the model of oakland. n.f.l. security chief jeff miller will be meeting with san francisco police chief during his visit here to discuss candlestick security. authorities have released a sketch of the suspect in the restroom beating described as a pacific islander, police say he is between 6'3" and 6'5" and weighs between 225 and 260 pounds. a main road into yosemite national park is closed this morning as hundreds of firefighters battle a wildfire just outside the park. blaze broke out in a motor home on thursday afternoon and has burned about a thousand acres. highway 140 is closed for 15 miles to the entrance. some tourists have been told to evacuate nearby motels. the fire is burning in very steep terrain. about 300 firefighters and dozen planes and helicopters are trying to contain the blaze. hurricane irene has weakened

slightly to a category 2 storm. the huge storm is aimed for north carolina but it's expected to churn a path in major population centers including new york and new england. first it battered the bahamas. now it could cause havoc along the east coast. more than half a dozen states have declared states of emergency. the storm is growing in size and danger stretching 1,000 miles wide. it's expected to bring powerful winds, drenching rain and massive flooding. more than 65 million people are in irene's line of fire. i am worried about storms that is going through one of the most populated areas on the east coast. >> it first struck north carolina coast. >> i hope people heed the warnings. i know it's hard for folks that have small businesses to leave but already should take this

seriously. >> in north carolina residents boarded up their homes. >> the wind was 130 miles an hour. >> businesses shut down and one stayed open last night. >> i'm trying to get rid of as much food as we can. >> coastguard is taking no chances they are battening down the hatches. >> they don't realize the strength of hurricane winds. >> all along the east coast from small beach towns to big cities the message from government and emergency officials is the same. >> there is no excitement worth dying. >> forecasters say the center of the storm could cut straight through new york city. big apple has only seen five hurricanes since 1851. time is 5:36 and mike has been following hurricane irene on the radar.

>> it's pretty impressive. about 500 miles wide as we look down into the southeast. these warm gulf stream waters are going to intensify as we head into the afternoon hours. right now, category 2 but still 110 mile-per-hour winds, that is nothing to sneeze at. it's going right into moorehead city, category 3 storm with faster than 150 mile-an-hour winds then heads up the peninsula tomorrow night and goes through new york sunday morning and heads for boston sunday afternoon into the evening hours. check out these rain totals. this is what we want to look at. you start to see the yellows, that is around nine to ten inches. 14 inches possible in north carolina, nearly nine inches of rain in new york. that is why we're really worried about flooding out of this system, probably more than anything else. beach erosion and winds will be pretty bad. storm surge probably is not what

we call the fresh water range that will cause the flooding there. >> back here at home. things are quiet. high pressure down to the south and east that volcano in right now. kind of slowing down the sea breeze just a little bit. clouds and drizzle this morning and cooler conditions when you step outside. by the time we head to the afternoon hours, take the 50s and 60s and turn them into a at 50s at the coast, upper 70s around the bay and low 90s inland and even warmer weather on the way for tomorrow and sunday. good morning, sue. good morning, mike. >> it's a good morning so far. friday light, but tonight may be a different story. in mountain view, a big concert coming into town, sugar land coming into town and every time there concert, show starts at 7:30 tonight. drive times around the bay area if you are traveling out of

novato toward central san rafael nice drive. 24 to the caldecott, less than 10 minutes and 580 to dublin pleasanton area, about 20 minute ride. it's now 5:38. silence the violence. a convicted drug dealer lays it on the line with oakland teens. he delivers his message from behind bars. >> and the dream lives on for california college students here in the u.s. illegally. a helping hand to keep them in school may be within reach.

>> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. welcome back. a bill that would allow illegal immigrant college student to apply for financial aid has cleared a hurdle. they approved the so-called california dream act. it would allow illegal immigrant students that attended california high school for three years to apply for aid like fee waivers. it goes on to the full senate and assembly next week. governor brown has pledged support for the bill's concept. >> next month the city of oakland will consider a curfew for anyone under 18 to try to stop the violence. a teen summit was held in east oakland as a convicted drug dealer was the guest speaker

live from prison. >> the voice is former drug lord talking from terminal island by the telephone. it's part of silence the violence day. they heard him speak. he is seen here was sentenced for 30 years for possessing crack cocaine. he has been in police for the past 23 years. he told the group not to follow his footsteps. >> it's like you struggle and you can't get out. >> he has to fight doing drugs and joining a gang every day in school. his message is clear to him. >> they want you to say, more or do drugs, i'm not going to do it. >> this summit is open and they are still imposing a curfew for

anyone under 18. >> we need the curfew. we need at gun injunction. >> the mayor says the man who shot and called carlos nava are in their 20s. she isn't sure the curfew is an answer. >> i'm willing to work with the council on that but its small part of a much bigger problem. >> reporter: a curfew might be a good idea. they will introduce the curfew when the council reconvenes. insurance companies find themselves in the direct path of hurricane irene. we have the bloomberg business report coming up. surprising new poll numbers could give the tea party reason to worry about the upcoming election. going underground in libya, rebels uncover a secret obsession. bye-bye gaga. one country bans her songs.

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welcome back. here is a look at live doppler 7-hd. storms around southern california a few scattered showers there but most of the state will be quiet with upper 90s in the central valley. 76 in big sur and 90s in l.a. and near 80 in san diego with more sunshine.

tahoe, not much weather-wise, low to mid-80s in tahoe and 90s in yosemite. new poll finds americans are overwhelmingly disapproving of the actions of congress. the associated press poll finds approval of congress dropped last week to 12%, that is the lowest level in the poll's history. it's down from 21% in june before the debt deal reached a fever pitch. democrats and republicans were statistically died at 43 and 42% when they were asked who they trust to handle the budget deficit. independent voters don't trust either party on the issue. >> this morning, libya's rebel government is moving into tripoli another sign of the imminent collapse of moammar

khadafy's regime as the search for khadafy continues. escape route were tunnels linking supply rooms and communication centers and the outside world. >> nobody can come in here but now we are free. we can do everything. >> rebels also discovered something different in khadafy's compound a photo album revealing an apparent obsession with former secretary of state condoleeza rice. state department spokeswoman she is not surprised by the album but she did call it deeply creepy. >> there is a shakeup in the top of japan. unpopular prime minister resigned this morning. naoto kan has seen his approval rating tumble after the march 11 earthquake and tsunami. his resignation sets the stage for a leadership election monday

within the ruling democratic party of japan. japan has gone through five prime ministers since 2006. china's ministry of health is ordering music download sites to delete songs by lady gaga and perry or face punishment. they have posted a list of 100 songs that have to be purged from the chinese sites because they were never submitted to mandatory screening. last friday night by perry was one of them. it's meant to preserve the national cultural security. they maintain strict control of internet and the arts. driving through the mist and drizzle on your way to work this morning. >> another day where the clouds are going to get dirtier and you can wash it when the warmer weather is on the way. >> after you watch ou all the

coverage irene as it goes right up the eastern seaboard. that is only thing you will find on tv besides sports. a few clouds trying to work in the east bay valleys. highway 24 look from vollmer peak back towards mount diablo. mount tamalpais on the bowl of cool whip that is not as thick this morning, we'll see more sunshine this afternoon and warmer weather. still in the 50s and 60s everywhere, warmest being antioch at 53 degrees. down around monterey bay, cloud cover, fog and some patchy drizzle. temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. warmer today and tomorrow and sunday. not as cloudy tonight and drizzle is mainly at the coast. look for a cooling trend in to the early parts of next week. fremont, san francisco, the same. concord, oakland, santa rosa, 2 degrees warmer. san jose 3 degrees warmer.

east bay valleys everybody is low to mid 90s, dublin, a little breeze that will keep you around 88 degrees. 81 in fremont. 71 in union city and low to mid-70s for the east bay shore. down in the south bay, low to mid-80s with saratoga and campbell. millbrae at 72. mid to upper 70s on the peninsula and los altos as you head into the south bay, 81. hef the warm spot in half moon bay. sunset right around 60. low 50s at your beaches and then mid to upper 80s through most of the north bay valleys. petaluma and napa could be cooler. sunshine around santa cruz and 76 but northerly winds will push those clouds into monterey, carmel and pacific grove keeping you in the mid-60s. astros are in town, should win this series, they are the worst team in business, we did lose

yesterday, but we'll take them on again tonight, 61 down to 58 at at&t park. temperatures will be in the 50s once again except for fairfield in the low 60s and most of the drizzle out on the coast. couple of areas of low pressure, they kept us cool the last couple of days they are going to get shoved out of way by the highs down to the south and east. we could be four degrees warmer tomorrow and ten degrees cooler by next week. good morning. we've got a little stall, a little incident for you coming into san francisco if you are headed northbound 101 from the peninsula. right at silver avenue, no significant delays and we have drive times to show you right now. highway 4, 15 minutes from lone tree to 242 and 92, 280 down to the 101 freeway, about five

minutes. 80 drive, east shore freeway from carquinez into the maze, under 20 minutes at this point. once you get to the toll plaza, metering lights remain off. streaming nicely on the upper deck. abc7news.com and check out all the drive times and all the bay area traffic details. click on the bay area traffic icon on the left side of your computer screen. >> thank you very much. a bill that would ban the sale of shark fins in california has cleared a key legislative hurdle. it was supported by conservationists and would stop their sale by next year. leland yee says it unfairly targets asian cultures. the bill passed a committee and now moves for a vote over the next few weeks. >> alameda courted workers feel betrayed by top county

officials. they staged a rally yesterday. they are infuriated about contra costa report indicating 23 high level executives received almost $900,000 of secondary pension benefits in 2010. perks came as alameda county was grappling with a huge deficit and pressuring workers making concessions. >> you are cutting services to the public, why top officials getting more money. it should be spread from top to bottom if there is going to be cutbacks. >> the report indicates alameda county deferred benefits are the largest in northern california. hundreds of activists have bombarded governor jerry brown's twitter account over a pesticide linked to cancer.

they want a ban on methol iodide. it was approved saying the pesticide can be used safely under strict guidelines. on tuesday activists staged mock fumigations and delivered signatures on a petition calling for a ban. insurers and the economy in general could take a direct hit from hurricane irene. >> good morning. hurricane irene hasn't hit yet but already may be costing more. gasoline futures hovering near the highest level in three weeks. irene may cut into output of refineries and could hurt production operations. ten refineries make up 7% of the u.s. operating capacity. stores the home depot made profits but insurance companies are going to take a direct hit.

they say it may cost $14 billion in lawsuits. the hurricane is threatening airlines with major disruptions and major carriers have dropped changing reservations for people >> ben bernanke, concerns about the economy, hosting a big conference in jackson hole today. investors are waiting to see if he makes any major policy announcements. at the new york stock exchange, bloomberg business report. just ahead at 6:00 a.m. popular soup maker campbell's in legal hot water. >> new camp of the violence that could end one of san jose's most

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