Transcripts For WNBC Today In New York 20151202

Traffic coming up on the 4s. Lauren, thank you so much. Happening now in brooklyn, police are searching for a suspect who pointed a gun at police officers. This happened along avenue b in brownsville near 92nd street. Police say officers were responding to reports of gunfire. Thats when they came across two men, one pointing a gun at them. One officer fired at least one shot. They dont believe anyone was hit. Police sources tell news 4 one person right now is being questioned. Happening today, mayor de blasio plans to push for the renewal of the zadroga act at a City Council Committee meeting. Were learning congress may be close to making a deal on extending the Health Care Program for 9 11 responders. It will run out of money next year if congress does not act soon. Its 5 01. Today thousands of people are going to gather just outside our building for a holiday tradition. Its the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting. Security is tight. There are some strict rules in place. Still should be a fun time for everybody. Today in new yorks tree correspondent Tracie Strahan is youre an arborist. Few people know that. Reporter just call me spruce. Spruce beck. Reporter just like that 78foot thing behind me. Spruce beck is good. Very funny. A lot of fun times expected to be had out here. Im holding this umbrella now because of the elements. People coming here tonight will not be able to do the same. Thats something to keep in mind as you get through these street closures and keep an extra eye on security. So many people are expected to be here to see acts like mark mcgrath and mary j. Blige, but theyre also being told to get here early and take mass transit. Thats something youve heard plenty of times before. The city is shutting down streets from 48th to 51th streets between 5th and 6th avenues. Anyone coming to the Tree Lighting is being told umbrellas, backpacks, and large bags are prohibited. You will not be able to bring them and be amongst the crowd. Theres no specific security threat, but Police Commissioner what they can expect to see. What they should expect to see is a heightened police presence. Certainly more of the Hercules Team type of officers with the long guns and helmets. Reporter that 78foot spruce will be ill mum nated by tens of thousands of lights. It will be lit from 5 30 in the morning until 11 30 at night until january every day. On christmas day, it will be lit up for a full 24 hours. Again, people are being urged to use mass transit and forgood good reason. We talked about the barricades earlier. Theyre still going up, not just throughout rockefeller plaza, but 6th avenue, 51st street. Something to keep in mind. Get your spot early. Back to you. Tracie, thank you for holding my spot. I appreciate it. It will be a long day. An alist group of performers on tap for tonights show. Sting, james taylor, mary j. Blige, Andrea Bocelli are some of the headliners who will help ring in the holiday spirit. You definitely dont want to miss any of the show tonight. Watch the Tree Lighting here on nbc 4. Our coverage begins at 7 00 p. M. The show itself is such a great celebration of the holidays. The whole thing is fun. Absolutely. Looking forward to it. 5 04 right now. Weather and traffic on the 4s. We first have to get through the morning in general. More damp rain coming our way. On and off throughout the day today. The difference, at least the temperatures get milder in the afternoon. For december, mid50s isnt too bad. Damp and drizzly to start. Heavier showers move in mid to late afternoon. The showers could linger into the Tree Lighting time. There may be some breaks in between where its not raining at all during the show. Hopefully the showers either hold off or theyre out of here by the time we flip the switch to light the tree. Meantime, were not bad in the its a raining lightly. It will continue to do that throughout the day. As i said, heavier showers may start to slip in later this afternoon. A High Temperature of 56ing did. Almost 5 05. Lauren is standing by with your commute. Whats the latest . Lets talk about that mass transit weve been encouraging you to take today. Some of the bus detours have cleared, but we still have a few out there. If youre getting on the subways or major commuter lines, no delays or Service Changes right now. We can enjoy that. Alternate side of the Street Parking rules in effect today. Lauren, thank you. Its 5 05. Right now were leerning more about the man in custody accused of stabbing his wife and setting off an amber alert. It started with the attack in the bronx. It ended in Passaic County when police found the man and his young daughter in clifton. Today in new yorks Katherine Creag is in the bronx where the victim is being held. There were amber alerts going out all throughout the city yesterday. Reporter right, mobile the alert is sounded. People realized there was a 3yearold girl that had been abducted, according to police. That childs mother had been stabbed. She is here at this hospital, st. Barnabus, in critical but stable condition. The womans child, a 3yearold girl named rebecca, is safe, according to investigators. The childs father, though, diomedes valenzuela, according to police, took the girl after stabbing his wife, the childs mother, in the bronx. He then fled to new jersey in a minivan but was captured and arrested in clifton. The child being taken set off an amber alert. Valenzuela, the suspect, had been described as armed and dangerous. He was tracked down off the garden state parkway. A friend of the couple says she never saw any problems with them. Ive never seen anything as far as physical or domestic violence. I have never seen anything, you know, that way. Reporter and investigators say this all started when the childs parents began arguing also, the mta says the 47yearold suspect is employed as a driver for the agency. At this point, darlene, charges are pending in new york city against this suspect, but he remains behind bars in new jersey for now. Back to you. Thank you so much, Katherine Creag. Happening today, Opening Statements expected to begin in the trial for the first Baltimore Police officer accused in the death of freddie gray. The jury in william porters trial expected to be seated later today. He faces a top charge of manslaughter. Prosecutors allege he failed to give aid to gray when he asked for medical help. So far, about 150 potential jurors have been questioned. The crash that seriously injured comedian tracy morgan on the new jersey turnpike will be the focus of a new safety study in washington. Federal lawmakers want to know more about how longer commutes affect truck drives. A Previous Report by the National Transportation safety board found the walmart truck driver who caused the crash had its coming up on 5 08. Police just released photos of suspects in a Home Invasion robbery in the bronx. They say the victim heard a knock on the door of his apartment, saw his mother through the peephole, but when he opened the door, the robbers forced their way inside. Were told one of the men beat the 29yearold son. The other went through the home and stole a tv and a cell phone. A manhattan teenager is a accused of a deadly stabbing in Rockland County. Police say the 19yearold ran out of a home calling for people to yell 911. Police found a 66yearold dead. The relationship between the two men is not clear. Police say his last known address is a manhattan shelter for troubled teenagers. Police are hoping youll help them find a dangerous thief. They say this woman tried to hold up two livery cab drivers at knife point. It happened last friday morning in Port Richmond in Staten Island. Her 20s. In one case, she and the driver got into a scuffle. The driver slashed on the hand. On Staten Island, one group is launching a petition hoping to save the boroughs deer from hunters. Officials are currently reviewing a wide range of methods, including hunting, to manage the deers growing population. The group ny class posted a petition online calling for more humane ways. 5 09 now. In this mornings cnbc money report, Facebook Ceo Mark Zuckerberg celebrating the birth of his daughter in a big way. In a surprise announcement yesterday, zuckerberg and his wife pledged to donate 99 of their facebook shares to charity. Whats that add up to . 45 billion. Its one of the largest pledges in history. The pledge announced in an open letter to their newborn daughter max born just last week. The new parents say theyre manage that money. This is something weve seen with philanthropists and many billionaires, deciding the bulk of their fortune should be given away. And they want it to go to private organization where is they know there will be control over where it goes. Interesting, though. As soon as it happened looking on social media, there was immediate backlash. Like, why would he give it to this . Make sure he gives it to this company, this organization. It really is an amazing gesture. Absolutely. 5 10 right now. Just ahead this morning, a very special signing. Meet the nruewest knick. A Staten Island boy getting to live out a dream. Plus, a leisurely game of golf skbrupt interrupted. And storm team 4 tracking its 5 13. This Morning Police are pointed a gun at police. Officers opened fire on the man. They dont believe he was hit. The suspect and another person ran off. Today, new York City Council will talk about Bicycle Safety. Today you can give some feedback on your commute during your commute. The Port Authority is holding a community meting inside the bus terminal. They will answer questions and take suggests on how to improve. That meeting begins at 4 30. Port authority is just perfect. The building, that is. And tonight, live pictures here from the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The lighting will take place. Its going to be lit tonight. It will be lit during the days, during certain times. Continuously on christmas day. The coverage begins at 7 00. Huge show coming up. Its always festive. There will be a little rain. You cant bring an umbrella, but you can bring a raincoat. Maiden of the mist. 5 14 right now. Weather and traffic on the 4s. Hey, chris. Itll feel like that at times. People are going to be out there for hours. I think the hood is the best thing to do. Water repellant, obviously. We have onandoff rain drizzle throughout the day today. The Tree Lighting still looks like it will be damp around that time. Finally it turns dry as we head into this upcoming weekend. Good stretch of weather coming up. A lot of mid40s out there. Not a big spread in temperatures. Floral park, 46. Melville, 45. Down the jersey shore, a little milder at 52. In town, were at 47. A little chillier through the hudson valley. This is the area of rain were concerned about heading our way for the afternoon. Its a cold front slowly moving eastward. A wave of low pressure along that front that will enhance right now in were seeing light rain pushing across parts of the area. The back edge of it moving east of the city. Future tracker, weve put it all together. This is 8 00 a. M. A lot of the rain just offshore. In between, theres drizzle and a little shower activity up towards the north and west. Then it fills in a bit for time around noon, 1 00, especially north and west of the city. The main push of rain looks to be about 3 00, 4 00, 5 00. Right in there. You see it come across the city. Theres actually a little bit of a lull in the action. At this point, it still could be drizzling. Could be a little mist in the air. The actual cold front about 9 00, 10 00 pushes through with another shower. Thats the one im concerned about around Tree Lighting time. If the computer model is off by an hour, there may be a dry window. Well watch it for you. For the Tree Lighting, we break it down this way. This afternoon, about 3 00, 56. It is relatively mild, but it will be raining. Showers are likely even at 6 00. Still some leftover showers at 9 00. For today, a high of 56. Thats above normal. A showery day. Into tonight, showers taper down after about 10 00, 11 00. An overnight low in the low and mid40s. Tomorrow, back to partial sunshine. A High Temperature of 51. 50 for friday. 49, saturday. 52, sunday. All featuring sunshine. Some clouds on monday. Watch for some showers returning on tuesday. Lauren scala returning right now with the latest for your commute. A couple problems starting to pop up out there. Visibility is not great. Wet roads this morning. Lets head over to 95 where northbound before you get to the north avenue cedar street, exit 16, there is an accident blocking a couple lanes. We just saw by the red on the maps its pretty backed up. Lets head to the van wyck expressway. Heavy delays heading southbound. Thats out by the kew gardens interchange. We have reports of a minor accident. Also some road work out there. That could be contributing to this. Ill definitely keep you posted. Tunnel, things moving along nicely at all of your hudson river crossings, both inbound and outbound. Take it easy with the wet roads. Today is a gridlock alert day. We encourage you to take mass transit. So far, no problems. Well have more weather and traffic coming up on the 4s. Thank you so much, lauren. Chicagos top officer is out. Now theres new pressure for the mayor to step down as well. New accusations suggest mayor rahm emanuel may have taken part in a coverup. Many critics say video of the shooting that killed Laquan Mcdonald was suppressed for a year because the mayor feared it would keep him from being reelected. Emanuel fired Police Superintendent garry mccarthy, who faced Harsh Criticism for his handling of the shooting. But emanuel insists releasing the video earlier would have hampered the investigation. Mr. Mccarthy had become a distraction. There are a lot of questions in this room about you and your office. Have you become a distraction as well . Youll make that judgment. I think im doing my job, and i try to do it every day and do it a judge will rule next week on the release of another video showing Chicago Police shooting and killing 25yearold Ronald Johnson a year ago. Police say he had a gun, but his family insists he was unarmed. Florida golfers ran into an unusual hazard on a course near sarasota. Two huge alligators caught on camera were battling it out right on the green. A couple golfers grabbed their cameras and snapped pictures while the two giant reptiles duked it out. Every game on that course came to a standstill. They were rolling around, biting each other, flipping each other. It was amazing. There were some fellas down there waiting to tee off. Of course, they had to hold up until they finished their shenanigans. Oh, my god. Wait until the alligators are finished fighting. They rolled around for about ten minutes before the small gator, long, actually limped off. The larger one, thats 14 feet long, known as goliath, is actually well known on the golf course. You just cant break that fight up. Come on, guys. All right. 5 19. Tiger woods says he has no idea when he will return to golf. The golf star spoke to reporters at a News Conference in the bahamas yesterday while promoting the hero world challenge. Woods says he doesnt know when his surgically repaired back will heal. Hes gone through three procedures in the same spot on his back in the last 19 months. There is no timetable. So thats the hardest part. Thats the hardest part for me. Theres really nothing i can look forward to, nothing i can build towards. Literally just taking it day by day, week by week. Woods hasnt played golf since a tie for tenth in the wyndom championship in august. Tonight the knicks will have their latest rookie and his the Staten Island native is only 11 years old. Eddie will be at center court at the garden getting his very own practice jersey signed by the entire team. Thats after he put the finishing touches on his contract. He was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 5. The knicks signed eddie to a twoday deal for msgs garden of dreams foundation. Ive done a lot of work with the guard ochb arden of dreams foundation. They do a lot of work with make a wish. Theyre amazing and do wonderful things for children all the time. Fantastic. Theyve done it for eddie already. Good luck to him too. Still ahead, the holiday gift thats perfect if youre a scifi fan with a sweet tooth. And the Movie Theater thats really ready for the new star wars movie. Pson, the Holiday Seasons just like football season. You got your big games. Cheese plates, turkey, appetizers. And regular games. Get it all at a great price. And the Holiday Season is won. Thats my boy fill your cart with everything you need this s eason, no way. Savor an egg mcmuffin any time you like. A fresh cracked egg, canadian bacon and an english muffin with real butter. Mcdonalds all Day Breakfast menu. Welcome back. 47 degrees. Its wednesday morning. Wet wednesday. A brooklyn ice cream maker is hoping to appeal to star wars fans with a sweet tooth. Ample l hills creamery created star wars themed ice cream. The dark side is ultra dark chocolate. You can buy a four pack on their website for 36. Maybe a little bit of both, right, in the same bowl. Luke, i am your topping. And check this out. This is a Movie Theater in nebraska, ready for the release later this month. Its the alamo draft house cinema in omaha. Theres an emperors throne. A tenfoot death star hangs above the heads of everybody who goes in there. Theyre all set for the force awakens which will hit theaters on december 8 18th. You get the whole experience. Ample hills ice cream is some good stuff. Delicious. See, the light side, the dark side. A little whip cream on top. Were all set. Sprinkles and were all in. Try the chewbacca. Its great. Extra chunky. Just like our weather has been lately, unfortunately. Right now. We have some shower activity light. Long island. Theres another slug of rain sitting off to the south and west. Thats going to move in here later this afternoon and perhaps hamper and dampen some of the Tree Lighting. 56 the expected high today. At least thats milder out there. If youre heading out, youll not necessarily with the heavy liner. Thats for sure. Tonights low, only 46. Showers through at least the first half of the night, tapering down and ending after midnight. A nice stretch of weather comes in beginning tomorrow. It stays dry on through the weekend. So thats good. Very good news. People getting busy with shopping. Appreciate that. Hey, lauren. Roads are wet, as we know. Not too many problems out there. This is the gowanus expressway. Things still moving along nicely. A quick look at your commuter checklist. Today is a gridlock alert day, for obvious reasons. We encourage you take mass transit. Right now major commuter lines and subways are running on or close to schedule. Thank you, lauren. Ahead, the local University Raising tuition by the thousands. And maybe this has happened to you, but this morning theres new staggering numbers about a big problem. Stolen packages delivered to your house. And today is the day where thousands will come to the Center Christmas tree. But there are certain things you cant bring with you. Im Tracie Strahan live on the plaza with that straight ahead. If youre about to head out the door, take us with you. Keep watching today in new york. Download the news 4 new york app a consumer alert this morning just in time for the holidays. Some skyrocketing numbers. How many millions of packages are being stolen off doorsteps. Plus, flipping the switch. Live pictures here from the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Dark now, but the lighting just hours away. And rain threatening to make for a damp celebration. Storm team 4 tracking some inconvenient weather. Today in new york starts now. There will be crowds though. There definitely will be. They will come. Good morning, everyone. Its wednesday morning, december 2nd. Im darlene rodriguez. Im michael gargiulo. Chris cimino here with the forecast. Its not allout rain, but its just there. Its a nuisance. As darlene said, i think inconvenient is a nice word to describe it. Its not going to cause any flooding problems or things like that. Its just damp and stays that way throughout the day today. A little bit of light rain overhead right now. Steadier showers and heavier showers sitting to the south and afternoon and close to Tree Lighting festivity time. Plan on needing the umbrella throughout the day today. Its a gray sky as well. A little milder than yesterday. Low 50s by noon, forecasting a high of 56. More of the forecast coming up. Almost 5 31. How about the commute, lauren . The roads are certainly wet out there, but we have two problems that you could potentially run into. One of them on 95 heading northbound just before the north avenue, cedar street exit. An accident involving a jackknifed tractor trailer and minivan. Delays are pretty heavy. Pretty much stopped traffic back at least one exit. We also have heavy delays southbound on the van wyck expressway. Between the road work out there and reports of a minor accident, you can see delays pretty heavy as you make your way southbound past the kew gardens interchange. More weather and traffic coming up. Lauren, thank you very much. Happening now in brooklyn, police are searching for the gunman who pointed his weapon at police officers. This happened along avenue b in brownsville near 92nd street. Police say those officers were responding to reports of gunfire one pointing a gun at them. One officer fired at least one shot. They dont believe anyone was hit. Police sources tell news 4 one person is being questioned right now. Today a holiday tradition just outside our building. The Rockefeller Center christmas Tree Lighting. Today in new yorks Tracie Strahan is on the plaza with what you need to know. Reporter good morning. Its hard to believe its that time already, but when we say that the stage is set on rockefeller plaza, were certainly not exaggerating. You can see the 78foot spruce ready to make its debut. The star is on top. The lights are ready to illuminate. This is the type of day you have to give a fashion forecast for spectators coming to the plaza. You need to know what to wear and what you can and cannot bring in order to enjoy tonights event. Theres going to be plenty of music on the plaza. Were going to see stars like sting. Im looking forward to seeing mary j. Blige, of course. Youre also going to encounter a 48th to 51st streets between 5th and 6th avenue will be shut down to traffic. Things like backpacks, large bag, and umbrellas are prohibited. Although theres no specific security threat, we spoke with Police Commissioner bill bratton. He says visitors can expect to see highly armed officers guarding this area tonight as a precaution. Its there really to make people feel more secure. Were asking them to be aware but to enjoy, feel safe. Well worry about security. Themselves. Reporter now, the tenton tree is going to be lit every day from 5 30 in the morning until 11 30 at night until january 37 christmas january. Christmas day, a full 24 hours of illumination. Were going to bring you back to the plaza. These barricades have been standing by at the ready to go all along this area. Around this morning. Everyone is being urged to plan accordingly. Back to you. Tracie strahan, thank you. Sting, james taylor, carly rae jepsen, and mary j. Blige just some of the headliners who will help ring in the holiday spirit. If you dont want to miss any of the show tonight, you dont have to. Watch the Tree Lighting and a host of special performances starting at 7 00 p. M. Right here on nbc 4. Its always a great show. Really a frontrow seat to all the wonderful entertainment. The singers, they really put you in the holiday spirit. They do. We always focus on the tree, which is fantastic, but really its all of rockefeller plaza. Just looking at tracies picture there. You see the building were in, 30 rock, lit up in blue. The whole area. Set up beautifully. Look at that. This is just the beginning. Not quite that. Itll never look like that again after tonight. The barricades look gorgeous. Thanks for just proving my point. Beautifully. It will look a lot different over the next several weeks to come. Meantime, what to expect. Damp and drizzly out there right now. Heavier showers coming in this afternoon. Its a little milder today at least. Temperatures bounce back to the 50s. The shower threat, i think, unfortunately could linger through the Tree Lighting festivity ies festivities. First forecast, its a milder start at 47 degrees. Another soggy day ahead. Look for showers on and off. I think the steadiest of the rain probably in the mid to late afternoon. A High Temperature today of 56 degrees. Rest of the sevenday forecast and brighter days ahead. Well get to that in a bit. How about the commute, lauren . Lets talk about mass transit. We have a couple detours on the buses. The b62, m1, 7, 102. Today is a gridlock alert day with the Tree Lighting. We do encourage mass transit. If youre getting on the rails, subways and major commuter lines all running without delays or Service Changes. And you do need to move your car today. Alternate side of the Street Parking rules in effect. Well take a closer look at the roads coming up. All right, lauren. Thank you very much. Were learning new information about the man suspected of stabbing his wife and kidnapping his daughter. Today in new yorks Katherine Creag is in the bronx where that victim is being treated right now. Reporter and friends of the victim, michael, they gathered here by her bedside and really were in disbelief but also confused, telling us they never saw any problems between the husband and wife. That husband is now accused of stabbing his wife. That woman is in critical but stable condition here at st. Barnabus hospital. The couples child, a 3yearold girl named rebecca, according to police, is safe. The childs father, diomedes valenzuela, is behind bars. According to investigators, he took the child after stabbing his wife, the childs mother, in the bronx. He then fled to new jersey in a minivan but was captured in clifton. The child being taken set off an amber alert. Valenzuela had been described as armed and dangerous. He was captured, tracked down off the garden state parkway. Paramedics rushing her to the hospital. Its pretty disturbing because we hardly have any noise here or any problems with anybody else. Reporter and investigators say this all started when the childs parents began arguing yesterday afternoon. Also, from what weve learned of the suspect, hes an employee, a driver for the mta. Hes 47 years old. And at this point, michael, charges are pending against the suspect, diomedes valenzuela, in new york city, but he remains behind bars in new jersey. Back to you, michael. All right, kat. Thank you very much. Happening today, a Bicycle Safety task forces is on the agenda for the new York City Council. The task force would look at safety issues involving cyclists, including crashes with cars and pedestrians. There are also concerns about delivery bikes and electric motors added to bicycles to make them go faster. The task force would require public hearings on safety issues in all five boroughs. University of connecticut raise tuition. They want a price hike of more than 3,000 in state, 4,000 for out of state. This would be over the next four years. Officials said the move will help close a projected 40 million gap in the schools budget. The proposals still have to be presented to the schools board of trustees. Thatll happen on december 16th. Now to a consumer alert. A growing problem, stolen packages. A report out just in time for all those holiday packages that are showing up on doorsteps. Today in new yorks Kerry Barrett is here with the new numbers just released. Not what people want to hear when theyre ordering things and waiting for them to get there. Of course not. Its not only cyber theft you have to worry about. More people are having their packages swept right off the front steps. A new report shows 23 million americans have had packages stolen from their homes before they could even open them. Thats more than 4,000 a week now, right after cyber monday, shipping, thooefs have ieves have a lot of opportunities. Delivery drivers say they try to hide packages behind bushes, buts but sometimes those tricks arent enough. So what can you do . First and foremost, if you are expecting something, keep an eye out. Some Delivery Companies even allow you to customize your delivery time. Thats pretty cool. Second, if you realize that you will not be home when a package is arriving, you can redirect your delivery even if its already out on the truck. In fact, most Delivery Companies, its pretty easy to do. Download their app. Finally, treat your package like you would your purse or wallet. Dont leave it unattended. That probably goes without saying. Also, u. P. S. Offers something called u. P. S. Access, which allows you to sign up and have your package delivered to a local business thats near your home so you can go and pick it up there. I thought that was pretty cool. By the way, suburban homes are the most at risk. Although, this report shows that thefts seem to happen in the south and Western Areas of the does in the northeast. Thats good, but you still need to be aware. Absolutely. Good advice there. Thank you. Christmas lights at your moment may be slowing you down when you hop online. A British Agency similar to our fcc says the lights can interfere with your wifi network. According to some reports, blinking lights are the worst culprit. However, they say the lights wont crash your network but might cause a slowdown, especially with bigger displays. That in front of your home, michael, that might have to stop. If you have the Clark Griswold home, its got to stop. Ahead, Jerry Seinfeld has a new home. Its a home away from home. Plus, its a lady liberty love triangle. Why new york and new jersey are in a fight over the statue of liberty. And it is a wet wednesday. Weather and traffic on the 4s coming up. Thats getting on the belt parkway by jfk. You can see glistening roads. Do be careful. Our beautiful view there of the channel gardens. Counting down to the big Tree Lighting tonight. The show getting under way at 7 00 p. M. Tracie strahan is already there, darlene. She is there. Shes going to put the star on top. Oh, its already there. But she said she was willing to change lightbulbs if necessary. Coming up on 5 44. Time to check weather and traffic on the 4s. I saw a couple branches off before that looked a little misshapen. Shes trimming. The final trimming of the tree. Its wet. Thats the bottom line here. That tree is going to be wet tonight, but it will be sparkling and glistening right before 9 00. The festivities will go on no matter what. If youre planning on heading out, make sure to dress appropriately. Dealing with temperatures that will be in the 50s, but youre dealing with wet weather throughout the day. Right now light rain, 46 degrees in the city. Weather headlines, another soggy one today. The rain will vary in intensity. Steadiest mid to late afternoon. Tree lighting looks like it will be damp too. Finally dry heading into the latter half of this week into right now, 42 in stamford. We go up to poughkeepsie, its 42. A little chillier north and west. Some upper 30s and low 40s. In the city, mid and upper 40s. In the jersey shore, 50s right now. School day forecast for today. Drizzly start, about 48 degrees. Recess time, showers, 51. By the time youre dismissed, its mild at 55. Showers are still likely. A few showers for afterschool activities. Temperatures in the mid50s. Heres the push of rain were worried about for later this afternoon, especially into the evening hours. Its a wave of low pressure its gone by about 7 00. But theres still some residual showers behind us to the west. Thats where the cold front is. The timing on the front may get very close, about 9 00 or so in the city. Thats about the time theyre lighting the troo e ee. Heading out this afternoon, rain, about 56. Thats 3 00. 6 00, showers, 55. And you head into the 9 00 hour, showers and 54. Once were rid of the rain, were back to a partly sunny sky tomorrow. Gusty breeze, 51. Lots of sun friday, saturday, sunday. Each day close to 50. More rain late tuesday. Temperatures in the upper 40s. Any problems out there to talk about this morning, lauren . More and more problems popping up. Thats to be expected with wet roads and low visibility. Well head over to the taconic. Were heading southbound by bryant pond road. Watch out for a disabled vehicle in the left lane there. Then heading over to 95, the new england throughway head b northbound. You get to north avenue, cedar street exit 16. You have a jackknifed tractor trailer. Further north, you have another accident. One is blocking the shoulder, one is blocking two lanes. You can see the delays are really heavy. This is back at least an exit. Nothing moving at all. Also heavy delays southbound on the fdr drive because of laterunning construction. This is in the 70s. Looks like its easing out a bit. You might want to head to local streets to get around this. Then we also have a disabled vehicle on route 22 eastbound in new jersey out before north broad street. Thats in the right lane. You can see delays building through hillside here. Alternate side of the Street Parking rules in effect today. Your next weather and traffic update on the 4s. The pentagon says more american troops will be committed to the battle against isis, but not directly on the frontlines. Defense secretary ashe carter says 150 more special operations troops will be sent overseas, trip the number president obama announced back in october. These teams of highly theyre known, will carry out raids in both iraq and syria. These special operators will over time be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence, and capture isil leaders. President obama just back from that Climate Summit in paris. He had said that isis is now contained on the battlefield previously. That was disputed yesterday by a top pentagon general when he was asked directly about it in testimony before congress. Were learning that the number of terrorrelated arrests is at its highest level since september 11th, all because of isis. New york leads the nation with 13 arrests. New jersey had two. A George Washington University Study found a recordsetting 56 arrests this year. Isis appears to attract mostly young men from diverse backgrounds. Police admit that diversity makes them hard to find. 5 48 right now. In news for your health, theres positive results from mammograms can be an Early Warning sign for women. North carolina researchers found women with a history of false positives had a slightly higher likelihood of later developing cancer. Its about one additional cancer in every 100 women who have that false positive history. Two puppies who were stolen on the Upper East Side are now back with their owner this morning. A couple stole this womans bag with the puppy ies inside as she was leaving a store. The couple later approached a Security Guard in the city. They asked him if he wanted the yorkshire terriers because they couldnt keep them. The guard saw on social media the puppies had been stolen and hurricaned ed returned them to their owner. Theyve been with me since the day they came into the world. I was handling them from the moment they were born. Well, they are 6 weeks old and both safe and healthy. 5 49 now. We all know the statue of liberty is in new york harbor. Now new jersey is trying to lay claim. Liberty and ellis island on its upcoming state quarter. In a tweet, senator bob menendez posted a photo showing them in new jersey. Peter king had choice words, saying new jersey should find something of its own, quote, a swamp or something. We have to get nasty, huh. Get all like that. All right. Its 5 50 right now. Jerry seinfeld has a new gig that will keep him close to home. He announced plans to begin a residency at the Beacon Theater. He said it was something he never really planned on doing but changed his mind after seeing billy joels successful residency at Madison Square garden. Hes a guy i love. Hes got that great new york, long island sound. You know, i just kind of wanted to be like him. Seinfeld talking to Lori Bordonaro there. Seinfeld plans to perform monthly at the beacon for at least the next six months. January 7th. The tickets go on sale next monday. The Beacon Theater, really, for people in the comedy world, thats the Carnegie Hall. Its an iconic theater. Just ahead, he was once the subject of a sine seinfeld episode. Manhattan getting a new area code. And we have the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, but in other cities, there are other signs of the holidays. Dont forget, follow us on facebook, twitter, and instagram. Michaelg4ny, darlene4ny. Pson, the Holiday Seasons just like football season. You got your big games. Cheese plates, turkey, appetizers. And regular games. Get it all at a great price. And the Holiday Season is won. Thats my boy fill your cart with everything you need this s eason, all at one place. My stop shop. This holiday i can count on someones kid mistaking me for santa. Im so sorry. Come on sweetie. Its okay. And knowing right when my packages arrive. Introducing realtime welcome back. 5 54. 47 degrees out. Today is the big day. Its the big night. Well light that Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree this evening. But before that, well talk about new mexico. The annual snowman is up. Not so frosty though. Check out their tumble weed snowman sitting along interstate 40. It welcomes everyone to albuquerque. They say this year its bigger than ever, about 13 1 2 feet tall. City maintenance workers hunt down the biggest and best tumble weed all year long to make it. I think thats super cool. Give them a lot of credit. We have the Rockefeller Center tree thats going to be lit in a couple hours. Lighting, lauren, that you were at. Yes, last night was the south street sea port Tree Lighting. I was in the little house there lighting the tree with the ceo of the Howard Hughes corporation, whos working on revitalizing the port after superstorm sandy. So many people braved the weather. It was a big honor and a lot of fun. The tree is 60 feet tall. A norwegian produce. A sixfoot star on top. Quite large. You did a beautiful job decorating. Didnt i . Thank you. Love it. Thank you. And she baked for everybody in the crowd. Thats what she does. Its amazing. Gorgeous tree though. Nice job. Check it out. Thank you. Rain for that lighting. Probably rain for the lighting tonight at Rockefeller Center as well. Live radar shows light rain out there right now. Most of the rain through the morning commute is going to be light. There will be scattered showers some steadier showers move in a little later this afternoon into the evening commute, unfortunately. A milder day at 56. Showers tonight, slowly winding down. That may not happen until near after midnight. A low temperature of 46 degrees. A nice dry stretch of weather comes in. Unfortunately, the timing is not great. Well get through it tonight. Were not talking about sideways, heavy rain or strong winds. Well get through it. Okay. Lauren, first we got to get to it. How is the commute going . Thats right. The commute is a little wet. Today is a gridlock alert day. Just in case you forgot. Were lighting the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. We do encourage you to take mass transit. Major commuter lines are all doing great right now. I did just get word that downtown n and r trains are running on the q line from canal street to dekalb avenue. Something to keep in mind. Okay, lauren. Thanks very much. Some Rockland County residents are worried about the bike and walking path thats planned for the new tappan zee bridge. The state has a plan to address those concerns. Yesterday they unveiled proposals to build a parking area. This would be at exit 10 along the throughway. Parking on nearby streets in south nyack. The new bridge will open in three years. In less than two years, manhattan will have another area code. The new 332 area code is going to join 212, 646, and 917. The new York State Public Service Commission Says the extra area code is needed to meet the rising demand for new phone numbers. Its expected to arrive in 2017. So all these young people trying to get that new number in 2017. Theyre going to think theyre getting 212 and theyre not. 332. Going back to the 212. Its not as sexy, right. Coming up next at 6 00, get ready. You may have to pay more at long islands popular beaches and parks. Some new fees going into effect. Also at 6 00 a. M. , a pledge for the future worth billions of dollars. Hear Facebook Ceo Mark Zuckerbergs special message to his newborn daughter. And if youre about to head out the door, take us with you download the news 4 app on your mobile device right now. Youre watching today in new now at 6 00, a mother fighting for her life as her attacker sits in a jail cell. What were now learning about the man who sparked an amber alert that spanned two states. Its a push to improve bike safety across the city. Well tell you about a new plan to address some growing concerns. Plus, a live look at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Will this wet weather still be around for tonights Tree Lighting . Today in new york starts now. Good morning, everyone. Its wednesday morning, december 2nd. Im darlene rodriguez. Im michael gargiulo. We want to check in with storm team 4s chris cimino. No break from the rain, but the good news is it wont be super cold. Right. I was just thinking about the temperature, 47 degrees. Thats the bright side of this. Were heading into the 50s. During the Tree Lighting time, probably still in the 50s. The problem is we have rain moving in our direction, coming up from the south and west. Light rain, mist, and drizzle through the morning commute. The roads will stay wet. Heavier, steadier showers could move in mid to late afternoon. Theyll start to wind down during the festivities. Forecasting a high today of 56 degrees. Its another umbrella day. 6 01. Wet roads, what are the problems, lauren . We have two spots out there where were seeing significant delays. The first of them, the new england throughway. Heading northbound on 95, we have two different problems out there as youre approaching exit 16, north avenue, cedar street. One is a jackknifed tractor trailer that takes out two lanes. Then just north of there, theres another accident. You can see very heavy delays. They go back past exit 15 at this point. If you can avoid 95 altogether, thats a great idea. Then heading over to the van wyck expressway, we have reports of laterunning construction. There was an accident out there. Looks like that might have cleared. Delays are easing a bit, but its still pretty heavy as you make your way southbound. Well have more weather and traffic coming occupien the 4s. All right, lauren. Thank you. Were learning new details accused of attacking his wife and trigger an amber alert across two states. Today in new yorks Katherine Creag is outside st. Barnabus hospital in the bronx where the victim is being treated. Kat . Reporter and that wife who was stabbed, darlene, her friends describe her as clinging to life here at st. Barnabus hospital. Shes listed in critical but stable condition. That womans daughter, a 3yearold girl named it rebecca, is safe though, and she is with authorities. Her father, diomedes valenzuela, according to police, took the child after stabbing his wife, the childs mother, in the bronx. He then fled to new jersey in a minivan but was captured and arrested in clifton, new jersey. The child being taken set off an amber alert. Valenzuela had been described at one point as armed and dangerous. New jersey state troopers tracked him down off the garden state parkway. It was obviously a highrisk stop. The suspect was arrested without incident. And the young lady, the inside the vehicle totally unarmed. And investigators say this all began when the childs parents began arguing yesterday afternoon. Also, about the suspect, the mta says he is a driver for the agency. He is 47 years old. At this point, darlene, he is in the custody of new jersey, and charges are pending against him here in new york city. Back to you. Katherine creag, thank you. New this morning, police have identified the man wanted for allegedly killing his exgirlfriend in the bronx. The Fatal Shooting was breaking news yesterday morning on today in new york. Investigators now released a picture of the suspected gunman. 30yearold tyrone low. Police say he shot 29yearold Shoshane Rattigan in her home. Rattigans 6yearold son was home at the time. He was not hurt. Happening today, mayor de blasio plans to push for the renewal of the zadroga act at a Economy Committee meeting. Were hearing congress may be extending ae program for 9 11 responders. It will run out of money next year if lawmakers dont act soon. On long island, people in suffolk county, youll be paying a little more for recreation in the new year because starting january 1, an increase will go into effect for fees for parks and beaches. Youll also pay for more hunting and camping. Most fees only going up about a dollar or two. Lawmakers say it could generate more than 750,000. Looking at those tranquil summer scenes, got a ways to go before we get that kind of weather. I would think so, i know. Which makes me feel kind of sad, chris. Sorry. Were heading in the wrong direction this time of year. Go to the southern hemisphere. Theyre heading towards nicer weather. Not for us, unfortunately. Although, today temperatures, as we pointed out, above normal again. Thats been the trend. November was the warmest one on record in central park. Were continuing that trend into december, at least right now. Its damp and drizzly. A wet day out there. Heavier showers moving in, especially this afternoon into the first part of tonight. Showers probably lingering for the Tree Lighting festivities. Another soggy day. Temperatures climb from the 40s to the low 50s to the mid50s by the end of the afternoon. Youll probably have the umbrella overhead most of the time. Lets find out about the roads, rails, buses, and all that. We can start with that. We have a couple detours out there this morning. B62, m1, m7, 102, and q67. Well take a live look outside at the inbound side of the lincoln tunnel, where we have reports of an accident out there. Theyre moving the camera a little bit. All traffic is being diverted into the south tube. Still about a 20minute wait into the tolls. This accident is in the process of being cleared. Ill continue to keep you updated. George washington bridge, holland tunnel just fine. If youre getting on the rails, we have some changes for subway commuters. The n and r downtown trains running on the q line from canal street to dekalb avenue. Major commuter lines look fine. Alternate side of the Street Parking rules in effect. 6 05 now. The biggest events of the Holiday Season. Its the annual Rockefeller Center christmas Tree Lighting. Look at the tree there in this live picture. 45,000 multicolored lights are ready to go on that tenton norway spruce. Today in new yorks Tracie Strahan has been busy checking each one of those lights on that tree. Shes down on the plaza. Everything hooked up and ready to go, trace . Reporter all i had to do was plug it in. I was busy twisting the lights. Dont you hate when that happened . Its only one light that was out the whole time. But we are ready. The stage is set. Were actually experiencing a lull in the action right now. No umbrella needed. Thats a good thing because coming tonight, you wont be allowed to bring that. And a couple other things, all in the name of security. Crowds are expected to be in the plaza. The city is going to shut down streets from 48th to 51st street to accommodate everyone expected to come see those big acts like sting and mary j. Blige. Youre also being told not to bring backpacks and large bags, even umbrellas will be prohibited, even though chris is predicting a little drizzle in the forecast. Theres no specific security threat, but Police Commissioner bill bratton told us what else visitors can expect to see. What they should expect to see is heightened police presence. Certainly more of the Hercules Team type of officers with the long guns and the helmets. Reporter now again, anyone coming into the area is being urged to use mass transit. Do yourself the favor today. The barricades are already all up around this area. And theyre just saying to avoid it up until 11 00, well after the Tree Lighting is over. Lets bring you back live now to that tenton beauty. The stage is set. Weve seen a couple people milling around. I dont know if theyre taking pictures or scoping out their spot. The spot is key, especially on a day like today. Maybe try to get a little overhang action if you can or just put on that big raincoat and enjoy the ride. Back to you guys. Tracie, i understand youre trying to get a spot under the overhang. Reporter exactly. Thats the prime spot of the day for me. A good place to hang. Thanks so much. We appreciate it. Remember, you can watch the Tree Lighting celebration live here on nbc 4 and our live coverage starts tonight at 7 00 p. M. 6 08 right now. A prosecutor from our area could become new york states top judge. Governor cuomo nominated her to lead the court of appeals in albany. Shell have to be confirmed by the state senate. Next november a special election would be held to fill the das post. Council is going to talk about possibly forming a Bicycle Safety task force. They would look at safety issues involving cyclists, including accidents with cars and pedestrians, and theres concerns about delivery bikes and now those electric motor bikes that allow bicycles to go faster. Task force would focus on Holding Hearings and safety issues at all five boroughs. A new Jersey School district may launch a universal prek program next september. The rutherford board of education is set to vote on the proposal monday. It calls for 80 preschool spots. Supporters say the plan will save money and give children an educational boost. In this mornings cnbc money report, Facebook Ceo Mark Zuckerberg celebrating the birth of his daughter with a major pledge. Cnbcs landon dowdy joins us with those details. Darlene was pointing out theres been so much discussion about this, appropriately enough, on social media and not all the positive. Thats exactly right, michael. In a post on tuesday, announcing the birth of his daughter max, the facebook ceo says he and his wife will donate nearly all of the Facebook Stock to charity. Theyre currently worth about 45 billion. Theyre setting up an organization to support worthy causes, such as improving education and reducing poverty. In the post, zuckerberg and chan say they feel a great responsibility to leave the world a better place for her and all children. Zuckerberg will donate up to 1 billion a year over the next three years. I guess everyone has to learn the value of a good days work. Absolutely. Having that baby just kind of puts you in that mood. Thats great. Good for him. It does. Very sweet. Landon, thanks. Thank you, landon. Still ahead, a reallife Treasure Hunt in connecticut. Why one bank is hiding cash around the area. Plus, it was an epic clash on the green. A golf course brawl. It did not involve these ladies. Just want to make that clear. But stay tuned. Plus, your weather and traffic on the 4s is coming up. Its 6 14. Here are four things to know this morning. The bronx man accused of stabbing his wife and kidnapping his daughter is being held by police in new jersey. The mother is now fighting for her life in a bronx hospital. The little girl was not hurt. We have a consumer alert for anyone whos getting those holiday packages delivered. According to a report by insurancequotes. Com, 23 million americans have had packages stolen from their doorsteps. Experts suggest have those packages sent to your job, if you can, or have a neighbor watch for any deliveries when you are expecting them. University of connecticut officials planning to raise tuition. Than 3,000 for instate students and 4,000 for outofstate students over the next four years. Its dark now, but tonight the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be lit up for the first time as we look at these live pictures. If you cant get there tonight in person, the tree will be lit up until january 6th. You can watch the Tree Lighting celebration live here on nbc 4. The coverage starts at 7 00 p. M. Tracie strahan has been down there all morning. Check out tracies instagram. She has some color happening on your coat. Shes matching the tree basically. 6 15 right now. Weather and traffic. Hey, chris. Thats tracie. Always colorful. We have damp weather, unfortunately. One more wet day to get through, and the timing isnt great because we have the Tree Lighting into this evening. Looks like the wet weather could last through that period. Another wet day. The Tree Lighting looks damp. Hen it finally dries out. Thats towards the end of the week into the weekend. I think the steadiest push of rain today comes mid to late afternoon. Normally be around 48 for a high. Its december now. Were going to be in the mid50s. We continue with that abovenormal trend. Were generally mid40s just about anywhere you go. Staten island is 47. Same thing in avenel. Basking ridge at 44. Lower 40s, sussex, newburgh, poughkeepsie. Down the jersey shore, its low 50s. Thats the area of rain were going to watch move towards us for later on today into the evening hours. Right now just a push of some lighter showers moving east of the area. These will continue to progress across long island this morning. In between the areas of green, which doesnt show up as areas of drizzle and mist. Again, it will be damp all day long. Through the morning, this is 9 00, still shower activity out there. Then you notice around noontime, more speckling of showers. Youll need the umbrella from time to time. That area kind of fills in about 4 00. Between 4 00 and 6 00 looks like the heaviest push of rain from west to east across the area. It moves out across long island. Time, we have the actual cold front sitting just to the west of us. This might be the window where we sit between about 7 00 and 9 00 with lighter showers around. Well get one more round of showers coming through shortly after 9 00. Then finally it does dry out after that. For the Tree Lighting, it breaks down this way. 3 00, rain is likely. Its 56 degrees. At least it stays mild. Showers at 6 00 and a couple leftover showers still possible around 9 00 with your temperature at 54 degrees. For us today, topping off at 56 in the city. Most areas are mid and upper 50s. Again, periodic rain, the steadiest and heaviest mid to lain afternoon. We slowly dry it out overnight. Temperatures will slip to the maid40s. The sevenday forecast shows once we get by todays unsettled weather, its quiet the next several days. Sunshine friday, saturday, sunday, seven monday, near 50. Maybe wet weather again tuesday with highs in the upper 40s. Lets find out where the trouble spots are for the commute. Lets start with the subways. Directions on the e line. We also have downtown n and r trains running on the q line from canal street to dekalb avenue. Otherwise, rails look good. It is a gridlock alert day. We encourage mass transit. If youre getting on the roads, watch out for a disabled vehicle on the taconic. This is southbound by bryant pond road. Thats been out there for a while. As well as this accident on 95 northbound, the new england throughway just completely jammed all the way back to the hutch. Jackknifed tractor trailer out there before north avenue blocks two lanes. Another minor accident just north of that. Heading over to a problem in manhattan. An accident investigation shuts down that area. And theres also a disabled vehicle on the bqe westbound out by atlantic avenue in the right lane. More weather and traffic coming up on the 4s. All right, lauren. Thank you. 6 18 right now. Happening today, Opening Statements expected to begin in the driel for the first Baltimore Police officer accused in the death of freddie gray. The jury in william porters later today. Porter faces a top charge of manslaughter. Prosecutors allege he failed to give aid to gray when he asked for medical help. New calls now for the mayor of chicago, rahm emanuel, to step down. Theres new accusations suggesting he suppressed video of the shooting that killed Laquan Mcdonald for a year because he feared it would keep him from being reelected. Emanuel fired the Police Superintendent garry mccarthy. Rahm emanuel insists releasing that video earlier would have hampered the investigation. Mr. Mccarthy had become a distraction. There are a lot of questions in this room about you and your office. Have you become a distraction as well . Youll make that judgment. Thats nbcs Stephanie Gosk asking that question. A judge will rule next week as to the release of another video that shows a different deadly 6 19 right now. For residential candidates spending lots of money on advertising, doesnt necessarily mean you can win over voters. Jeb bush, marco rubio, and john kasich are outspending donald trump, ted cruz, and dr. Ben carson. They spend a combined total of 47. 5 million. For trump, carson, and cruz, less than 3 million. 6 20 right now. Still ahead, cleaning up new york city streets. Theres a new pnelan to help some drivers go green. And dont forget, follow us on facebook and twitter and instagram. Michaelg4ny, darlene4ny. Well, welcome back. Florida golfers ran into an unusual hazard on a golf course neither sarasota. Two huge alligators are caught on camera fighting. Like, duking it out on the green. Golfers say the two reptiles rolled around for about ten minutes before the smaller gator, estimated to be about ten feet long, limped away. The larger 14foot gator, goliath, hangs out there often. Hes wellknown on the course. Seemed like he had the upper hand. He did. Big boys. Imagine that. When we read the full story, they said all the games came to something going on. You think . Excuse me, were playing through here, guys. Take that somewhere else. I would have been flooring that golf cart. Clubhouse, its on me. Get out of the way. I hear you. The tenfooter lost. Hes got some time to grow. All right. For us today, were dealing with more umbrella weather unfortunately. More wet weather heading our way. Looks like its going to last for the festivities of the Tree Lighting too. Its mild, thats the good news. 56 the expected high this amp. Normal highs this time of year should be in the upper 40s. The heavier showers, i think, really come in mid to late afternoon. Otherwise, its just kind of intermitt ent light rain and drizzle drizzle. The showers taper down in the evening. A stretch of quiet weather actually coming our way as we head on into the weekend. So that looks good once we can get over todays yuck. Get all technical. Whats happening, lauren . We have problems out there on the roads, which we would expect on a morning like this. The cross island parkway northbound by northern boulevard in the right lane. Delays are heavy through there. Well take a live look outside at the lincoln tunnel, where we did have an accident earlier in the center tube. That has cleared, but its a 30minute wait getting into the tolls. George washington bridge, five minutes. 15 minutes at the holland tunnel. All right, lauren. Thank you. 6 26. Coming up next, an update on our top stories of the morning. Reporter im Katherine Creag live in the bronx where a woman is clinging to life after police say her husband stabbed her. He also, according to police, ab abducted their child. If youre about to head out the door, take us with you. Keep watching today in new york download the news 4 new york app on your mobile device right now. Now at 6 30, a mother attacked and her young daughter taken. What were learning about the man who triggered an amber alert in two states. Free cash in connecticut. A local bank spreading the holiday spirit. Well tell you how you can score some. Plus, its looking a lot like christmas here at Rockefeller Center. Live pictures there from our plaza. Tonights annual Tree Lighting . Today in new york starts now. Good morning, everybody. 6 30 on this wednesday, december 2nd. Im michael gargiulo. Im darlene rodriguez. Lets check in with chris cimino, looking at the weather for today. Good morning. Good morning. How about the lights glisten better when theyre wet . Good one, chris. Thats what were going to go with. We have rain heading our way, unfortunately. Looks like it may stick around through the Tree Lighting ceremonies. A lull in the action over the city, but you can see this larger area of rain over to the west. Heavier showers embedded in that. That has to get on through later today and during the evening hours. Morning commute, roads are wet. Some areas of fog, some drizzle, some light showers early on. Were starting out in the 40s. 50s by noontime with showers ramping up again into the evening commute. A mild day with a high of 56 degrees. The rest of the forecast just ahead. Lets see if there are any problems out there for the commute so far, lauren. New england throughway, you have a jackknifed tractor trailer blocking two lanes. Another minor accident north of that. You can see delays. Its just completely stopped back to the hutch. The hutch is the way to go. Things are moving nicely northbound there. Now lets talk about the trains. We have one delay out there. Its a subway delay. The e train is delayed in both directions. Well have more weather and traffic ahead on the 4s. Lauren, thank you very much. Were learning new details this morning about the man accused of attacking his wife and triggering an amber alert across two states. Today in new yorks Katherine Creag is outside st. Barnabus hospital, where the victim is being treated. Reporter indeed. The victims friends tell us theyre in disbelief, but also confused because they never sensed any problems with the husband and wife. The victim is here at st. Barnabus hospital. Shes in critical but stable condition. The couples child, a 3yearold girl named rebecca, she is safe and with authorities. According to police, the childs father, diomedes valenzuela, his wife, he childs mother, in the bronx in the afternoon. He fled to new jersey in a minivan but was captured about five hours later in clifton. The child being taken set off an amber alert. Valenzuela was described at one point as armed and dangerous. New jersey state troopers tracked him down off the garden state parkway. As for a friend of the couple, she says she never saw any problems with the husband and wife. Ive never seen anything as far as physical or domestic violence. Ive never seen anything, you know, that way. Reporter and the 3yearold girl, she was unhurt. Investigators say this all started when the childs parents began arguing yesterday afternoon. As for the suspect, according to the mta, he is employed as a driver for them. Hes 47 years old. At this point, michael, charges are pending against him here in new york city, but he is being held behind bars in new jersey. Back to you. All right, kat. Thank you very much. In brooklyn, police are hunting for the man who pointed it happened along avenue b in brownsville near 92nd street. Police say officers were responding to reports of gunfire. Thats when they came across two men, one pointed a gun at them. One officer fired at least one shot. No one was hit. Police sources tell news 4 one person is being questioned. Two puppies were stolen on the Upper East Side, now back with their owner this morning. A couple stole this womans bag with the puppies in them as she was leaving a store. That couple later approached a Security Guard reportedly in the city. They asked him if he wanted the yorkshire terriers because they couldnt keep them. The guard saw on social media they had been stolen, and he returned the pups to their owner. Theyve been with me since the day that they were came into the world. I was handling them from the moment they were born. Well, the two puppies are just six weeks old but were happy to say both are safe and healthy. Mayor de blasio wants more of the citys official vehicles to go green. Workers driving around in chevy volts and nissan leafs. The mayor wants to replace 2,000 of the citys gaspowered vehicles with electric cars over the next decade. That move would give new york City Government the biggest electric fleet in the country. 6 34 right now. Time for weather and traffic on the 4s. Chris, the rain coming here, but look at the temperature. High 40s right now. Already at this hour. Thats close to the normal high for the day. Its only, what, 6 34 in the morning. So 47 now, but heading into the 50s this afternoon with abovenormal temperatures continuing. Thats even on top of a gray sky and rain on and off. Its damp and drizzly this morning. Light. Heavier showers move in, i think, for the afternoon and evening. As we said, mid50s the expected high later on today. President showers the showersing linger for the Tree Lighting. Were starting out at that relatively balmy 47 degrees. Were at 52 by noon. By 3 00, were at 56. It will pick up in intensity i think mid to late afternoon. Lets see if the problems are picking up in intensity for the commute so far. Lauren . We still have the same bus detours out there. Otherwise, buses rolling along nicely. If youre getting on the roads, we have a disabled vehicle on the cross island heading northbound out by northern boulevard. Delays go back almost to the Southern State parkway. Thats pretty significant there. And then we have reports of an accident southbound on the saw mill. It really turns into the henry hudson here. We also have pretty heavy delays on the deegan as you make your way through this area. Leave yourself extra time. Alternate side of the Street Parking rules in effect today. More weather and traffic ahead on the 4s. Lauren, thank you. The u. S. Military stepping up its commitment on the ground in ike raq and syria to fight isis. The pentagon says 150 special Operations Forces will be sent. Thats up from the 50 president obama announced in october. They wont be fighting on the front lines, but they will these special operators will over time be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence, and capture isil leaders. President obama just returned from paris after talking to u. S. Allies about fighting isis, and he admits the battle is a tough one. Yesterday a topranking general admitted to congress that isis has not been contained. And were getting a new look at terror recruitment in the united states. It turns out new york state leads the country in arrests of suspected isis members. New york having 13 arrests, 2 in new jersey. The George Washington University Study finds 71 arrests were made nationwide since march of last year. 56 of those arrests were made this year, 2015. Its the highest number of terrorrelated arrests since september 11th. Coming up on the today show, new details of how the u. S. Is stepping up its fight against isis. Security is already tight crews get ready for tonights big Tree Lighting celebration. Heres a live look at the tenton norway spruce which will sparkle with tens of thousands of lights tonight. Today in new yorks Tracie Strahan is down on the plaza. Tracie, good morning. Reporter good morning to you, darlene. It really is something to see, but if youre wanting to see it, you better take a good look now. Were going to push in and show you everything thats going on right now. As you said, tens of thousands of people expected to be here, but here are some things you may not want to bring, all in the name of safety. Well show you some video of everything expected to go down today. Theres going to be lots of music, lots of lights, lots of celebrities as well. Mary j. Blige and andy grammar are going to perform along with sting. But youre going to come face to face with those street closures as early as 3 00 this afternoon. 48th to 51th street between 5th and 6th avenue. All will be shut down to traffic. Theyre telling people they may also, you cannot bring umbrellas, backpacks, or large bags to this area today. If youre coming to see the tree, again, thats in the name of safety. Police commissioner bill bratton said they still want everyone to try and enjoy. Its there really to make people feel more secure. Were asking them to be aware but to enjoy, feel safe. Well worry about security. They should just enjoy themselves. Reporter now, the commissioner says you may see highly armed officers guarding the area. Thats as a precaution. Once this tree is lit, it will be lit from 5 30 in the morning in the 11 00 at night. That will be all through january. On christmas day, 24 hours a day. Coned, youll make some big money at Rockefeller Center when it comes to that day, at least. I can only imagine what that bill will be like. You can watch the Tree Lighting celebration live here on nbc 4. Our live coverage starts at 7 00 p. M. Right now, its 6 39. In connecticut a danbury bank is hoping to get residents in the holiday spirit. Theyre hiding envelopes filled with cash around the neighborhood. Employees from the savings bank of danbury are hiding at least 50 envelopes. Each one has 50 in cash. Theyre hidden everywhere from the stores to the streets. Bank officials are hoping people will find them and give them to someone in need. I think this is good because not all the time you have to ref. You have to give too. Theyre asking if you find an envelope, share your story on the banks facebook page, and theyll enter you into a drawing. This could have a 250 amount donated to your charity. You get it, share it, and share it some more. Still ahead, move over, 212. Theres a new area code coming to new york city. Well have to see about that. Up next, a consumer alert for holiday shoppers. So many people getting this. Its a new warning for Online Shoppers who are waiting for those delivery ies deliveries. Plus, weather and traffic on the 4s is coming up. Live look there at the belt parkway right by laguardia. Taking a while to get on there. Well, its not just the grinch whos stealing christmas. Americans have had packages swiped from outside their homes. More than 600 million parkages will be shipped this Holiday Season. To keep yours safe, experts suggest to maybe have a neighbor watch for your deliveries or dont have the packages sent to your house if you can. Have them sent to where you work or somewhere else. Such a shame. I always feel like its a special level of low to steal packages from feel at christmas time. It really is. 6 44. We all have to be vigilant, chris. Hate to see that. No, we dont like to see that. Were going to be in the spirit tonight though. In the holiday spirit as we light the tree here at Rockefeller Center. Exactly. Were talking about spirits getting sprinkled upon with a little bit of rain. But it doesnt look like it will be heavy at that point. Not a lot of wind, temperatures in the 50s. Not ideal conditions. Weve had worse. If youre planning on heading out, take along the rain gear. There are a lot of things you cant bring. No umbrellas. Id say a water repellant hoodie and nothing too heavy because 47 now, a little drizzly in the city. Looks like the Tree Lighting will be on the damp side. Leftover showers lingering through that time frame. Then its dry from tomorrow heading on into the weekend. A good stretch of weather heading our way. A lot of 40s showing up this morning. Mid and upper 40s covers most of the area. Down the shore, its a little milder. Long branch, youre at 52. Mid50s further south into portions of ocean county. Theres a warm front still sitting to the south of us that will pop on through later today. School day forecast, bus stop, drizzly and damp this morning, in the upper 40s. Low 50s by recess time with showers kicking in. More showers as you get dismissed. Just kind of an ugly day. Mid50s will do. Even afterschool showers likely with temperatures staying in the mid50s. Thats the game plan because of this, all of this moisture coming up the spine of the appalachians right now. This is a cold front and a little area of low pressure. A little storm system on that front moving north and east ward toward us. Right now, just lighter showers. Theyve shifted to the east of the heavier stuff sits off to the south and west, moves in a bit later. The rain fills in again about 10 00 a. M. As we work our way to about 1 00 in the afternoon. Some of that shifts a little further north. There might be a little lull in here for a while. Then watch what happens. That fills in again between about 4 00 and 5 00. Looks like steadier showers moving on through. They slide east. By 9 00, 10 00, the showers are more speckling in the area or scattered. We dont expect real heavy stuff right around the time were lighting the tree. However, if youre standing out there at 3 00, itll be raining more than likely pretty steadily. 6 00, showers. A couple leftover showers, we think. Just a few spritzes we hope. Were back to a mix of clouds and sun tomorrow, 51. 50ish with lots of sun friday, saturday, sunday, into monday. Maybe rain later tuesday, high in the upper 40s. Whats the latest on the commute, lauren . Today is a gridlock alert day. We encourage mass transit. The only rail issue, delays in plenty of issues on the roads. This has been out there for while. A jackknifed tractor trailer northbound on the new york throughway. Two lanes shut down. Delays go back past the hutch. Then heading southbound on the new york state throughway, watch out for an accident by the cross county. On the saw mill southbound by mosholu parkway, an accident out there as well. Well head to new jersey, where on route 3 westbound theres an accident that shuts down two lanes. And two lanes are also closed southbound on route 21 out by chestnut street. Thats all because of a downed traffic light that theyre trying to clear. Heading over to the van wyck expressway heading southbound, theres a problem out there by jewel avenue. Delays go back to the l. I. E. And Laguardia Airport is experiencing up to 45minute delays on arrivals. No reported delays at newark or jfk. Back to you. Okay, lauren. Thanks very much. 6 47. Manhattan is going to get a new area code. Added to the borough sometime in 2017. New York State Public Service Commission Says that code is needed to meet the rising demand for new phone numbers. Experts say without it, manhattan would run out of available codes within two years. The Beacon Theater will be Jerry Seinfelds new home away from home. Seinfeld announced plans for a residency at the theater. Hell perform there once a month for at least the next six months. Seinfeld said he was never really interested in doing a residency, but the opportunity to do one at the beacon helped change his mind. It was really more about the theater itself. Its like, i love this theater. I love performing here. I thought, if i could do multiple shows in one place, this is the place i would pick. Tickets for sine einfeld seinfelds residency go on sale next monday. His first show is scheduled for january 7 january 7th. He always delivers. All right. Carnegie hall stage, another iconic theater here in new york, without ever leaving your home. And dont forget, follow us on facebook, twitter, and instagram. Michaelg4ny, darlene4ny. Discover unexpected treasures, pfor the people who least expect it. Find thoughtful gifts at amazing prices everyday pson, the Holiday Seasons just like football season. You got your big games. Cheese plates, turkey, appetizers. And regular games. Get it all at a great price. And the Holiday Season is won. Thats my boy fill your cart with everything you need this s eason, all at one place. Welcome back. Looking at times square. 6 52. Well, you can w enjoy a night at the opera in the comfort of your own home. The Google Cultural Center announced its partnering with more than 60 performing arts centers around the world to bring 360degree videos to desk top users. It includes the metropolitan opera and Carnegie Hall here in new york city. Its great because these classical performances have been trying to attract new audiences. Oftentimes the tickets are expensive. This is a great way to get people interested. Were going to head across the street to the today show. Matt and savannah, good morning. I already have them. Snap, snap. Thank you. Okay. Wow. Guys, good morning to you. Coming up on the show this morning, well tell you about this new wave of u. S. Special ops being deployed to the middle east in the fight against isis and why critics are saying a lot more needs to be done. Also ahead, that unprecedented hack targeting vtechs popular toys. Photos and videos of millions of children stolen. What every parent needs to know. Plus, exciting news from oscar winner sandra bullock. What shes revealing to people magazine. Youll see it only on today when we get started this morning. You guys excited about the Tree Lighting . Yes. Especially the weather. No, its going to be fine, matt. Its just misty. Misty. Fine for matts hair. What about mine . You have that clear raincoat thing with the hood, right . No umbrellas. I know you guys said that earlier. If theyre coming down to see the Tree Lighting, you cannot bring umbrellas. You can have raincoats with hoods, hats and things. Its going to be great. Long day for you. We appreciate it. Next, well check in with lauren for an update on the commuter issues. 6 56. Right now the man accused of stabbing his wife and kidnapping his daughter is waiting ton to to be returned to new york city. Katherine creag is outside st. Barnabus hospital in the bronx where the victim is being treated. Friends say she is in critical but stable condition, clinging to life here at st. Barnabus. The womans child, a 3yearold girl named rebecca who was at the center of an amber alert, shes safe. Police say it was her father, diomedes valenzuela, who took the child after stabbing his wife. He was captured in clifton. Charges are pending against that suspect here in new york city. Darlene and michael, he remains behind bars in new jersey. Back to you. Kat, thank you very much. Police are hunting for the man who pointed a gun at police in brooklyn. Happened on avenue b in brownsville near 92nd street last night. Officers were responding to reports of gunfire. Thats when they came across two men, one of whom pointed a gun at them. One officer did fire at least one shot, but nobody was hit. Today the new York City Council will talk about possibly forming a Bicycle Safety task force. It would look at safety issues involving cyclists, including accidents with cars and pedestrians. The task force would hold hearings on safety issues in all now we want to go to our Tracie Strahan. Shes been down on Rockefeller Center where the countdown is on to tonights annual Tree Lighting. First a look at macys. Hey, tracie. How you doing . Reporter thousands are expected to come here in a few hours for the 83rd annual Tree Lighting. There are certain things you need to know before you get here today. Were going to show you some video of the tree. Its a 78foot norway spruce. But there are going to be a lot of street closures. 48th to 51st street will all be closed from 5th and 6th avenue starting around 3 00 this afternoon. Well after the Tree Lighting as well. Also, peopling coming down here being urged not to bring umbrellas, backpacks, and large bags as a result of this. Its all in the name of security. Still, everyone is being urged to come and have a good time. Back to you in the studio. Tracie, thank you so much. Remember, you can watch the Tree Lighting celebration live here on nbc 4. At 7 00 p. M. Were reminding everyone again, no umbrellas for security reasons. All right. Well check in with lauren. Today is a gridlock alert day because of the tree. We encourage mass transit. Big problem for people who take the l train. Service is suspended in both directions between 8th avenue and bedford avenue. Your alternate option would be to take the m14 bus which makes nearby stops. If youre headed on the roads, 95 northbound still a mess because of this jackknifed tractor trailer that takes out two lanes just before you get to north avenue. Okay. Lauren, thanks. Chris, we know the story here. Pretty much. A little lull in the action for the steady rain right now. Just light rain and drizzle in and around the city. You can see that large area of green lurking to the west. Thats the rain that gets in here later today, into the afternoon and evening commute. Unfortunately, that means around Tree Lighting time. Could be showers. At that point, i think its going to be winding down. Hopefully we get a window in not too much rain to deal with