think that alcohol or drugs is a factor in this traffic collision. >> reporter: chp officers say a 24-year-old woman, the oldest of the four sisters riding in the back seat was thrown from the vehicle and died. another sister who was also ejected was taken here to stanford medical center, where she underwent emergency surgery. her mother also underwent surgery here, and the father what was driving and two others suffered moderate injury. the chp officer was released from the hospital after he was treated for minor injuries. the accident forced several lanes of northbound 101 to shut down. they were all reopened around 1:30 this afternoon. chp investigators say the long closure was necessary. >> we get one opportunity to gather all the evidence and things that we need to do. and that's what takes so long. it's a methodical sequence that we use to gather that information. because once we open the roadway back up, everything is gone.

>> reporter: several shopping bags from the suv were strewn on the highway. but investigators won't say if the family was coming home from an early morning shopping spree. for this family, black friday truly was the darkest of days. and right now at valley medical center in san jose, the father and one of his daughters are receiving treatment for moderate injuries. reporting live in palo alto, marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >> our hearts go out to that family. thanks, marianne. tense moments on the san francisco bay this afternoon. the people on board the yacht you see there called 911 when the boat started taking on water near the berkeley pier. apparently the trouble started when the boat's engine got caught in reverse. the coast guard, harbor master and several department responded and several boaters stepped in to help as well. the boat was towed into the marina. none of the seven people on board was hurt. a dog, cat, and snake were also rescued. a san jose fire captain is

recovering tonight after a ceiling collapsed on top of him as he was fighting a fire. the fire broke out around 8:30 last night at the kimberly woods complex on willow leaf drive. the flames raced through six apartments. at one point, while the fire captain was inside a stairwell, a waterlogged ceiling broke loose and fell. >> i was injured by a piece of large sheetrock, ceiling that apparently had fallen in when he was in the stairwell. so it had fallen from a considerable height because he was in the stairwell, about halfway up. >> the firefighter was rushed to the hospital with a concussion and fractured vertebrae in his neck. the fire put at least 18 people out of their homes. the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials don't suspect foul play. new details on the conflict in the middle east tonight. violence is flaring up once again along the border between israel and gaza. israeli troops fired on palestinians who were surging toward a border fence. one man is dead. nine others are hurt. a hamas leader says today's violence will have no effect on the ceasefire that took effect

on wednesday. peace talks remain under way in gaza. leaders are negotiating the next phase of the truce. it includes lifting restrictions along the boarder to allow palestinians and goods to travel more freely. its first day of the holiday shopping season, and black friday appeared to put investors in a buying mood. trading finished early today and the dow jumped 173 points, closing above 13,000. that's the highest close since election day. the nasdaq jumped 30 points. and it's not just black friday shoppers that set the mood. traders were also encouraged by economic signals out of germany and china. bay area shoppers definitely in the buying mood this black friday, starting actually last night. our business and tech reporter scott budman just got back from the mall. scott, lots of discounts for those brave enough to shop today. >> lots of talk this year about how tech products are leading the way when it comes to shopping. we saw a lot of that, and some price cuts too. apple discounting mac laptops by up to 10%. 9% off ipads.

microsoft trimming $100 off the xbox, 40% off xbox games. plenty of reasons to do a little early shopping. big crowds, deep discounts. and lots of tech tryouts. westfield valley fair had a steady stream of shoppers since its midnight opening. happy kids and apparently happy consumers, confident enough to shop. >> yeah, we've got a lot. >> we've been going around to our retailers throughout the morning to see how things have been going. and they been really exceeding all their expectations. >> i thought it would be interesting to get the real black friday experience with all the crazy shoppers and all that i thought it would be cool. >> reporter: cool for video game fans, who had an entire section of their own to play. apple updated its shopping app so you can buy products and send gift cards faster. its express shopping desk lets you grab and go in one swoop. >> it's very easy to use. >> reporter: microsoft saw traffic to test its new surface

tablet aztec stayed on top for what we're buying. >> more and more, you're unable to leave the house without some sort of tablet or some sort of gizmo that you're checking, that you're looking at constantly. it's just become a necessity nowadays. as mump as we try to fight it, you really have to have these things, which coming out with microsoft and the mini ipad and the iphone 5 for apple, you've got all these new products out, you know, the halo game for the xbox. so all the big guys are out right now. >> reporter: with job and housing numbers up for the bay area recently, lots of people found lots of reasons to buy. >> well, a, because i'm a girl. and it's the biggest shopping day of the year. and sales. that's why. >> reporter: did you find what you want? >> yeah, unfortunately. >> reporter: hey, you've been good, right? so do ahead and shop. as for online shopping, we've already seen a lot of that. come stores says more than $10 billion has been spent online since the beginning of the month

with a lot more to come now that the shopping season has officially kicked off. janelle? >> yes, some great deals out there. thank you so much, scott. black friday shoppers at the new outlet mall in livermore went to extreme lengths to get there early. many stores opened at 10:00 last night, and ten hours later the lines to get inside were still long. at one store there was a 90-minute wait for an early bird special that had already expired. other shoppers spent the night in livermore motels, but got stuck behind the wheel, trying to get into the parking lot, and stuck standing in line. but the hang-ups didn't seem to dampen their spirits. >> you know, who doesn't love black friday. >> the deal is gone, actually. >> we waited an hour to get here and another probably 30, 40 minutes to park. >> was it worth the hour driving and the hour parking? >> maybe. but it's black friday, and that's what you do. >> some people were so dedicated to scoring the deals, they came straight from the airport and asked the management office to keep an eye on their luggage while they shopped.

this youtube video shows shoppers almost literally busting down doors at a georgia walmart. the frenzy is over a black friday deal for a prepaid cell phone. walmart says no one was hurt in the scuffle. the company says black friday 2012 is its best ever, with more than 12 million transaction processed between 8:00 p.m. and midnight on thanksgiving. this is the first year walmart started black friday on thanksgiving day. as for walmart employees, they're not happy about black friday. they actually walked off the job at a thousand stores in 46 states. they're upset about poor working conditions, as well as the new black thursday work schedule. others say they aren't safe in the stampedes which can accompany those big sales. at the walmart in san leandro today, employees handed out flyers and carried signs. local union members joined the protest, lending their support. >> wages, benefits, those are all the things, again, walmart associate needs to feed their family. they can't do that on an hour.

>> a walmart spokesman calls the strike, quote, an exaggerated publicity campaign aimed at generating headlines to mislead the retailers, customers, and employees. if black friday is not your cup of tea, you're not alone. some shoppers are steering clear of the chain store shopping malls and spending their time and money on a different kind of shopping experience. nbc bay area's jodi hernandez is live in berkeley with what that kind of shopping experience is. jodi? >> reporter: i'm on fourth street and berkeley, a street known for its unique boutique-style shops. while the area did brisk business today, in fact, you can see there are still plenty of shoppers out here, nothing like the images we saw from those big shopping malls and shoppers here are happy about that. >> i'm not looking for the biggest tv or the best deal on a blender. >> reporter: but christine and her daughter are looking for gifts that are unique.

she made a point to skip the crowded malls, opting instead to support local business on black friday. >> these things are made by local people. so we feel like we're contributing to the 99% to people who are really striving to make it. and it just feels good. >> reporter: some call it plaid friday. others call it in the black. it's all part of an effort to attract shoppers to mom and pop operations. and if you don't shop today, small business saturday is on tap. >> whatever name we all come up with, it's all about shopping local. >> without them, without the uniqueness of the products they offer, it wouldn't be so much fun. >> reporter: retail consultant helen says while big buck stores get all the hype, small business plays a pivotal role in the holiday retail picture. >> when you look at the major national retailers, whether it's toys r us or walmart or target, it's more, you know, big volume,

everyday loathing, value pricing. but there is nothing unique there there is nothing really special there. and the small retailers are the ones that really fill that gap. >> reporter: stores like the ark in berkeley may not offer a lot of markdowns or price breaks, but their toys are well-made and memorable. and that's the kind of specials some folks are after. >> i don't know if i could find this in a toys r us or not. but, yeah, even if i could, i think i'd probably rather buy it here, yeah. >> reporter: and we are back here live in berkeley, where this small independent bookstore has put up a sign to thank its shoppers, thanks for shopping indy, shopping independent. again, there is a push under way to get folks out here for small business saturday. that is tomorrow. and they're saying shoppers could come away with something a little different. reporting live in berkeley, i'm jodi hernandez, nbc bay area

news. >> thanks, jodi. well, they can be excruciating and annoying, but now there is an app for headache sufferers. we'll explain. plus, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season alive and well in union square. but there is a whole lot more than just shopping going on. and aloha from downtown san jose. good evening to you. live from the hawaiian airlines kristi yamaguchi downtown ice. say hello to all the ice skaters we have tonight, right across from christmas in the park 'tis the season. we're going to be talking to the olympic gold medalist coming up after the break. i'm jeff ranieri in the weather center. gorgeous weather out there, looking gorgeous tonight. temperatures in the mid up toer 50s throughout the north bay, and also 60 in livermore. if you're headed out to one of the many tree lightings in the bay area tonight, ghirardelli

square at 5:30. i'll have the full seven-day forecast coming up.

if you are not a nan of big crowds and lots of chaos, then san francisco's union square was not the place for you today. shopping may have been the main activity, but there were plenty of sideshows going on. musicians played on street corners. protesters demonstrated against fur, war, and other causes, while the crowds might not be everyone's cup of tea, others think it's the perfect time to shop. >> union square is fabulous any day. and on black friday, why not? it's crowded. it's alive. there is a lot of energy here. >> just a couple of weeks ago, stockton street was closed because of work on the central subway. the city cleaned up all the construction equipment in time for the shopping season. and even temporarily repaved the street. also tonight, lots of

activity in downtown san jose for christmas in the park. our own marla tayas is live with all the festivities. hi, marla. >> reporter: hi, janelle. good evening. happy holidays to you this. is the official grand opening for the hawaiian airlines kristi yamaguchi downtown ice where christmas in the park debuts tonight in its 33rd year. now the rink bears the name of the olympic gold medalist, kristi yamaguchi. and guess what? she is standing with me right here live. thanks for coming out. i know the crowd is happy to see you tonight there is a lot of people here tonight, all here to see you. >> well, it's a fun and special night. it celebrates a great time of year. and to have this here in san jose where families can come out and enjoy the holidays together, have skating rink as well as christmas in the park, you know, it's just a good feeling for everyone. >> reporter: and it's such a gorgeous setting with the circle of palms, the trees all lit up. and not all cities have this right in their own backyard.

and thanks to you, i mean you can come celebrate this. >> absolutely thanks to hawaiian airlines the sponsor. it's an amazing design. you can skate under 32 palm trees right here in san jose. and, you know, there is rockefeller center in new york. but i think this rink here on the west coast is our version of. so it's beautiful. and i love to come and skate here. so hopefully all of you out there will too. >> and absolutely tonight you're going to be talking to us about your nonprofit that you started, which benefits underprivileged children. talk a little bit about that. it's called always dream. >> yes. always dream has been around for about 16 years now. and we are one of the beneficiaries i guess of the downtown ice. and, you know, we are excited that hopefully we can bring some low income families and their children here to skate. but always dream actually just launched a couple of reading programs and some of the schools here in san jose as well. so we're excited to be tackling early childhood literacy now, which is our main focus. >> again, we thank you for

coming out tonight. it's such an honor to be able to speak with you live and in the flesh. are you going to dance or skate for us tonight? >> unfortunately, neither. i'll just be i guess christening the opening of it. >> your presence is good enough. and of course kristi is going to be lighting the christmas in the park tree coming up in about 30 minutes from now. we're going to kick off the festivities here at 5:30, janelle. and just in case you're wondering, the rink is open to the public through january 13th. so a whole lot of time to get downtown to get to downtown san jose. back to you. >> thank you so much to kristi and marla you. are the emcee tonight. it's going to be a lot of fun out there. thank you so much. the cornerback who will start for the 49ers in sunday's game against the new orleans saints is still a well kept secret. a blog posted today states that coach jim harbaugh isn't saying whether he'll start alex smith or colin kaepernick, and has not confided with either player about his decision.

he does acknowledge smith is close to being cleared to play after suffering a concussion two weeks ago. and he adds there is no benefit to releasing his choice in the final days before a big nfc matchup. professional hockey still iced out. the national hockey league announced today that all regular season games have been canceled through december 14th, including at the shark tank. the nhl says it's because the players association still does not have a new collective bargaining agreement. the league also canceled the all-star weekend scheduled for january 26th. if you're going to head out shop organize go to christmas in the park, it's a great day to do it. let's check in with chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. >> it was kind of mild out here for this time of the year. as the radar turns around, we're currently finding dry conditions across the north bay, east bay, also the south bay. if you're getting in the car heading anywhere, take it slow. so much extra traffic out here. we had winds from 5 to 10 miles per hour today. more of a drying direction out of the north and slightly offshore that was good enough to give us near record-setting temperatures this afternoon.

south san jose with 73 degrees. 27 in menlo park, san ramon, 71 in east san jose also topping out at 70. right now numbers are starting to drop. getting a little bit of a chill in the air in the north bay and also the south bay. if you're heading out tonight, one of the many tree lighting ceremonies happening. one of them will be san francisco, 6:00 p.m., union square. we are expecting temperatures in the low 60s with also some winds. let's take you live outside of the hd sky camera tonight on this friday. the traffic is heavy here in san jose, but nothing in the way of storm activity. again, all of that is going to be a few days away for us until we see our next chance of rain. and in san francisco, the cars are stacked up out here. a lot of people heading into sf to do some shopping for tonight. okay. let's get but you've back to the weather boards. we've been really all over the place the past couple of days. we still have some travel hazards on the roads. if you're heading out over the next 24 hours, nothing major in the bay area, but on the interstate 5 corridor from tracy to fresno, we'll find some dense areas of fog in the morning

hours. watch out, vibsibilities could o less than a quarter mile. in the sierras temperatures in the 20s and 30s. all right. storm track is sitting right across the northwest. it is so close to giving us some rainfall. but high pressure is sitting in just the right spot to keep us dry here. we'll stay on the mild side as we head throughout the next 48 hours that will produce some 50s and 60s at the coastline. and for the interior valleys, we're even going to see a few 70s as we head throughout parts of your weekend. not a bad forecast this saturday and sunday. for tomorrow morning, we'll start mainly clear as we head throughout the day. we're not even looking at much in the way of cloud cover by the noon hour. and evening into the afternoon, sunny skies staying with us. so a stellar saturday shaping up. temperatures in the low to mid-40s to start up into the north bay. also some mid 40s for the south bay. and small business saturday again happening for tomorrow. and for a lot of you shoppers heading out there, temperatures will be the warmest in the

interior valleys, popping up into the low 60s by about 4:00 p.m., again, sunny skies. otherwise low 70s into the north bay. 71 in redwood city and 72 in santa cruz. then on your three-day forecast, we'll find numbers starting to cool off by sunday and monday of next week. here comes some big-time changes. let's get a look as we head throughout wednesday. chance of rain coming on back. looks pretty good right now. and we'll find some showers on thursday. then as we head throughout next friday, an 80% chance of rain as well. so two storm systems for next week. enjoy it now because we'll need that umbrella before you knott. >> okay, thank you so much, jeff. >> you're welcome. >> and we'll be right back.

have a headache? well, there is an app for that. a research team in canada is studying headaches to help people discover their triggers. when they came up with the wireless intervention headache diary that helps people record their symptoms the moment they happen. >> the good thing is you're able to keep it with you all the time and you can just record a

headache started. they can come online and learn progressive relaxation techniques. they can learn all about how to reduce their headaches. >> researchers say the data helps people learn about and avoid headache triggers, and the website helps with relief. when we come back, a holiday tradition at the white house.

at the white house today, bo, the first dog was on hand for a washington, d.c. tradition, the delivery of the white house christmas tree. a team of horses pulled up the driveway with a 19-foot frazier fir from a christmas tree farm in the mountains. the first lady along with daughters sasha and malia accepted the tree. it will be set up in the blue room and decorated by the volunteers who turn out every

year to get the white house in the holiday spirit. back here at home, enjoy the weather while you can. changes are on the way. >> we do have some rain coming in the seven-day forecast. i've got to say 19 feet. that's kind of modest for the white house. >> you're right. >> thought it would be bigger. saturday some sun and clouds. also for sunday, upper 60s and low 70s, and rain returns by wednesday of next week. so plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine before we get changes. >> certainly let's do that. and thank you so much for joining us. "nightly news" is next. and we'll be back at 6:00. good night. orientati

black friday is here, so are the crowds and the arrests, for millions of americans it is rough out there. tonight, the good, the bad and the ugly from what is supposed to mark the beginning of the holiday season.