away from another major transit strike. good evening, everyone. >> happening now, at this late hour, negotiations continue between a.c. transit and its union. the clock is ticking. the deadline to avoid a strike is midnight. if no deal is reached, nearly 200,000 bay area bus riders will be out of luck tomorrow morning. terry mcsweeney is in oakland. where are we right now? >> reporter: they're as close as you can get, raj, without having a settlement. we're told by the union, representing the a.c. transit workers, they have agreed to a three-year contract, as far as wages go. the hangup is medical. and that's very, very close. we're expecting someone to come down any minute now. it's looking good. there is no settlement. in the meantime, 180,000 a.c. transit riders are left in the lurch. if these buses aren't running tomorrow, that means about 180,000 riders will have to find another way to get around the east bay. it could be a major inconvenience for many, such as precious jordan. >> i go to take my son out to the lake aerostuff. i have to come to oakland to do everything. i would like for the bus to run tomorrow. >> reporter: the very thought of a strike is an outrage to others. >> they have a job. in my job, i make $5 an hour. you make $15 an hour, you're crying. backwards. >> reporter: the two sidescy they made consider progress at the bargains table. >> it could go way past midnight. we could reach a contract agreement in the next few minutes. anything could happen. >> reporter: a.c. transit carries passengers all over alameda county. iron ironically, one way to get around that service, would be b.a.r.t., which went on strike this week. >> certainly, b.a.r.t., along the fremont to richmond line, parallels the trunk of the a.c. transit service. b.a.r.t. is probably the best option. >> reporter: the trains would make fewer stops than buses. for many people, b.a.r.t. would not be a convenient option. a.c. transit buses carry commuters across the san mateo bridge. in the event of a strike, expect to hear this. >> i'm available right now. i will work for half of what you pay them. and i won't strike. i don't care what they're doing. come hire me, a.c. transit. >> reporter: again, the latest we're expecting union respect e representatives, to come and talk to us. don't know how far after 11:00. close to a settlement, but don't have one yet. we'll keep you posted. >> fingers crossed. as for b.a.r.t., contract talks may be on hold. but there will be a lot of talking going on tomorrow. the independent review board, appointed by jerry brown, will hold a public meeting at 10:30 in the morning at the state building in downtown oakland. the panel will hear arguments about what -- why they haven't been able to strike a deal. the board will report to the governor who will decide if a cooling-off period is necessary. an east bay family is desperate for answers tonight. no one has heard from a dedicated mother and federal employee since sunday night. her family suspects foul play. nbc bay area's jean elle joins us from emeryville with more on the disappearance and the clues this woman left behind. jean? >> reporter: raj, sandra koch eke family says, police have recovered some of her belongings in emeryville, richmond and in oakland. but it's been two days and there's no sign of the 50-year-old mother. >> we just need everybody's help in making sure that she comes home safely. and if there's anybody who has her, who has any information about her, we ask you to please, let her come home. her daughter needs her. we need her. >> reporter: she's in the bay area desperately trying to find her 50-year-old sister. sandra koch was last seen leaving her oakland home in her minmy cooper sunday night. >> she told her daughter she was going to meet somebody who she thought had information about the dog. >> reporter: she has been looking for her dog since may. that's when someone broke into her home, stole ginni and tried to get her to pay for the dog's return. >> said they had information about the dog and was trying to extort money from her. >> reporter: but she is still missing. and her 15-year-old daughter called a family friend sunday night when her mother didn't return to their home. family members say police have found her cash on 32nd street in oakland. one of her cell phones on the oakland/emeryville border. >> all we know is my sister is missing. we suspect foul play because this is entirely unlike her. >> reporter: she is a death penalty appeals investigator for the office of the federal defender in sacramento. family members say no word from the devoted mother and dedicated employee, something is horribly wrong. >> she goes to work and takes care of her daughter. she is a home body. and she would just never, ever leave her daughter for hours at a time like that. >> reporter: her sister says she plans to post missing person flyers tomorrow in oakland. tonight, she is urging anyone with any information about where she might be to call the oakland police department. reporting live in emeryville, jean elle, nbc bay area news. new at 11:00, emotional show of support for a missing teenager believed to be kidnapped. hundreds gathered for a vigil at a high school east of san diego for hannah anderson. her and her brother, ethan, are the focus an amber alert. the body of a child was also found at the crime scene. police have not yet released the identity of the child. but tonight, the children's father only addressed his daughter, hannah. pleading for her to run away, if given the chance. a developing story, now, overseas. firefighters are battling a massive blaze at this hour. at the main international airport in nairobi, kenya. the fire has gutted the international arrivals area. the airport there, in nairobi is closed until further notice. all inbound flights are being diverted. and passengers are standing on sidewalks outside of the airport. the state department pulled most u.s. diplomats out of the u.s. embassy in yemen today. tonight, president obama praised the bravery of the diplomats. and the president spoke candidly on several topics with jay leno. let's bring in beverly white from southern california. >> reporter: we're outside the president's hotel in woodland hills where security is tight. the centerpiece of the president's visit today, his first day in los angeles, was certainly the taping of "the tonight show with jay leno," his third appearance since taking office. it was taped today. it appears on this newscast. but we have audience reaction, right now. jay leno and the commander in chief dived right into current events. >> what's the latest in health care. what's new? >> on october 1st, people are going to be able to sign up. >> reporter: mr. obama also blasted russia for outlawing homosexuality, ahead of the 2014 olympics. >> if russia wants to uphold the olympic spirit, every judgment should be made on the track or in the swimming pool or on the balance beam. and people's sexual orientation shouldn't have anything to do with it. >> reporter: after "leno," audience opinions were mixed. but most favorable. >> i don't think he's sincere. >> i was impressed when he talked about what was going on with russia and their anti-gay laws and how he plans on standing up for that. and i think that's incredible we have a president like that. >> we all voted for john mccain. the whole family was big mccain supporters. it was neat to see the way he supported things and trying to get somewhere, whether it's republican or democrat. >> reporter: these people got tickets online and were thrilled about the addition of president obama. >> he's extremely popular in canada. my thoughts were, we wish he was our president. >> prime minister. >> prime minister, exactly. >> reporter: tomorrow morning, the president takes part in the live online chat at zillow.com, recording housing and the middle class. in the afternoon, he will visit with the troops and families at camp pendleton. then, wheels up at l.a.x., departing to d.c., around 2:00 p.m. i'm beverly white for nbc bay area news. >> thanks. we have breaking news. some good news. a strike averted with a.c. transit. a tentative agreement has been reached. let's listen in. a live press conference going on right now in oakland. >> it's been hard negotiations period. we've been in negotiations for over five months. at times, it seemed that, you know, we weren't going to be able to get an agreement. but getting an agreement was always our goal. we wanted to bargain a contract. we were confident we would be able to bargain a contract. and we've been able to complete that process. this evening. we will be taking the tentative agreement to our members so they can review it. and scheduling a ratification vote late their month. hopefully our members will agree and there will be a contract. any questions? >> okay. good news. the strike has been averted. a tentative agreement has been reached. the union is going to bring that to their workers. and they're going to hopefully ratify the agreement later this month. again, it appears the strike has been averted. a tentative agreement has been reached. still ahead here at 11:00 -- >> it's very frustrating that, you know, our own regulatory body and other agencies just sit back and nothing's actually done. >> our investigative unit goes undercover and exposes local limo companies breaking the rules and potentially risking your safety. plus, something smells funny in los altos. it's the water. we're going to tell you why. there is something in the water. and it doesn't smell good. residents in los altos are dealing with an odor in their tap water. tonight, an explanation. is the water safe? >> reporter: right off the top, cal water says the water is safe to drink. there is no health hazard here. tonight, we talk with people who continue to drink the water. but they're wondering, what's up with that smell? ken says the water kind of tastes funny. >> it doesn't taste like bottled water. >> reporter: taste aside, he says it's the smell that gets him. when he takes a shower, he has to use extra soap and shampoo to mask the smell. >> when i turn on the faucet to h hot, you can smell it. >> reporter: cal water has received close to a dozen complaints about a musky odor in the water. >> we want to assure our customers that whether it's fit to drink, this is purely an aesthetic issue. it doesn't affect public health or public safety. >> reporter: the santa clara public water district is working to get the odor out of the water. >> we're adding activation at our treatment plant. we're increasing that dosage. >> reporter: you can blame the smell on algae from the san joaquin delta. >> when the gather goes into one of our three water treatment plants. taste and odor issues can sometimes be really stubborn, especially when there's algae in the waters. >> reporter: unlike the other two water treatment plant, the technology is really good at removing any odor or bad taste in the water. >> customers are getting water from that system are the ones that we're hearing from. >> reporter: nancy walsh who drinks the water while she plays tennis, hopes something is done soon. >> it tastes terrible. if i don't have it in the refrigerator, i can't drink it at all. >> reporter: now, the santa clara valley water district says there's no deadline when the smell will be eliminated. but long-term, the plant will be getting ozone disinfectant technology like the other two plants. and they say, those problems will probably go away. >> in the meantime, add some flavoring to your water. it's a special night in your life when you share with friends and family. but that special night might not be that safe. >> after the deadly limo accident on the sandt mateo bridge, we went undercover. is everyone playing by the rules? the simple answer, is no. elyce kirchner joins us now. >> reporter: very alarming, guys. we found that it's simply cheaper to operate illegally, if limo companies underreport how many passengers they're transporting, they avoid safety inspections by the chp, which could put everyone on our roads in danger. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: it wasn't hard to find them. how do we know this one's safe, though? limo companies that should not be operating because they don't have an active permit. >> wow. >> reporter: we went undercover. and met with drivers from the bay limo in milpitas. they gave us the grand tour of their lincoln town car stretch limo. the drivers assured us they're safe and licensed. >> you're sure it's safe? >> yeah. >> we're parents. we took our kids out in this the other night. >> do you have a license or something you show your customers? >> yeah. >> reporter: but they don't. according to the california public utilities commission, the agency that regulates limo companies, their license was revoked six months ago, for failing to maintain proper insurance. even though the active website, calls the company a high quality and personal service. we found other companies slipping through the cracks. >> you have a license and everything? >> yeah. >> reporter: like aaa city limo in millbrae. the owner assured us, he's legal. but according to the puc's website, the carrier, requested a voluntary suspension in april. do you think the system in place now, makes it easy for limo companies to cheat the system? >> the illegal operator knows the system. it's the cost of doing business. >> reporter: mark stewart is the director of an industry group for limo companies. he believes the puc could do more to track down on illegally carriers. >> it's very frustrating. our own regulatory body and other agencies just sit back and nothing's actually done. >> reporter: the puc declined our interview requests. but representatives tell us there is oversight. carriers must get a permit, show they have insurance, do safety training and show they maintain their fleet. but those rules only apply for carriers that report to hold ten or fewer passengers. for vehicles with more than that, they're subject to safety inspections by the california highway patrol. but here's where the problem comes in. if you've ever been inside a limo like this, you know -- you can squeeze a lot more than ten people inside a limo. and we found that many carriers are reporting they transport fewer passengers. so, they never get expected by the chp. >> want to check this out? >> yeah. >> reporter: remember the bay limo in bimilpitas, that's what they allegedly did. trying to get our business, the drivers bragged they squeezed 11 kids inside the limo for a recent job. >> there were 11 kids. >> kids? >> yeah. >> 11 kids? >> yeah, 11. >> reporter: what do you think is the leading motivation for a carrier to skirt being inspected? >> less oversight. >> reporter: monica christopher says some limo companies dodge inspections because they take off time and money if inspectors find problems. >> your high beams. low beams. >> reporter: unlike the puc -- the chp actually has inspectors like this. go out and perform its own inspection of each vehicle reported to carry more than ten passengers. carefully looking over the fleet and scrutinizing maintenance records. >> passenger transportation is a main concern at the operate. to make sure that the people who are driving and operating on our highways are safe. >> reporter: jerry hill represents the 13th state senate district. it's also the location of the recent san mateo limo fair that killed five women. >> no one is paying attention to the vehicle itself, nor to the certification or what happens when they modify a lincoln town car. >> reporter: he's pushing for a law requiring safety inspections of all limos, regardless of how many carriers say they are transporting. why should you do if you never rent a limo? >> i don't want to see someone else die. >> reporter: we asked all of the companies to talk to us. each declined. if you want to check out a limo, go to our website, nbcbayarea.com. >> a good resource. thank you. if you want to reach out to our investigative unit for elyce kirchner or anyone else in our unit, send an e-mail directly to the unit at nbcbayarea.com. let's get a check of the forecast. >> cloud cover is going to be locked in again for tomorrow, across the entire bay area. temperatures starting off cool in the mid to upper 50s. here's the thing for the afternoon. as we get a lot of sunshine by 4:00 p.m., conditions are going to stay cool for this time of the year. mid to upper 70s inland. let's get you outside to the live sky camera network. and the cloud cover is out here. you have to look towards the top of your screen. it's moving off to the north. you're going to find that cloud line across san francisco airport. as you look from palo alto. that's about 3,000 feet. expect delays for tomorrow morning. and also in san francisco, we have the clouds moving right across the bay at this hour from our downtown view on that sky camera network. looking good. let's get you back into the fog factor forecast as we head throughout wednesday. all counties highlighting, expecting the cloud cover from the north bay to the east bay. to the south bay. and in the afternoon hours, it's locked in from point rays down to half moon bay. and the clouds continuing across the peninsula and for the interior valleys of the north bay. daytime highs going to be a little cooler for tomorrow. definitely feeling a lot more like spring than summer. temperatures just in the upper 70s across the santa clara valley. warmer down into morgan hill and gilroy. but not hot, with low 80s. mid to upper 70s in the east bay, with the onshore flow across the hayward pass. we're going to struggle to get to the 78 in livermore. also, 76 in pleasanton. 64 in san francisco. and 73 in sonoma. this upper trough of low pressure will linger for the next two to three days as this kicks inland by friday. we are looking at a possibility of maybe a few showers here in the forecast. into thursday and friday, off to the north. for us, it's mainly going to be drizzle in the morning and the evening hours. at this point, we cannot rule out a few stray shower potentials near santa rosa, as we head throughout thursday and friday's forecast. otherwise, we'll start to warm up, as we head through the upcoming weekend, with temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. a little odd for us after one of the hottest summers since 2009. it's a nice break. >> keeping you honest. >> i'm always honest. 100% accuracy and honesty here. i don't know what you're talking about. >> that's true. thanks, jeff. back in a moment to update you on our breaking news. a.c. transit and its union have reached a tentative agreement. >> the announcement was made just minutes ago. it means that a.c. transit workers will not strike at midnight. a tentative three-year agreement. it's big relief for the nearly 200,000 riders who depend on those buses daily. we'll be right back with sports. 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[ female announcer ] and with all these great cheerios flavors, the love just keeps on coming. ahmed fareed from the sports desk. the giants are going through a power outage. a tenth-straight home game they fail to hit a home run. but could they beat the brewers anyway? starting in the second. scoreless. carlos gomez, off of matt cain, who has struggled with the long ball at times. 18 on the year for gomez. brewers up 1-0. fourth inning, same score. buster posey tried to pick him off. bad idea. threw it into left field. giants down 2-0. they lose, final count, 3-1. >> go back to last series or a lot of these games, we're getting them out there. we need somebody to clutch up and get a timely hit. a fine line between winning and losing. reds hosting the a's. oakland has lost four of its last five. bottom second. scoreless. jay bruce off of dan straily going the other way. carry. it did. 23rd of the year. 1-0, reds. runners at the corners. brandon phillips, coming through again. 3-1, the score this one. not a great score for bay area baseball teams. a's go down, the lead on the rangers one game. john elway will become the third player in cardinal history to from v his number retired from the football program. elway will be honored during the november 7th home game. the hall of famer won two super bowls with the denver broncos. as if the oregon game at stanford wasn't big enough. what are you doing back there? ow! that hurt! no, no, no, no. you can't go to school like this, c'mon. don't do it! no! (mom vo) you never know what life's gonna throw at you. if i gotta wear clothes, you gotta wear clothes. (mom vo) that's why i got a subaru. i just pulled up. he did what now? no he's never done that before! oh really? i might have some clothes in the car. (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. our breaking news in oakland tonight, as we've been telling you, they made a deal in the 11th hour. no strike tomorrow. >> that announcement was made just about 30 minutes ago. a tentative three-year agreement. and a big relief for the nearly 200,000 a.c. transit riders. >> we leave you tonight with one last reminder. president obama on the "the tonight show." a candid and insightful interview. >> have a great evening, folks. these are the hands a pediatrician. these are pioneering advances in heart surgery. and these are developing groundbreaking treatments for cancer. they're the hands of the nation's top doctors. kaiser permanente doctors. and though they are all different, they work together on a single mission: saving lives. discover how we are advancing medicine at kp.org join us, and thrive. >> announcer: it's "the tonight show with jay leno," featuring rickey minor and "the tonight show" band. tonight, jay welcomes -- president barack obama and a special performance by patti labelle. and now, jay leno! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ [ cheering ] ♪ >> jay: thank you very much. thank you. welcome. thank you. nice to have you all here. welcome to a very special edition of "the tonight show." very exciting. you know, the white house announced it in the coming days. president obama will be reaching out to americans who lost their jobs. in fact, that's why he's h

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