oh, snap. >> right now at 5:00, a commuter alert heading into the weekend impacting your plans. the shutdown starting for 680. ahead, live team coverage on how long the closure is lasting, and

the alternate routes to take to avoid those backups. plus, targeting cars with drivers still inside. the worrying trend causing robberies to skyrocket even more in oakland. also, the warning from police, the steps you should take to protect your items. this is "today in the bay." here we go, friday morning. and good morning to you. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm laura garcia. let's start out with a look at the forecast right here on the cusp of the weekend. forecaster cinthia pimentel is tracking what we can expect. >> we still have the wind, it was a breezy morning coming into the studio today. it will calm down later into the second half of friday and into the weekend. a beautiful start overlooking the performing arts center in san jose. in san francisco, we get a shake of the camera at times. the wind gusts still out there, around 25 to 35 miles an hour locally, and in the ridges still

gusting from about 50 to 60. as i take the timestamp forward, the afternoon calms down and we are in for a nice weekend with warm temperatures and that sunshine sticking around for low to mid-70s. i'll talk about that and then we'll stay dry into next week. i'll show you the changes possible in the weather pattern in the extended forecast. back to you. a shutdown for a major freeway in the east bay, caltrans closing southbound 680 in pleasanton. it's said to cause a lot of folks to possibly change plans. >> our mike inouye shows us some of those workarounds, but, first, ginger conejero saab is live with us for how drivers could feel that impact. >> reporter: that's right. good morning, marcus and laura. we're right by the 680, starting tonight a stretch will be closed from the 580/680 connecter down to highway 84. work on this for this weekend

will make things move faster, but it's going to impact more than the flow of traffic. some businesses are not happy with this, including some that we did speak to, especially because it's happening during st. patrick's day weekend. people from the south bay who are planning to head to dublin for st. patrick's day activities are among those who will be impacted as they try to return to the south bay. the owner of bosco's bones and brew says this weekend was supposed to be big, it was supposed to be their big grand opening party, but the closure has changed that. >> the closure is definitely going to hurt our business, so we're moving it to another weekend. >> reporter: caltrans says this closure will replace a portion of the deteriorated roadway with new pavement and closing it for the weekend will accomplish the amount of work that 40 nighttime closures would.

caltrans has put up maps of detours on its website. mike is going to go into that a little more. i'll send it back to marcus and mike for now. >> thanks, ginger. a lot of folks who have to drive in this area want to know, how do i get around all of this. >> we normally talk about the exclamation point, niles, it's got the one-way traffic control. so, marcus, this is the portion that ginger just talked about with the closure, the purple from the dublin interchange toward sunol, this section will be closed off starting tonight at about 8:00 i would say avoid the area. alternates are easy if you're coming through the general area, you can head over to 580 and take 84 back and join on with 680. or take the longer route through the dublin grade, castro valley y, down 880 and then back over. complication from your typical reroute, highway 84 does have one-way traffic control, so that's a longer route and there's traffic control.

you may want to head down to mission. 580 to 84 is an easier drive, but 84 will get very congested, and folks heading to the dublin interchange and the dublin festival for st. patrick's day, that will be a problem. we'll talk more as i talk about the influence it will have on you. new developments, one person behind bars after a deadly car-to-car shooting in fremont. it happened just before 10:00 a.m. about a week ago on march 5th. investigators say sylvester carver shot another driver near stevenson boulevard. the victim was taken to the hospital and later died. on wednesday, police arrested carver at a home in richmond. he was booked into the santa rita jail on several charges. in just a few hours, a suspect accused in the deadly stabbing of a tech executive in san francisco is due back in

court. momeni is accused of killing bob lee last april. lee was the founder of cash app. according to court documents, it happened during a dispute about momeni's sister. this morning a preliminary hearing is set to happen ahead of a possible jury trial. well, the oakland police department is warning about an uptick in smash-and-grab robberies specifically targeting drivers while they are still inside their cars. according to oakland police, robberies are up by 32% compared to this time last year and the current trend involves suspects targeting drivers while they are sitting in their car. police say when the driver stops the car, that suspects break the passenger side window and steals any belongings they can get their hands on. one person telling us they witnessed firsthand a couple weeks ago. >> you hear honks and someone crack the window open while they're at a stop sign. literally someone pulling up to the stop sign, someone cracks

the window, grabs the backpack and they're out. >> oakland city council member dan kalb releasing a statement, saying, quote, crime in oakland has seen a dramatic increase. we must take a range of actions that will provide a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies. opd says that it is actively investigating this current trend, and also reminding individuals to store any items in your trunk and call 911 if you feel like you're being followed. turning to decision 2024, we're expecting another update in the very close race to replace long-time congresswoman anna eshoo. sam liccardo is still in first place, but this morning evan low is ahead of joe simitian by just 63 votes. the top two candidates will

advance to the november ballot. more than 23,000 ballots still need to be counted. the next update happens today at 5:00. new overnight, severe storms slamming the midwest, causing a lot of damage. now, in ohio, we know at least two people are dead, this after a possible tornado hit a mobile home park about 60 miles outside of columbus. nearby, at the indiana border, several homes were damaged or destroyed. "today in the bay"'s cinthia pimentel is joining us now. where are these storms headed next? >> marcus, the good news is for now, we don't have any thunderstorm or tornado warnings or watches to be aware of. look at our satellite and radar imagery just extending from texas all the way to ohio last night, and the threat continues through parts of alabama and atlanta as the storm continues to push south. tornado alley is really prone to tornadoes as we go into spring

and the summer months, really any time of the year if the conditions are right. because you have opposing air masses, cold air coming in from canada that mixing with warm, moist air from the gulf of mexico and that creates that instability to give us some storms like this. so as far as the day goes today, just some really heavy rain to watch out for as the national weather service goes out to survey some of the damage out there from the last night's storms. back in the bay area, we have clear skies for our friday plans. i'll walk you through the microclimate forecast, what we can expect temperature-wise and winds. for now, i'll send it to mike looking ahead for weekend travel disruptions. >> starting tonight. you talked about clear weather and that's great for drivers and also great for construction. the problem was, the first few times they tried to do this, they couldn't have the closure because the rain was a problem for construction. so they postponed it. now south 680 will be closed all weekend starting tonight, just after 8:00 p.m. i would avoid the area.

here is your alternate that i talked about just a few minutes ago. and that will affect folks heading from the south bay to the st. patrick's day on saturday in dublin, heading back down will be a complication, adding flow to highway 84. that's typically a commute direction, but on the weekend that will be a continued issue for slowing. highway 84 will get impacted the most. you can see the numbers delayed out of livermore and pleasanton and joining with 680 where it's reinstated for southbound traffic. another disruption in the east bay, the richmond line, the red line out of el cerrito to richmond, that section will be blocked because of major track work. that will impact folks who are traveling toward the airport because there's a line shift and the red line out of this area will be out of service. go to bart.gov for details. if you have yet to buy some of america's favorite cookies, you're in luck. ahead, the extended girl scout season. plus, it's a special day for

mctrouble at mcdonald's. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ it's tearing up my heart when i'm with you ♪ >> tearing up fans' hearts, a special surprise as nsync returns to the stage once again. the performance and what brought the group back together. stay with us. you're watching "today in the bay."

good friday morning. the time is 5:13, and it is finally friday in fremont, and every else in the bay area. we are going to see more of that sunshine today, with the wind starting to die down right after lunchtime, so perfect to get our weekend started. we'll talk about the rising temperatures and, of course, what's ahead for the weekend coming up. friday usually means a really blank slate in the south bay, but san jose, 101 showing more traffic than i expected. things seem to be calming down. might have been a popular time to look at the camera. i do have a major change for the south bay to point out coming up. good morning. very happy friday to you. it's also the ides of march. bitcoin stabbing new investors in the back. they tried to get in on those record prices, and look at this fall. bitcoin fell about 10% all of a sudden. there may be big trouble at mcdonald's restaurants overseas,

reporting computer problems, japan especially. mcdonald restaurants around here are just opening, so we'll see if that's something that's going to spread worldwide. some locations overseas taking orders with pencil and paper. the company says the problems have been resolved. spacex had problems of its own with his test flight of its unmanned starship. it launched just fine, but when the rocket was in re-entry, they lost it. this is the third launch of the starship. you can hear the collective oh as mission control loses contact. >> you want the heat shield tiles pointed down so they can absorb the heat. >> bummer. as always, spacex calls it a success as they will learn from mistakes. as thomas edison said, i know 1,000 ways not to make a light bulb. wordle is a morning tradition

for people who send scores to their friends. "the new york times" bought the game from the developer in january of 2022. if you've never seen it before, here is a look. i'm not going to show you any results. i'm going to start with my start word, which is arose as my first guess. will shorts recommends that. it works very well. we're getting ready for our sunday morning television show "press here" and we have the interesting and funny guy, kawasaki, one of the earliest employees of apple. we've been shooting the show in a podcast style, a fun way of doing it. a lot of people watch online after it airs on tv. the podcast style can lead to a certain amount of confusion on what is, after all, a television show on a broadcast network. >> the way that -- you know, can i use profanity on this show? >> you cannot. it's television. >> okay. >> so you can say something like

gosh darn. >> okay. >> you can see guy kawasaki using family friendly language here sunday morning on nbc bay area right after "meet the press." appropriate for all ages. >> good to see him. he's written a lot of books. >> 13 or something. >> exactly. i remember having him on the show years and years ago. >> great guy. >> nice to check out. well, are you craving more girl scout cookies? don't worry. you have another chance to grab your favorites. in fact, an extended week. girl scout cookie season was set to end this week, but girl scouts of northern california announced it's extending the season in the bay area. you now have until march 24th to buy those cookies. every box is $6 and available in person and online. yum. >> yummy, yummy in my tummy. >> i don't have in my desk.

don't go check. another star visiting the bay area, and causing quite a stir online. >> kim kardashian in san francisco, and making a stop? jackson square at a restaurant. this happened before she attended her ex-husband, kanye west's listening party at chase center. the restaurant posted a video of her dining there at the acclaimed italian restaurant. she wrote, literally the best salty cheese bread i've ever had in my entire life. must be some good bread. >> do you think she really ate it, though? >> i think she ate a little bit of it. just a little bit. that's it. you know what time it is? >> what time is it? >> it is time to throw back because justin timberlake's concert is going viral because of who joined him on stage.

♪♪ ♪ might sound crazy but itain't no lie ♪ >> the band reunited on stage during timberlake's concert wednesday night. nsync performed many of their hit songs and the surprise reunion was the band's first on-stage performance since the 2023 music awards in september. >> so a repeat. >> not since last year. >> late last year. >> one thing i will say, i remember the first time i saw them in concert. it was a janet jackson concert, and they came on and i knew them. i was, like, these guys are really good. they're, like, really good. >> they do everything together. the same time. >> oh, that's right. >> they're a group. >> i would like to see them do a tour again together. >> i wouldn't be surprised. >> i'm sure they've still got

it. we're dancing into the weekend no matter what the forecast. but i think it's going to be good. >> we're going to dance outside. we're going to dance in all of that sunshine and we're off to a good start, and pretty mild. look at san francisco and san jose already in the low 60s this morning, and oakland and dublin in those mid-50s, with some calm winds at the surface level. ahead into the mountains, we're in a wind advisory until at least 11:00 a.m. it could expire sooner. as we take a look at the wind speeds, the gusty hills and coastline could gust from 50 to 60 miles an hour. still the possibility of maybe losing your power is on the table this morning as we see those gusts right now toward petaluma around 40 miles an hour. as we start to go into lunchtime and by the time you're out of work, we're going to say get out of here to this wind and get out of here to this workweek as we get ready for beautiful temperatures as well. we're going to be seeing a lot

more 70s on the map, 73 in novato and napa, as well as fremont, and mid-70s stretching from santa rosa to hayward, down into san jose. this beautiful weather is going to continue as we go into saturday, with temperatures coming down just a touch, but still beautiful, sunny skies in those low 70s from martinez down into mountain view. 66 degrees in san francisco. as we talk about what's ahead as we officially welcome spring on tuesday, still staying dry, none of those showers. but then here they come, the possibility of seeing them into next weekend's forecast. but those details are still working themselves out. i'll worry about that, you worry about the weekend forecast as we look at beautiful sunny skies this afternoon in san francisco, beautiful for the st. patrick's day parade as we go into saturday, officially celebrating on sunday with gorgeous temperatures in the 70s throughout our inland valleys, and we'll kick off the next workweek still 77 degrees. mike, what are you talking

about with this additional roadway recovery? >> i have for responsibilities because we've reopened highway 9, they've reopened highway 9. we have a smooth drive coming out of the south county, 101. over here, we've had this closed for weeks, reopened highway 9 past the sanborn park area just outside of saratoga. that's great news for locals that have been waiting instead of taking the long reroute. we're still watching the roadway and i'm watching reports. one-way traffic control through niles canyon, that damage has to be repaired. the roadway came down into the water. 680 will have the closure tonight, and we'll continue to talk about that, but that doesn't happen until 8:00 p.m. this evening. no problem for the friday commute at the bay bridge toll plaza, and out of the north bay into san francisco, golden gate bridge is smooth. back to you. >> thanks, mike. 5:22 this morning. next on "today in the bay," nbc bay area responds. >> we have two frustrated

viewers with more than 4 grand on the line. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we respond in english and in spanish next. and our school shout-out series continues. today's comes from campbell christian schools in campbell. >> we are campbell christian schools. this is mrs. rodriguez' kindergarten class. it is the 100th day of school and we would like to say -- >> good morning, bay area! >> one of my favorite days to celebrate. if you would like to see folks you know taking part in our friday school shout-out series, just email the video to us. send it

happy friday. when a company leaves you in the dark, our responds and responde teams are happy to shed some light. that's what we did for pat in cupertino. he transferred 600 bucks online but it wound up in the wrong recipient's account. pat notified the transfer company but says they wouldn't help him. pat contacted our nbc bay area responds team. we reached out to the company which put the 600 bucks back in pat's account. then there's carlos in hayward. the brand new engine he bought from an auto parts store was making odd noises after he

in stalled it. he calls for horsepower, arlen fernandez's team got involved and the companies agreed to pay $4,040 to repair carlos' engine. if you have a consumer complaint, scan the qr code on screen to fill out our consumer complaint form online. have a great weekend. >> you, too, chris. coming up next, the top stories we're following today, including a shocking decision from stanford. the team parts ways with the men's basketball head coach. his reaction ahead. i'm ginger conejero saab. four years ago this weekend the bay area sheltered in place because of covid. because of covid. ahead, we'll talk about the ( ♪♪ )

you made a cow! actually it's a piggy bank. my inspiration to start saving. how about a more solid way to save? i'm listening. well, bmo helps get your savings habit into shape with a cash reward, every month you save. both: cash reward? and there's a cash bonus when you open a new checking account to get you started. wow. anything you can't do? ( ♪♪ ) mugs. ♪ bmo ♪

right now at 5:30, moving the bay area forward four years later. this weekend marks the anniversary of the bay area's covid-19 shelter-in-place order. ahead, the impacts still being felt as businesses and the community works to recover. south bay parents fighting to keep their childrens' school open. the late-night delay and reaction from those taken off guard. it's nice to be back home where it all started. it's just so exciting, to have family and friends come and watch me play, it's a dream come true. >> kicking off the season. we are live with a soccer legend

as the bay area's new women's soccer team hits the field on the road this weekend. this is "today in the bay." >> good friday morning. thank you so much for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. we want to get you started with your friday with the forecast. cinthia pimentel is tracking what we can expect. >> it's finally friday, marcus and laura. we are off to a mild start? san francisco. yes, the winds are still out there, but they will gradually start to decrease as we go throughout the day, giving way to a lot of sunshine throughout the bay area. chillier, in the mid-50s through dublin, but you don't necessarily need the heater as we are going to be warming up gradually throughout the morning and winds dying down. as we take a look at the temperatures, a lot more 70s on the map, 74 in santa rosa, 72 in oakland. as we go into morgan hill, 73 degrees. we'll talk about what's ahead with our outlook, and of course for the weekend coming up.

mike, friday is looking light. >> and it's predictably light, not especially light. green sensors all around the bay, even the altamont pass, there's no major disturbance. there is a crash back on 580 in tracy. the drive is lighter around grant line. out of contra costa county, we have vasco road very light right now. things will change because there is major work and a closure in the tri-valley. then there's also work on the tracks here in the east bay. i'll explain how that affects folks not only in the east bay, but also toward san francisco as well. right now the drive picking up a little volume out of vallejo for westbound 37. four years ago, everyday life took a very different turn. this weekend, believe it or not, marks the bay area's covid-19 shelter-in-place order. and you might recall empty streets and certainly empty storefronts. >> well, "today in the bay"'s ginger conejero saab is live for us this morning, and, look,

ginger, so much has changed for so many people. >> reporter: some for the good, some for the bad. that is so right, marcus and laura. four years ago we didn't know what would be ahead. shelter-in-place orders, people working remotely from home. sunday, if you can believe it or not, marks four years since the bay area went into shelter in place, since the shelter-in-place order went into effect. much of our response to the pandemic starting then. the world health organization ended the covid emergency just last may. since the start of the pandemic, 7 million people died worldwide, 1 million people here in the u.s. and as you mentioned, for many the world as we knew it will never be the same. some businesses shuttered, some bounced back. others are still using the lessons they learned, like pickled clothing in redwood city, which was in a fortunate position when so many things went virtual. the owner had just transitioned

into a new system that allowed for easier online sales. she credits relationships with staff and her customers for making it through. >> things didn't go back to how they were before covid. it was, again, pivoting, learning, the connection with our customers definitely is what got us through it. it's still a challenge. i see a lot of small businesses struggling. i'm thankful that we've come out of it, things aren't where they were before covid. i don't know that they ever will be again. >> reporter: the bay area's shelter-in-place measures, marcus and laura, at that time was one of the strictest in the continental u.s., one of the strictest in response to the early parts of the pandemic. looking back now, it's definitely one of those that even years down the line we're going to look back and say,

where were you, what were you doing when all of that happened. >> i certainly remember that day. >> we all do in our own different ways. thank you, ginger. 5:34 this morning. a follow-up for you. this is parents in the south bay at a middle school, finding temporary relief. dozens packed the academy last night and they're upset over the school board's plan to relocate more than 100 sixth, seventh and eighth graders to another campus. the board says the move is necessary because of declining enrollment and the lack of state and federal funding. many parents are relieved that the board decided to delay its decision until mid-june to come up with a better plan. but some teachers are frustrated. >> they haven't talked to our community, they haven't given us an opportunity to tell them what we expect or what we can do. they haven't given us an option, they just told us we need you to go out and recruit.

>> parents say they know the relocation will eventually happen, but they're hopeful the board will offer them a plan with options to provide a smooth transition for their children. this morning, a new push to crackdown on speeding drivers in san francisco. the sfmta plans to mount more than 30 new speed cameras on some of its most dangerous streets. it stems from legislation golden gate -- governor newsom signed last year. busy areas like embarcadero, salt boulevard from 41st avenue to skyline boulevard, and mission street in the south of market area are slated to get cameras. there will be a total of 33. each of the 11 supervisor districts will get at least two speed cameras. we posted a complete list of the potential locations on our website on nbcbayarea.com. a big shakeup for stanford. last night the stanford's men's

basketball team came to an end in the pac-12 tournament. immediately after the loss stanford fired their head coach. jarod haase is out after eight years. haase didn't have any appearances in the ncaa tournament and he finished with a 126-127 overall record. now, after the loss to washington state last night, and after getting fired, haase showed up at a postgame news conference and reflected with his time with the time. >> i have not won here to the level that i expect. just like i hold my team accountable, i'm being held accountable, and i have no issue with that. >> stanford says it will begin a national search for a new head coach as soon as possible. well, the oakland a's are working to make progress on where they could play next season. they met with leaders yesterday

to discuss a lease extension at the coliseum. the team is looking for a short-term contract while they build a new ballpark in vegas, which likely wouldn't be ready until 2028. they issued a statement saying the talks went well. the next meeting is happening on april 2nd. sunday is st. patrick's day, and as always, our bay area community of dublin is going all out. dublin is celebrating its 40th annual st. patrick's day festival. there will be a parade, a shamrock fun run and a gala tonight. saturday and sunday the festivities will continue, featuring dancing, food, and a family-friendly carnival. you can get all the information you need through dublin's new app where you can get your tickets quickly. >> if they download the dublin event app, they can purchase carnival tickets ahead of time

to not be in line for that long. >> well, believe it or not, done dublin's sister city is the town of bray. san francisco's sister city in cork and santa clara is the sister city of limerick. i think the sun will be shining, maybe some rainbows, pots of gold. you've got it all right, laura. we are in for a fantastic weekend around the bay area, wherever you decide to go. let's check in dublin, their 40th annual parade there, and starting tomorrow in the morning, already warming up into those 60s as we go into 11:00, 12:00, and just continuing with sunshine and the good vibes out there for saturday and sunday. now, going into san francisco, there is also a parade and festival going down market street. we'll start with just a few touches of cloud cover, but then mixing out to plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures, in

the mid-60s there. i want to head into oakland. we do have the marathon, there's also activities for kids, but overall just beautiful weather as you make your way out to get exercise. temperatures in the 70s today and tomorrow. just a touch cooler on sunday, but overall not too bad of a start to get the runners going. coming into the south bay, maybe you want to do a weekend at the santa cruz beach boardwalk. clear skies for you to enjoy all of the rides out there, and temperatures, the warmest today, and over the weekend, nice and comfortable in the upper 60s. a live look over palisades tahoe, if you want to see the recent snowpack, conditions are starting to improve after that high wind warning, and we'll see the weekend continue on to be in a nice trend, upper 40s and some 50s, and those chilly overnight lows in the 20s and some low 30s to get maybe just a few snowflakes on the ground. i want to go to mike. it's been really busy as we prepare for the weekend. >> right now it's friday light,

but we have a lot to tell people about for the weekend. the tri-valley calm, but starting tonight at 8:00 p.m., we've talked about the closure southbound 680 from 580, the dublin interchange toward sunol. here is your reroute, the arrows will take you east or west from the interchange. it's better to go east and head down 84. that starts tonight. it's a very busy weekend for caltrans as they do the work all weekend. drivers are going to have to deal with that closure in the tri-valley, including if you're heading to dublin. but there's another project impacting b.a.r.t. riders in the east bay, those heading into the san francisco or sfo apart. >> we have major track work taking place between richmond and el cerrito del norte stations, which means the red line service will be canceled and we'll have free buses that will connect those two stations. and so a big impact for people who are traveling from the richmond area down to sfo.

you would simply take the orange line train and then transfer to a yellow line train to get to the airport. >> that's an important note. no red line service for b.a.r.t., but you can still get where you're going through the reroute he talked about and the bus bridge. good news for the subway for muni, the project had that early closures ends tonight, back to its normal schedule starting tomorrow. back to you. >> thanks, mike. amazon is expanding its self-driving car operations. coming up next, the bay area city included on that list. and i'm kris sanchez at paypal park, and the bay fc women's soccer team is opening its season this weekend not here at home, but we'll tell you when they will be here on the pitch. in washington, the white house this morning calling for an end of those

business. it's not a nine-to-five proposition. it's all day and into the night. it's all the things that keep this world turning. it's the go-tos that keep us going. the places we cheer. trust. hang out. and check in. they all choose the advanced network solutions and round the clock partnership from comcast business. powering more businesses than anyone. powering possibilities.

[alarm rings] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [alarm rings] ♪♪

♪♪ get exclusive offers on select new volvo models. contact your volvo retailer to learn more. good friday morning. the time is 5:45 now. we're checking in in redwood city as you get ready to head to work or to school, or wherever your friday plans are leading you to. we're starting off mainly in the 50s with a lot more sunshine on the way, and finally those wind speeds will calm down later into the afternoon. we have 70s on the map for our daytime highs. we'll talk about what's ahead in

the long-term forecast coming up. we're looking at oakland, the nimitz picking up a little volume. friday tends to start lighter. there's lag as far as when people get on the roadways. we'll show you some bigger concerns for folks on the rails and roads coming up. the white house is calling for congress to end its impeachment inquiry into president joe biden. >> scott mcgrew is here right now. some republicans are also looking for an off-ramp. >> exactly right. some republicans like ken buck warning the house is going to look foolish if it keeps at that impeachment inquiry, warning his party was chasing a, quote, imagined history. white house counsel agrees, writing a letter to the speaker of the house saying it's time to clear the investigation. they found no evidence of wrongdoing, and lists in that letter dozens of examples of witnesses refuting the republican allegations against biden. now, you will remember last month the republicans' main witness was arrested and charged with lying to the fbi about the

case, and then rearrested when a judge determined that alexander smirnov was a flight risk. an unexpected and controversial call from a top senator. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu must go. chuck schumer making that call from the floor of the u.s. senate. >> i have known prime minister netanyahu for a very long time. while we have vehemently disagreed on many occasions, i will always respect his extraordinary bravery for israel on the battlefield as a younger man. i believe in his heart he has his highest priority as the security of israel. however, i also believe prime minister netanyahu has lost his way, by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of israel. >> now, many world leaders, including president biden, have become worried about the

ferocity of israel's attack on gaza, and widespread starvation. u.s. aid to gazans is expected to arrive today. the war cabinet looking over a new peace proposal put together by hamas, offering to exchange hostages for prisoners. america gets very upset when other countries interfere with our politics. the leaders of mexico and canada may have some opinion as to who they think should be the next american president, but you're not going to hear it from them. here is the number two man in the senate, mitch mcconnell, making that very point. >> it is grotesque and hypocritical for americans who hyperventilate about foreign interference in our own democracy to call for the removal of a democratically elected leader of israel. this is unprecedented. we should not treat fellow democracies this way at all. >> israel is indeed a democracy.

russia pretends to be one. vladimir putin will run for re-election this weekend, voting starts today and ends sunday. vice president harris became the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion clinic yesterday, as she toured a planned parenthood in minnesota. democrats focusing on republicans' attempts and successes in restricting abortion. a majority of americans support abortion rights, a fast majority support the option in cases of rape, incest for the health of the mother. candidate for president donald trump has reportedly been looking for a running mate who is more moderate on abortion. the prosecutor in the donald trump new york hush money case says he's okay with delaying the start of the trial. alvin bragg agrees with the defense request that they be given more time to look over documents. the first trump criminal trial was supposed to start in a little bit more than a week. and we're still waiting on that judge in georgia who will decide whether prosecutor fani willis can stay on the racketeering

case she brought against donald trump and 14 alleged co-conspirators. she's romantically involved with one of the fellow prosecutors she hired and the defendant says that's a conflict of interest. >> scott, thank you. well, new this morning, amazon's self-driving car unit is expanding road tests in las vegas and here in california. this will include driving at higher speeds, going out at night, and adding more routes. amazon is testing these cars in san francisco, foster city, seattle and las vegas. this comes after competitor waymo debuted taxis in los angeles. this is a history-making weekend for bay area sports. the bay fc is kicking off their inaugural season in the national women's soccer league. the first time is on the road. >> kris sanchez is joining us live with one of the legendary founders. tell us why we need to get those tickets to the home opener just

a few weeks away. brandi chastain is up bright and early with us and wants to talk to cinthia about the wind, because we were planning on a nice, calm weather day. we are talking about the opener, the season opener for bay fc, and this is exciting times. >> oh, it's incredibly exciting. as a native san josen, to have this day come is going to be remarkable. hear me loud and clear, get your tickets. because there will not be a seat available come march 30 when we kick off here in san jose. >> reporter: that's the bummer. you're starting the season on the road, the home opener is not until march 30th, but it will be here at paypal park. >> actually, we're going to start the swell of excitement by kicking off at angel city this weekend, and we're going to give everybody a taste of what we're about. and march 30th is going to be a beautiful, beautiful evening, and we will be loud, the stadium

will be rocking. we'll have bay fc gear all through the stadium. and we couldn't be any more excited. >> reporter: we know you have been practicing at san jose state university, you're playing at paypal park, where the earthquakes usually play. it really has a community feel because you're kind of bridging all kinds of gaps. >> well, we are local, that's for sure. we are super happy about playing here at paypal park. it's a beautiful stadium and it has a great atmosphere. we had thousands of fans come out, season ticket holders already come out. we were in the stadium, practicing our cheers. so everybody -- hey, get on the app, get all the information you need. the bridge brigade will be cheering. it's really got a great feel. there's people from all over the bay area that came for the season ticket holder event, and, honestly, i'm so excited. the little girl in me that used

to watch earthquakes games in the mid-70s, it's exciting. >> reporter: that's my question. you won fifa cups, you've won gold medals, silver, you've done it all. how does this experience of being a founder compare? >> well, i have no control, so it's a little more nerve-racking, to be honest. it's like being a parent and watching your kids play. i think the best part of it is seeing the growth of women's sports, not just as a soccer player, but also the business of women's sports. we've broken records, we have amazing players from all over the world coming to live here in the bay area. we know that we're a multicultural community and we want to connect all the nine bridges and all the nine counties and let everybody know that this team and these players belong to you, and they are going to do their best to win championships. i mean, that's not putting them on blast. that is just honestly how they feel and that's what we're here

to do. >> reporter: i like the scarf. we've got the balls. i mean, there's all kinds of merch, t-shirts. we're all ready to go. >> a signed jersey. >> reporter: that would look nice in our hallway at the station. >> i'll get you one. >> reporter: do you want to see what i can do with a soccer ball? >> don't hurt yourself. >> reporter: this is it. >> oh, okay. [ applause ] >> takes skill. >> reporter: i forgot to say one of brandi's credentials, she's a "today in the bay" viewer. >> i know she is. we appreciate her. tell her i'm still waiting for that pickleball game we're supposed to play. >> reporter: laura says you owe her a pickleball game. >> you're on, laura. >> i've been waiting. >> i've played four hours of my life. >> reporter: you can get tickets to the game on the bay fc app. >> that's going to be great. hopefully the winds die down as well. thank you so much, kris, and of

course to brandi for getting up early

this is an nbc news special report. with kristen welker. good morning, i'm kristen welker, breaking news, the criminal case against former president trump, a judge in georgia just ruled that fulton county district attorney fani willis who brought georgia's election interference case against trump can stay on the case with big conditions after a motion was made to disqualify her, following accusations she had an improper relationship with a special willis and the prosecutor have acknowledged a relationship, but denied anything improper.r. i want relat to get to our seni legal correspondent, laura jart. . there's a lot at play in today's decision. help us break it down for us, tough language in here as well. >> tough language, indeed, kristen, this is not the result

that the district attorney fani willis wanted but it's certainly not the fatal blow that it could have been if donald trump and his co-defendant got their way. let's remember what that original ask was, to have the d.a. removed completely from the case over an alleged ethical conflict of interest, having her then boyfriend, former boyfriend nathan wade, lead the trump prosecution, trump and his co-defendants alleged there was a financial entanglement, that the two were taking lavish vacations together, and that that was all while the time the state was actually paying his salary. that's the conflict that was alleged. the judge in this case this morning saying the defendants did not prove an alleged -- or did not prove an actual conflict of interest from all that financial entanglement. however, the judge is saying there is an appearance of conflict, given how all of this played out, given all of the evidence that came out during the days long hearing there in georgia, the judge is saying the d.a. essentially has two options now as you laid out, kristen, she can remove herself and her entire office from the case

completely, which would be a severe blow, or she can remove nathan wade from the case which is perhaps much easier to do, and anybody else could certainly step in his shoes as opposed to wiping out the entire prosecution team. there is certain language in here, if i'm the district attorney, i find very troubling, the tone the judge is using, talking about the allegations against her, but there's ore language where in other ways he sort of exonerates her, and says the evidence didn't go as far as trump and his co-defendant had suggested. but again, bottom line here, is the d.a. now has a choice to make, the indictment stands. it has not been dismissed. but this is going to be a choice for her to make. or it can go on as status quo as normal, kristen. >> laura,let just tick through some of the language here, the accusation was that the district attorney benefitted financially from this relationship with nathan wade, the top prosecutor, her ex-boyfriend, and the judge ruled the defendants have not

presented sufficient evidence indicating that the expenses were not roughly divided evenly. that was really the core of this case, right, laura. >> yes. >> trying to establish that link that she somehow benefitted financially from this? >> that's exactly right. that was the whole sort of crux of it, and they kept pressing that even if they couldn't show an actual conflict, it just smelled funny, and it looked bad, and the judge says this, which i think is notable, the district attorney chose to continue supervising and paying wade while maintaining such a relationship. she further allowed the regular and loose exchange of money between them without any exact or verifiable measure of reconciliation. this lack of confirmed financial split creates the possibility and appearance that the district attorney benefited, and that's the crux of it, kristen. because of that appearance, that's why he is now giving her this choice to make again between having him removed or removing herself, which obviously she wou