disgraced bay area politician next. ouse, you couldn't just set up a tv in the basement. i mean, come on! nope. we could only watch tv in the rooms that had a tv outlet. yeah if we wanted to watch tv someplace else, we'd have to go to my aunt sally's. have you ever sat on a plastic covered couch? [ kids cheering ] you're missing a good game over here. those kids wouldn't have lasted one day in our shoes. [ male announcer ] add a wireless receiver. call to get u-verse tv for just $19 a month with qualifying bundles. rethink possible.

strike. . this is kpix 5 news. >> we dodged a bullet with bart, but tonight another transit agency is getting ready to go on strike. good evening, i'm elizabeth cook. >> i'm ken bastida. here we go again. we sent our kpix 5's christin ayers to check in with ac transit this time. they're the latest agency to threaten a strike. what did you find out, christin. >> well, ken, i did check in with ac transit. i didn't hear back from them. both sides seemed more interested in talking around the bargaining table than the media, but we did track down a driver who told us what he and his colleagues are up against. >> kevin reid has been driving an ac transit bus for nearly 13 years. he says it's a dangerous job. >> at the bus and stuff, drivers have been attacked.

>> last month, ac transit drivers in the midst of their own labor dispute kept driving even as the bart trains came to a halt, but now ac transit is threatening to strike as early as wednesday. >> i'm glad they fighting for us. we need it. we haven't had a raise in over eight years. it's been the last -- it's been take take take from the district. >> reid makes 26.65 an hour, nearly the maximum that an ac transit driver can make. ac transit has offered the union a 9% raise over three years and wants workers to pay 10% of their premiums for medical. the unions want a 10.25% raise and have resisted changes to medical. reid believes closing that gap could mean adopting some of bart workers' tough tactics. >> it's how you play. i don't know if it's -- they can work for you or work against you. >> now, i've been covering both

strieks, and i have to say the tone of these talks seem different than the bart talks. there hasn't been a lot of fighting or finger pointing that we've seen and, again, ken, both sides seem very cautious about courting the media. >> yeah. it sounds very encouraging and not that far apart in cash. that's always a good sign. christin, i got to know what's the latest on bart tonight. >> well, as we all heard yesterday, the trains are running again. talks are on pause at least for the next week while governor brown brings in an independent panel to take a look at what the union and bart management are haggling over. that panel will meet for the first time on wednesday, and the next step could be a cooling-off period. that would be a 60-day cooling off period, ken, so it could last until october. >> all right. christin ayers in oakland with the very latest. thank you. here's a look on who's on that bart inquiry board. jacob applesmith, senior advisor to the governor.

micki callahan, and robert, used to be president of the state building and construction trade's council. they will each be paid a hundred bucks a day for their work. right now many airlines are having big computer problems. this is because sabre, a system that more than 400 airlines use is down, and in some cases, airlines can't check people in. in others, you can't book any tickets on their web site. >> here are just some of the airlines affected tonight, american, alaska, jet blue and virgin america. red eye flights leaving the bay area for the east coast are all delayed. sabre tweeted that it is working to fix the problem but gave us no idea just how long it's going to take. probably should check with your airline. no bart strike, but the commute was still a nightmare today because of this. a big rig carrying sushi and other food caught fire while coming off the bay bridge this morning. the lanes were closed for nine hours and 34 minutes and traffic was his or her rend us.

we asked joe vasquez to find out what took so long to get it cleaned up. >> 5:45 this morning, a big rig thad just crossed the bay bridge into san francisco burst into flames. ten hours later, the heat of frustration was still boiling over as these folks at the toll plaza got out of their cars and into each other's faces. for most of the day, westbound bay bridge traffic was at a standstill, backed up for miles. >> it's crazy. >> the cops say some drivers couldn't hold it any longer and ended up using the bathroom on the freeway. many others ran out of gas. officially the cops declared the crash scene clear around 3:00, although we still saw long lines into the 5:00 hour. ironic on the very day the bart strike was averted. >> right. and even with bart, there's still traffic jam. right. i get it. >> you get it. >> yeah. it's funny, but it's not funny. >> so what took so long to clear the scene? first of all, chp tells me it

took quite awhile to put the fire out and then let the smoldering wreckage cool down, then they had to bring in a huge tow truck to take the big rig away, then they had to bring in heavy equipment to clean up the debris, which included sushi and rice and other groceries being carried by the truck. the chp had to conduct an investigation, which included taking pictures and measurements. finally, cal trans had to take some time inspecting the roadway making sure it's safe before giving the green light to get traffic back to normal. joe vasquez, kpix 5. >> the truck driver pulled over because he thought he had a flat tire. next thing he knew, the rig was engulfed in flames. still no word on what caused the fire. there is a growing memorial on the boardwalk in venice beach tonight after a driver slammed into a crowd of people. candles and flowers line the sidewalk for the victims of saturday's horrifying crash. surveillance video captures the driver plowing full speed into beach goers and vendors. he swerved around barriers and

continued down the path leaving a quarter-mile path of destruction. 32-year-old, a newlywed from italy, was killed. 16 other people were injured. >> the reason for that explain what happen and what -- what i feel so i twoont come back with her. >> she was remarkable young woman, really bright and shiny person. >> the suspected driver, 38-year-old nathan campbell turned himself into authorities a couple of hours later. he is being held tonight on a $1 million bail. the woman who was killed on her honeymoon, her husband of one week saw the whole thing and the family is making arrangements now to take her body back to italy for a funeral. we hear a lot of stories about corrupt politicians, but

this one was a doozy. a bay area politician who was a liar and extortionist. after years of hard times, he's back in san francisco, and tonight linda yee tracked him down in an unlikely place. >> after serving five years in federal prison, i've learned that former san francisco supervisor ed ju is now living in a halfway house here in the city's tenderloin. >> hi, how are you guys. >> in 2007, six months after ju took office, the fbi raided his city hal offices, his china town flower shop and homes in san francisco and burlingame. federal prosecutors said they had videotape of ju accepting $40,000 in $100 bills in an attempt to shake down the chinese immigrant owners of tap owe yeah drink shops in the city's sunset district. after being suspended from office, jew pled guilty to bribery and extortion charges.

jew is also accused of lying about living in san francisco when he ran for supervisor. he and his family actually lived in burlingame. i did talk to him briefly by phone. he say that is under the rules of his reentry program, he is not allowed to do any interviews with media until his sentence is fully served. that will be some time next year. in san francisco, linda yee, kpix 5. >> jew will remain at the halfway house for a few weeks and be on house detention for the rest of his prison term. right now in southern california, crews are close to knocking out a 1500 acre wild fire in the lake area of river side county. large clouds of ash covering the sky creating a brown haze. >> oh, yeah, i was worried there wasn't much i could do because i was stuck on the 91 freeway up to the 15. >> thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, but so far, no houses have been destroyed. chevron has agreed to pay almost $2 million in fines for that big refinery fire in

richmond last year. chevron will plead no contest to six criminal charges because of the fire that sent toxic black smoke into the sky. 15,000 people went to local hospitals. 19 employees were injured. tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of that fire. coming up, the tricky things some bay area detectives are doing to put away the bad guys. why some fruit can be labeled organic even if it's not completely true. and wait till you hear what some bay area parents are willing to spend to send their kids to preschool. another chilly afternoon throughout the bay area. ocean beach only 56 degrees, but find out which one day in my forecast will be colder than the north pole. ,,

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terror threat that lead to e closure of dozens of u-s embassies and consulates in muslim world. . we're learning more about the terror threat that led to the closure of dozens of u.s. embassys and consulates in the muslim world. u.s. intelligence picked up details in a phone call made by al-qaida chief and his deputy in yemen. officials say the terrorists have talked about an attack that is, quote, going to be big. the embassy in yemen is being called the source and focus of a terror threat. last week, the state department issued a global travel alert to americans. san jose police have come under scrutiny for a technique that they practice when questioning suspects. our kiet do tells us it all starts when the handcuffs come

off, the pen and paper come out. >> he's about the put the final nail in your coffin, my friend. you're done. >> it's a familiar routine in hollywood and in real life. the bad guys crack under pressure during the interrogation and confess. >> where is he? i want to talk to him right now. >> seems like a slam dunk conviction, right? not yet. a training bulletin titled obtaining a letter of apology has appeared in the vanguard, the official publication of san jose police officer's association it's a how-to guide for officer saying an apology letter is one more nail in your coffin for your case. do not ask the subject if he want s to write the letter. simply provide pen and paper. sell the letter as a means of remorse and say i'm going to give you an opportunity i've given everyone that has sat in the same chair and they've all taken me up on it. >> this is something that we can't reasonably expect to keep a secret. >> san jose police say apology letters are common practice. offices have to be careful not

to promise leniency. >> we don't promise them anything in return but give them the opportunity, and it's really more of, you know, getting it off their chest, hey, this is something that may help you mouf on from this. whether or not you go to prison for it, whether or not that person and you have contact again, you get your opportunity to say you're sorry. >> that's really what is concerning isn't the writing of the letter. it's the manipulation that leads up to it. >> defense attorney served as a public defender for six years and says defendants write apology letters because they're told it might help them. >> it's not asking someone to show true remorse. it's manipulating someone into confessing to a crime, and that's the only goal. >> the police union had no comment. the consulting firm who wrote the bulletin did not runner my phone calls. in san jose, kiet do, kpix 5. strawberry season is in full swing and most supermarkets give you a choice these days, conventional strawberries and organic but before you pay more for organic, check out what

linda yee found out only on kpix 5. >> it's a summer favorite, strawberries, but there's something about the organic ones that consumers don't know. they're actually not a hundred percent organic. just ask jim. >> there's a gray area in the rules. >> he's been growing strawberries without any pesticides for decades, but they are not raised from scratch here. he buys the starter plants from the northern part of the state where huge nurseries use toxic full-time gants to grow their crops. federal and state organic regulations allow organic farmers to buy those non-organic plants when there's no other choice, and they still get to call their strawberries organic. >> that's what we're trying to do is have it be organic from the very beginning. it's going to take some time to get to that point. >> the reality is that growing these little guys in large

quantities without fumigants is really difficult. strict commercial food guidelines say these have to be a hundred percent disease free. >> that's a very exacting standard. currently the only way we can guarantee that is with fumigants. >> professor is researching new ways to grow strawberry plants without the toxic chemicals. one ongoing experiment involves flooding fields with water and rice bran, but professor admits. >> we're expecting something that is extremely hard to achieve and, you know, it's very hard to achieve in a non-chemical way. >> this conventional strawberry grower says he's tried no pesticides, and it's more than hard. it's impossible. >> economically speaking, 100% dead. >> doesn't work for you. >> doesn't work, no. >> miguel ramos tried a natural biopesticide on one section of his 45-acre apartment with

drastic consequences. so far he's pessimistic about any organic alternatives. >> i, myself, don't like chemicals. they're expensive. they're a nuisance to use. if they say they have an effect on our environment, i do believe it, but they are necessary tools. >> organic farmers like jim cockran disagree. >> it's really a different ball game. you can't expect to catch onto it overnight. >> the organic farmers are banding together to come up with a solution to close the organic loophole. linda yee, kpix 5. >> even though organic strawberries start off in fumigated fields, farmers and researchers tell us the berries themselves are pesticide free. it's funny. when we look at this forecast, it's hard to believe this is the beginning of august. >> what's going on. >> yeah. >> wrong month. >> the on shore flow makes it to the city and makes it to the bay. rarely does it go this far and this strong, but that's what's been happening, and i really don't see an end in sight.

if anything it's going to get chillier. ten straight days below normal. live look outside tonight. low clouds are back. when you wake up tomorrow, get ready for work. the drizzle will be back. the fog will be back, and how about this: tomorrow we are actually going to be colder than the north pole. you might be wondering how is that possible? well, when you consider north pole is in alaska just south and east of fair banks, they're having a heat wave. they're going to be 81 degrees tomorrow, north pole, alaska. we will only hit a high of 78, one of our warmest spots. we will be colder than the north pole. now, what happens when the marine layer goes far inland it kind of limits that big temperature spread we get around here. pittsburgh 77 degrees for a high today. 61. 35 miles but only 16 degrees separating the two. let's look forward now with our microclimate forecast. san rafael another cloudy start for you. afternoon sunshine, high of 71, even cooler on wednesday. that's when we bottom out with a high of only 70 degrees.

well below normal for past week and a half staying below normal for at least the next week. these things behind me aren't moving. high pressure off to our east not much of influence on our weather. what is. over the next couple days it's going to get chillier. inland areas will not hit 80 tomorrow or wednesday. lots of clouds, fog, drizzle in the morning, especially away from the water. you're still going to be 5 to 15 degrees below avrng in this very chilly for august pattern nooz end in sight. livermore 78 for you tourm. ten degrees below average. san jose 75. palo alto only 71 with cloudy start. 67 for hayward. pittsburgh tomorrow 78. walnut creek not even hitting 80. in the city tomorrow only 62 and even st. helena will only hit 80 degrees tomorrow. extended forecast, temperatures begin to climb back on thursday and friday. the weekend will be milder but iven mid 80s away from water will still be below average. that is your kpix 5 forecast.

back to liz. >> all right. paul, thank you. we want to tell you about an amber alert. it started in san diego county but just went statewide. james is accused of killing a woman and abducting her two kids. one is eight-year-old ethan. the other is 16-year-old hannah. police are searching for a blue nissan versa, california license plate 6wcu986. we'll be right back. ,, farmers presents: fifteen seconds of smart. so you want to drive more safely? stop eating. take deep breaths. avoid bad weather. [ whispers ] get eight hours. ♪ [ shouts over music ] turn it down! and, of course, talk to farmers. hi. hi.

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dropped the hammer on alex rodriguez and . the worst-kept secret in sports, this whole biogeneralics nonsense. >> this is two that have caused severe suspensions so at what point is enough enough? after weeks of speculation, major league baseball finally dropped the hammer on alex rodriguez and other players linked with the biojenisis lab in florida. a-rod was suspended total of 211 games and carries through the entire 2014 season, but he's going to appeal, and he can play until that appeal process is complete which probably won't be until the end of the season meaning he could be in uniform the rest of the year.

his debut tonight he got some boos in chicago but he did get a single in his first at bat. a-rod was one for four and the yankees loss to white sox, a-rod spoke to the media before the game. >> probably the worst time of my life for sure. obviously for the circumstances that -- that are at hand, i'm sure there's been mistakes made along the way. we're here now. i'm a human being. i'm feekting for my life. i have to defend myself. if i don't defend myself, no one else will. >> 12 players were suspended besides rodriguez. they got 50-game suspensions including rangers slugger nelson cruz who really is irreplaceable in the lineup. this suspension puts a huge hole in their lineup. here's giants pitcher on today's events. >> cheerts are swaying every part of this game. if my dad would ever have found out that i cheated this game, i'd be picking my teeth up off the ground no matter how old i

was. to be honest with you, i want to get here and know i did it on my own. >> it was orange fridays, not mondays. making a case for the giants to keep him around in the future. he struck out the side in the 4th, 8 strike outs in all. 6 in the third, gave up only one run. he got a no decision. tied at one in the eight. jeff delivers the pinch hit with bases loaded. giants score 3 in the 8th. they win 4 to 2. if they're industrial wondering, they are 12 games back of the victorous dodgers. grateful dead night at at&t park. we begin tonight's top 5 with tim singing the national anthem with the grateful dead and the home of the brave this guy is amazing. watch the relay throw started and the dodgers get their

15th-straight road win. at no. 3 in anaheim, mike going to go fishing for this baseball. takes away extra bases, but the rangers win again, and as i mentioned, they are two games back in the american league west. and no. 2, john takes on the intentional walk, gets away and movie star would say, that pitch was just a bit outside. and at no. 1, five-year-old cancer survivor ry an, look at him go like a young jim brown. he scored a touchdown to cap off the browns practice. great gesture by the cleveland browns. >> so neat. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> all right. >> awesome. coming up, 22 grand a year for preschool. we'll show you what bay area parents are really getting for their money. s "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? maybe. rich chocolate chips... i just wanted you to eat more fiber.

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send their kids to college. now it's preschool! . parents used to saef money to send their kids to college. >> well, now, it's preschool. the harper preschool in san jose offers a college campus-like atmosphere. take a look at this. it offers outdoor gym,

well-shuch mried cottage-style classroom and, of course, very well-rounded education. stunts will rotate through specialized rooms and for everything from art and music to stem or science technology engineering and math. price tag? a whopping $22,000. >> academics are something that i've focussed on, but there are many other things to focus on and parents are coming with all those other kinds of questions, tell us about the well-rounded education you're providing for young children, tell us about the many experiences they'll be able to have. >> parent wills find out if their kids have been admitted this friday. the campus is set on 8 acres and opens next month. >> oh, glad my kids are out of college. we'll be right back. >> it's a victory. ,,,,,,,,,,

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. so the giants having a little bit of success. you know, they could come from behind maybe a little bit. you think. >> they are 12 games back. >> this is not mathematically --. >> you know. >> if they win the next 40. >> that's right. but i will say it again they did it a couple years ago. seven and a half back in mid august, came back, got in the playoffs the last game of the

season. >> predicting playoffice. >> won the world series. >> there you go. >> you never know. >> see you tomorrow. ( band playing "late show" theme ) >> from the heart of broadway, broadcasting across the nation and around the world, it's the "late show" with david letterman. tonight... plus paul shaffer and the cbs orchestra. i'm alan kalter. and now, urban sophisticate, david letterman! captioning sponsored by worldwide pants and cbs ( band playing "late show" theme )