plus, right now people forced out of their homes and why there's concern that more bricks could come flying off a high-rise there. and what we're learning about the young suspects now accused of robbing people in central park. "today in new york" starts now. good morning, everyone. it's friday morning. it is december 11th. i'm darlene rodriguez. >> i'm michael gargiulo. chris is off, but we're thrilled to have raphael miranda with us for this warm forecast. >> warmer than yesterday. good morning, guys. happy friday. we have some fog outside right now. some low clouds as well. temperatures in the 50s. yeah, 53 degrees at this early hour. that's well above our high temperature average this time of year. we're up to 58 by lunchtime. mix of sunshine and clouds. absolutely lovely into the evening commute. 56 degrees. look at that high today, 62 degrees in central park. no sign of winterfir cold.

there this morning. i'll show you the worst spots coming uh e g ing up. right now emily west is here with your commuter. >> hi, everyone. you're going to find overnight track work on these lines. let's take a live look at the george washington bridge, where you'll find roadwork in both directions. right now that's being picked up on the upper level inbound. same with the outbound. expect a heavy go. also, you're going to fin a commuter checklist this morning. more weather and traffic coming up. >> now to breaking news in the brono. a fire ripped through severe buildings. "today in new york's" lori bordonaro is there with more. lori, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, darlene. this fire still burning nearly five hours after it began. it broke out here in thi row of mes on valentine avenue. you can see firefighters still working to get it out. smoke still coming from the roof here of this building.

take a look at our video from a while ago. this is pretty much what residents woke up to this morning. some telling us they got a knock on their door just before midnight. it's not clear which home the fire started in. this is a row of about six homes here on this street. it appears that three are boarded up and vacant. right now there are still a lot of ffrefighters on the scene, still working to get this out. a lot of residents were here earlier. many have gone off with the red cross. we did speak to some people here. here's what they told us. >> i spoke with the red cross to make sure that they have a place for them to go. >> we don't k w what's goiea t. happen. we're homeless. >> reporter: it appears there lwere two minor injuries here in this fire. of course, we're still waiting for the fire chief to give us an update. once we have more information, we'll bring it to you. that's the very latest from here. back to you. >> lori, thank you. and reaking news now from central california, where a medical helicopter has crashed,

that helicopter was headed to a hospital in bakersfield when it went down. authorities say it was traveling thdough heavy rain and fog. it's not yet clear if weather caused that crash. we are tolt lee helicopter was carrying a pilot, a nurse, a paramedic, and one patient. well, happening now, police are trying to determine if four young men arrested for a robbery in central park are connected to other holdups that have happened in the area. those four suspects range in age from 14 up to 20 years old. 19 in-year-old man near east 73rd street and east drive. that's in the park last night and stealing his phone. police say the pjople in custody could be responsible for at least two other robberies. there have been three in or near central park since sunday. happening today, mayor de blasio will be out of the office to have surgery. a spokesperson says it'll be on a recently developed hernia. won't be long before he's back to work. he'll have a sunday schedule and

> 4:34 right now. time for weather and traffic on the 4s. i know this is the start of like a really, really great periods >> yeah, stretch of 60s coming our way into the weekend. we have some patchy dense fog out there. re rd warmth possible as we head into thest weekend. it goes on and on until monday. then it gets cooler as we head through next week. we'll look at that in the seven-day forecast coming up. here's a live look at storm tracker. nice and quiet this morning. no rain, no umbrellas needed. we do have that fog. look at the visibilities. way down across long island. farmingdale, islip, and westhampton all down to a qutaarter of a mile. down the jersey shore, down to a quarter of u mile. temperatures are up. ter on today, back to 62 for your high. lots of sunshine by the afternoon. even milder than yesterday. it gets even milder as we head throughout the weekend. we'll look at seven-day forecast in a few. right now, emily is here with your forecast.

state parkway. already trouble in new jersey. this is southbound before exit to route 138. that's in the left lane. a lot of roadwork on the turnpike from exit 15 all the way to 8a. that's wrapped up. for your buses, you'll find a lot of detours. everything is back to on schedule with the new jersey transit buses. had earlier delays with that. and of course it's a gridlock alert day. so mass transit is the way to go today. more weather and traffic coming up on the 4s. >> all right, emily. right now there's new concerns o the same block where bricks came raining down monday night. inspectors fear that more bricks could ll at any time from the high rise. it's 340 east 64th street. for that reason, people living in a building across the street, they're out of their homes this morning. katherine creag is on the upper east side. i was through that area yesterday. it's sti blocked off. traffic is still a mess. w there's new concern. >> reporter: sure is, michael. we actually parked in a

this really gives you a vantage point of how much is block off on 1st avenue. we're on 1st between 64th and 65th. that building you see there, that's the building where the bricks came falling from. it's a building nearby that has been evacuated. at least 16 residents forced out of their homes because of the building that had bricks falling from it. tenants of an apartment building on east 63rd street had only a few hours to gather up some of theeei belongings. the hope is they'll be able to return sunday night. the problem is the city is worried bricks will continue falling, damaging the nearby -uni building and injuring someone. the building's department has issued a vacate order. inspectors discovered cracks in it the remaining facade directly above the collapse on that original building on east 64th street. as for the vacated building, the superintendent of that building said this. >> took a little heckling, but everybody is out. 16 people. >> we saw the windows being boardei up, and we saw a couple

>> reporter: some of those people, some of the residents were given an option from the red cross to stay at hotels. some of them went to a relative's home. as you know, the traffic has been horrendous south of 60th reet because the street cl osures remain. coming up, we'll tell you when the city is considering lifting them. back to you. >> kat, thanks very tmuch. > happning today, a somber ibute for an nypdmofficer killed in queens. the city will remain a portion of a roadway. officer moore was gunned down last may while on patrol. the suspect has pleaded not guilty and is expected back in court next month. also today, a federal jury gets back to work. they're deciding the fate of dean skelos and his son adam. they deliberated for nearly five hours yesterday. they have to decide whether the

senate leader strong armed companies into giving his son no-show jobs. skelos said he did nothing illegal. today jurors plan to review some evidence. happening today, there will be a bail hearing for suffolk county's former police chief james burke. burke was arrested at his home wednesday on federal charges. prosecutors allege he assaulted a suspect who was in handcuffs aand then condpiredyoo covey it up. right now he's in protective custody at a federal detention center in brooklyn. in nassau county, a verdict is expected in a police brutality case. t officer faces assault charges in the incident caught on tape last year. prosecutors allege he and his partner used excessive force. the driver, kyle howell, suffered facial fractures. the officer testified he thought howell may have been reaching for a weapon. today divers will be back one a lake looking for possible evidence from the san bernardino massacre. the fbi is not saying exactly

it's believed the shooters went there around the times of the killings. yesterday the first of the 14 people who lost their lives was laid to rest. she was an environmental health specialist. she was just 27 years old. in connecticut, governor malloy says he'll act on his own to keep guns out of the hands of terrorist. he says he'll soon sign an executive otier that would call on police to che o the names of gun buyers to make sure they're not on the federal no-fly list. >> i think until two weeks ago, i was unaware that people w e allowed to buy weapons that were on this list. i was horrified. >> a gun rights group calls mathlloy's move un-american and shameful. turns out president obama plans to expand background checks on gun buyers. onofe of his top advisers says they're looking into a way to do that without congressional approval. today donald trump may have

co hntroversial plan to ban muslims when he speaks at a manhattan fundraiser. a new poll shows most americans are not with him on this issue. 57% say they oppose the idea of barring muslims from entering the united states. but trump's proposal has a lot more support among republican voters. sm% support the ban. you see 36% oppose it. meanwhile, hillary clinton says trump is dangerous, in her words. >> really plays right into the hands of the terrorists, and i don't say that lightly, but it does. he's giving them a great propaganda tool, a way to reescruit more folks. >> that was hillary cliheon last night on "late night" with seth meyers. chris christie is figing hard to win over voters in the presidential race, but he's losing support at home. a new poll shows his approval rating has dropped to an

acgacording to ti poll, just 33% approve of his job performa.ce. 62% disapprove. christie heads to new hampshire this weekend, where he's been gaining in republican presidential polls. right now we want to look live at capitol hill. that's where lawmakers are facing a critical deadline today. it's the threat of a government shutdown. house expected to get final approval to a stopgap spending measure. this would extend that deadline until the middle of next week. at deal cfuld include an extension of the zadroga act tt help september 11th first responders. yesterday the house speaker paul ryan said he will include tr t funding in the next budget. nypd commissioner bill bratton was in washington to try to pressure the senate to do the same. he was flanked by officers who count on the zadroga act to pay for their health care. this runs out of money soon, and there's been huge lobbying and a hu itge efforf-to try and advocate

have been sickened. we've seen jon stewart very vocal about it. these people are very sick and have been for some time. still ahead, the changes recommended for the controversial common core standards, including scrapping the name. plus, a man hunt this morning. there was a terrifying attack th asso took place at a local bus stop. and we're chasing records this weekend. yes, we are. your weather and traffic on the 4s is coming up. you're watching "today in new york." don't forget, follow us on facebook, twitter, and instagram. michaelg4ny, darlene4ny.

it's 4:44. he are four things to know this morning. breaking news in the bronx. a six-alarm fire that broke out on valentine avenue is now under control. new concerns now on the upper east side where bricks fell from a high rise ear ier this week. inspectors say more bricks could me down. for that reason, they've evacuated a building that's across the street.

about 1.5 million bottles because they could have glass fragments in them. for more, hea ped to nbcnewyork.com. today in hoboken, it's a celebration of the chairman, frank sinatra, an annual birthday celebration. this year is special. frank sinatra would have turned 10re0 years old today. good morning, everyone. we're tracking some patchy dense fog out there on this friday morning. in fact, we have dense fog advisories in effect u ntil 10:00 for ocean county new jersey, also coastal sections in suffolk county. that fog advisory in effect til 8:00 this morning. give yourself extra time as you're heading out the door. let's talk about the warm testmperatures. the average this time of year, 44 degrees. we're about 20 degrees above average today. this trend goes right into the weekend. yeah, you don't need the heavy days. today's predicted high temperature, 62 balmy degrees. storm tracker shows a quiet picture out there on this friday. besides the fog, we're not

nice and quiet for your morning co immute. we have some 30s showing up in the suburbs. we have temperatures in the 50s in the city. some0s also north and west of town. 37 in monticello. it's 39 degrees in westhampton. 45 at this hour in bridgeport. again, temperatures surging to the 60s later today. that continues into the weekend. tomorrow feels like spring. you definitely want to get outside and enjoy it. lots of sunshine for your salturday. a high of 62. record territory on sunday. morrow i think the record is out of reach. but sunday, 64 is the high. that's also the record for that day. it's goingo be close for sure. sunshine and clouds and temperatures coasting into the mid-60s. here's a look at future tracker. heading into lunchtime today, this is 12:00. you can see the sunshine returns. it starts to win back that battle against the low clouds is morning. lots of sun through the afternoon. your evening commute is also qu fiet. around 5:00 p.m., no weather

looking at mostly sunny skies to start ahe weekend. it does stay dry. beautiful on saturday with temperatures into the 60s. overnight tonight, 49 for your low. some pat y clouds. ven-vay forecrst shows that warm trend continues right rough fe weekend. monday we have some rain arriving with a cold front. temperatures still in the 60s there. then it gets a little cooler but still well above average as we head into the middle of next week. let's see how e commute is going. maybe it's above average so far. emily west has a look at that. >> not too bad. friday m ning itde, a lot of green on the screen. smooth sailing through queens. an accident on the garden state parkway southbound. what kat creag has been talking about, still have this closure. 1st avenue shut down 57th to 65th. re shally could aim ffect you coming off the queensboro bruj this

and let's look at the alexander hamilton bridge. right under thh apartments you're going to find road work. two left lanes taken up. a slow go there. picking up the construction heading the other way on the upper level inbound on the george washington bridge. your connecticut turnpike ride looks nice nood delays there. and let's take a live look by laguardia. grand central parkway, smooth go for your friday morning commute. reallyr ot going to be a bad ride there. alternhoe siee, meter rules in effect. more weather and traffic coming up on the 4s. >> emily, thank you very much. 4:ss now. construction workers are recovering this morning from a serious accident that happened inin hackensack. two of tyose workers were critically injured when the scaffold they were standing on collapsed. the men fell 45 feet to the ground. we're told osha investigators are looking into what may have happened here. we've learned the fbi will play a larger role in the investigation of ten sets of human remains found on long island.

leadership at the suffolk county police department. auguthorities believe the remains are linked to a serial killer, but there o ve been no arrests. the first set of remains found along the beach were discovered exactly five years ago today. >> law enforcement techniques, particularly with homicide investigations, are ever changing, and we want to ensure that we are doing everything we can to solve these murders. >> the remains were discovered while police searched for shannon gilbert, a new jersey escort, who disappeared in 2010. >> he doesn't belong in jail any longer. >>t in tahe rare instance, th judge read the sentence and then ologized. he was sentenced to five years in prison for the stabbing death of dennis pague.

m four decades ago. >> secret molestation is kept side of yos and will continue to grow and take on a life of its own. don't keep silent and think it will make it better. >> with time already served, frs edricks could be eligible for parole next year. happening now, police are looking for a knife-wielding woman wanted for several roeries the upper west side. this is surveillance video of the suspect. investigators say inm t least three instances, this suspect has threatened women with a knife, demanded money or their purse. the victims range in age from 33 to 72. re's a sketch of the suspect. if you have seen her, please contact police. police in new jersey are searching for a man who allegedly robbed and sexually assaulted a woman at gunpl nt. the attack happened friday, november 27th, near main and poplar streets inrs hackensack. investigators released this sketch of the suspect. the man allegedly followed his victim for about a bnsck after she got off a bus. police say he pulled a gun, ordered the victim to give himb

assaulting her. parents at a dance studio near where this attack happened say they're worried about the safety of their own children. >> this is very disappointing to know that it's so close to our dance studio. >> i'll be on the lookout, definitely. especially, i have to bring my child here again tomorrow. >> at least one parent we talked to said it's a sad reminder of why he won't let his daughter walk to school alone, not even walk from school to that area alone. a common core task force is recommending an overhaul in new york state. while the group says education standards are important, it adds common core is too rigid and not adaptable. the group believes tests should be shorter and should not be used to evaluate teachers for the next few years. they also recommend considerations for students with disabilities and those who are arning english. and in news for your health, doctors have a dire warning for parents this morning. there's a new study from the national center of health statistics that shows one in >>

the number is worse for older children. researchers found 27% of teens 16 to 19 had at least one measure of unhealthy cholesterol. cholesterol can block arteries, cause heart attack, and cause stroke. you never think of it. you think it's something people have when they get to be middle age. >> when you think of the kid's menu at a restaurant, it's pizza, chicken fingers, french fries. high-cholesterol type foods. still to come, the movie trailer that are tells the hold wrror story some subway riders say they experience every day. plus, commuters on board but no conductor apparently. a train went barrelling down the tracks. we'll tell you where this happened, how it happened, and how it finally stopped. and why plans for a pa lay shall vineyard are causing

just want to point out that the hamilton bridge looking nicely. everything getting around.

it is well lit. you know, i have to say that shot is probably my favorite shot because i feel cllike theee's really pretty sky cam filters or something happening there. >> the glamour shot. >> look how pretty. there's different colors. >> depending on where you are. >> it's beautiful, re darlene. >> i'm sure they feel like that too on the road. >> it's w l lit. that's good. we like that. we have some fog out there, so we need extra lighting in some spots this morning. you can see on storm tracker 4 live radar, nice and quiet. we have fog, especially coastal sections. look at the warm temperatures heading our way this afternoon. 62 your high in central park. the record today is 64. we're going to get close. i don't thinke're going to make it there. 64 in westfield. about 20 degrees above average on this friday. sunshine and clouds, 59 in lake caramel. up toli0 in madison. 64 degrees, almost a beaci day, in asbury park. overnight tonight, a few clouds. te nmperatures stay mild. 49 for the low in the city. some 30s well north and west of

these low temperatures are generally higher than the average high temperature this time of year. just to give you an idea of how warm it is. and it keeps going into the weekend. we'll look at the seven day again. >> love it. thanks. >> now i have to feel guilty about passing out on the couch at noon. >> got to get out there. >> should be out running and lifting. >> go hike. >> yes, take a htke. all right. we have some track work still goy ing on with the subways this morning. that should wrap up within the next few moments. and today you need to take these trains because everything is on schedule, and it's also a gridlock alert day. so again, mass transit might be the way to go. >> all right, emily. there's a transit incident a lot of people are talking a ut in boston. the operator of a boston plane blew through four stations without a driver that person now placed on administrative leave. today federal investigators will immediate with the massachusetts bay transit officials to go over the details from thursday's incident. there were about 50 people on board that train without a conductor. >> the people that was on the first car was trying to knock on

that's when we discoveoud there was nobody there. >> we were just flying through the stations. if we had kept going at that rate of speed, we would have either derailed or gone over the bridge. >> officials did stop the runaway tr itn. they cut the power to the third rail there. investigators say they're focusing on operator error. well, santa con makes its way from brooklyn into manhattan this weekend. thousands of costumed santas are going to be taking part in the annual bar crawl. they'll meet in mccarron park. from there, they head to the lower east side, then the east village. but their drinking will have to stop for my commuter train ride home. the mta is banning alcohol on the lirr starting tonight. a similar ban takes effect on metro north tomorrow morning. there's an alert for commuters who use the r train. you're invited to share your own commuter horror stories this morning. ay.

this mock movie trailer. it's called "r train nightmares. nightm omares." he says the train is frequently late, delayed, and overcrowded. a rally will be held to make improvements to the line. suspense music and everything. >> the whole thing. all right. you can call it subway crush hour. the mta says i smashed a record for one-day ridership. according to the transit authority, it moved 6.2 million people through the subway system that's about 50,000 more people than the previous record set on october 30th of last year. and there were 15 days during october that the subway had more than 6 million riders. on long island, a community is finding a new vineyard that's moving to town. this couple plan to open their dream vineyard next year. they already have a new york

the land is next to an elementary school. there's 300 children who go to school there. that has residents concerned. >> do you want your child walking by a bar? >> i don't like the idea of alcohol next to an elementary school. >> we understand the community concerns because we're also a neighbor. >> officials in huntington are now asking for suffolk county to step in. they want the agricultural designation rescinded. amazon has a new offer for manhattan. alcohol on your doorstep. the company is adding alcohol to its one-hour delivery service. so quick too. until now, it was offered only in seattle. the company's hometown. the one-hour delivery costs $7.99. it's free for prime members. our stage manager has an apartment in manhattan. we're going to be visiting you. get that delivery. >> she's all set. coming up at 5:00 a.m., if you're about to head out the door, do take us with you. >> keep watching "today in new york" by downloading the news 4 new york app on your mobile

our next hour starts right now.