with katie porter. porter refuses corporate pac money. and leads the fight to ban congressional stock trading. katie porter. taking on big banks to make housing more affordable. and drug company ceos to stop their price gouging. most politicians just fight each other. while katie porter fights for you. for senate - democrat katie porter. i'm katie porter and i approve this message. right now at 7:00, an emergency landing turned criminal case. why the pilot of this plane is now under arrest. plus -- >> we don't want to take a joyous occasion and turn it into something else. >> a warning ahead of this big weekend. don't do something stupid. both the super bowl and the lunar new year are happening. what you need to know if you plan on heading to the city for

celebrations. and, yes, the niner fans are headed to vegas, whether they have tickets to the super bowl or not. good evening. this is "nbc bay area news tonight." i'm jessica aguirre along with raj mathai, who is leading our super bowl coverage. niners fans have taken over vegas. kickoff less than 48 hours away. raj is going to be back with me in a couple of minutes with info on the team and all the big parties of course. see you then, raj. first we want to catch you up on some headlines. that plane that we told you about yesterday night that landed on the beach in half moon bay, turns out it was stolen from the palo alto airport. and the man accused of stealing it is 50-year-old luis gus ta vose aires from florida. he's been arrested. the big question tonight, how did it happen? why did he do it? nbc bay area's robert handa has an up-close look at the security concerns from the palo alto airport.

>> reporter: a lot of concerns today are about security. as you can see, this isn't the easiest place to get in and out of. there are a lot of security measures and they use basically a key card and code system to get in. however, pilots here also told me if someone was kind of familiar with the procedure and the ins and outs, they could probably get to a plane. they say once they do that, breaking into a plane and taking off with it is actually relatively easy. so that's one of the things they'll be checking on as they investigate the experience and past of 50-year-old luis gustavo aires, who was taken into custody shortly after the incident. in palo alto, robert handa, nbc bay area news. >> thank you, robert. new charges filed today in the death of a security guard killed while on the job. you know this story. kevin nishita died two years ago protecting a news crew from an attempted robbery in oakland. d.a. pamela price announced new charges today. three men arrested are now charged with murder along with additional gun and gang enhancements. in addition, d.a. price

announced the man responsible for actually shooting nishita is laron gilbert. one of the other suspects, sha hida mitchell, was previously identified as the gunman. >> the previous prosecutors who charged the case under my predecessor may certain mistakes about who was responsible for the murder of kevin nishita and failed to include some charges that we deemed appropriate. >> i'm very happy that all of that has been added. but, again, it can be changed, and that's what i'm worried about. is she going to stand by the word of that paper that they submitted today, or will she change it again? i don't know. >> that's kevin nishita's widow, who has been fighting for more charges. attorneys for both mitchell and hale objected to adding the gang enhancement, saying at this time inflammatory and there's not evidence. if convicted, the three men could face anywhere from 78 years to life in prison. also tonight, all plastic bags at the checkout could soon be a thing of the past.

california lawmakers are considering a new bill that would ban them for good. back in 2014, the state banneds thin plastic shopping bags. remember those? you can still buy the thicker plastic bags at the checkout. the idea is that the bags would be reusable. but critics argue that many people aren't reusing them or recycling them, so it's back to a total bag ban. the bill has a long way to go, though, before it's approved. but if it's passed, it would take effect in 2026. we are now less than 48 hours from the super bowl. the niners and the chiefs down to their final practices before the big game sunday at allegiant stadium. now, around the stadium, security will be tight. their mission on super bowl sunday includes security and surveillance along with enforcing temporary flight

restrictions. >> ready for the super bowl? >> it is vegas, baby. lots of people headed to las vegas today. that includes more than 800 full-time staff, family, and friends of the niners. the team posting one of the flights earlier today. so not with the team? no problem. go commercial. united airlines set up a special red and gold departure just for niner fans. passengers listened to music, had a photo op. everyone boarding got a gift, a do it for the bay rally towel. now, all of those fans are in vegas with our own raj mathai. he joins us from the top of the rio hotel. okay. tell me, now it's getting good. the red and gold have finally arrived. >> reporter: they have arrived, and they are still arriving. so many flights coming in today, tonight, and into tomorrow. it is buzzing here, jessica. i'm going to get out of the camera shot now. we are atop the rio hotel, the 51st floor. we've got a great view of the

strip. look down below at all of the traffic. this is one of the many arteries going into the strip. you can't even move. that traffic has been at a standstill for about the last 30 minutes. that's just one of the streets going into the strip. so you can imagine what it's going to be like right in the heart of everything. but you know what? here's the good news. all those niner fans are coming in. here's another flight. take a look. >> let's go! let's go! >> reporter: yeah, this is one of the delta flights from sfo just a short while ago. they have now touched down here in las vegas. everyone taking their photos. once you arrive onto the strip after you brave the traffic, it's off to dinner, maybe some drinks, and then you get some face time with the 49ers alumni. they are working the crowd. that's jeff garcia, the former quarterback. steve young also here. jerry rice. ricky watters. joe montana. the list goes on. really cool to see all the 49ers greats. jessica, talking to them the last five or six days here,

they're also nervous about this game. >> yeah. >> and they haven't played, some of them, in 10, 20, 30 years. >> once a player, always a player, raj. it's in their blood. let's talk about the actual players playing in this game. they have to be in the bubble right now. don't they have to be like on lockdown? >> yeah. it's a full-on lockdown. they have a bed check, curfew. no family, no friends. they're 20 miles east of us in lake las vegas at the hilton hotel. but they did practice, of course. let's take you to the unlv campus. deebo samuel and the gang, they are all ready to go. they just want to play this game. let's get all this hype over with and play. remember that whole story line about the spongy grass, that's all in the past now. the niners are healthy and remain a 2 1/2-point favorite to beat the chiefs. the only issue the next couple of nights is the fire alarm at their team hotel going to go off. someone pulled the alarm a couple days ago at 6:00 a.m., and it woke up most of the players. hopefully that doesn't happen to

the team tonight or tomorrow night. i wonder who pulled that alarm. got to be some chiefs fan. >> that is so sus as the kids like to say. super bowl hasn't even happened yet but a lot of people are already talking about 2026 when it comes back here to the bay area. that's going to be another incredible time. >> it's just a hot topic wherever you go into this country about who gets the super bowl because it's such an iconic event. here we go, 2026, back at levi's stadium. the game plan is going to be similar to what we saw in 2016. the players for both super bowl teams will stay in the south bay. the parties will be in san francisco. and the game, of course, at levi's in santa clara. there was some concern about the safety of san francisco, the crime and homeless problem. we chatted with two influential nfl owners, who helped get the super bowl back to the bay area. >> i read things, and i'm sure your folks will understand it's

good business to fix that image. but you should be proud of the leadership you have with the 49ers and the way the family runs that team. >> you've got such a great, great example of, in my mind, america in the san francisco area. and my daughter, of course, just happens to have gone to school out there, stanford, so i'm kind of partial. >> classic jerry jones there, the owner of the cowboys. it should be noted next year's super bowl is in new orleans, so that should be another big party come super bowl sunday. >> that's going to be a party too. all right. speaking of party time, it's 7:00, so maybe we can do some cocktails now. a little too early for dinner. you have to go out a little bit later. but then give me the lowdown what's happening this evening. i want to hear about all the parties. >> okay. well, someone of your ilk, with your connections and budget,

you'd want to do these two shows. u2 performing at the sphere, which is right over my right shoulder. u2 has a residency here, so it's very pricey. they are performing quite often. i know some of the niners ownership will be at tonight's concert and a lot of other people as well. adele performing also tonight, i believe 8:00 performance time at the caesar's palace concert vee there. then dozens of parties. green day over at the house of blues. lil wayne at the encore. and post malone at the new fontainebleau hotel. here you go, jessica. for those that don't have the budget and want to go a little down market, you just head over to downtown las vegas, not on the strip. downtown las vegas. they have a lot more budget-friendly venues and parties and bars. we got you covered. >> that's the beauty of sin

city. thanks, raj. that's all wonderful. thank you. let me know later what happened at the parties. it's also a huge weekend in the bay area not just because of the super bowl sunday, but tomorrow is lunar new year. that's the beginning of the year of thedragon. there's going to be allor of celebrations all weekend, especially in the city. now, tomorrow san francisco chinatown is going to be packed for the official chinese new year celebration. then on sunday, weave the super bowl watch parties all over, including the big one, the official one right outside of chase center. ahead of this weekend, san francisco city leaders are warning extra security measures are going to be in place. there's going to be road closures, including some exits on and off of 101 and 280, so check ahead. they're also encouraging people to have fun but don't cause a problem. >> i want you to have a good time. i want us to be excited and the loves and the hugs and everything. but i also want our city to be

safe because after super bowl is over, we still got to walk these streets. and we want them to be clean. we don't want all that craziness. we don't want to be breaking people's windows and carrying on. we don't want to take a joyous occasion and turn it into something else. >> no carrying on. that is the official order. joining me now is san francisco chamber of commerce president rodney fong. so glad to have you with us. what a weekend in san francisco. can you even remember the last time we had two big things like this, lunar new year and the super bowl back-to-back in the same weekend? >> yeah, you know, you almost have to kind of pinch yourself between the super bowl, lunar new year, valentine's on wednesday. don't forget that. so it's a great week in san francisco, and we're very excited obviously for the san francisco 49ers to be in this super bowl. those of us here in san francisco, there are so many places to celebrate. watch parties going on. private parties. i'll have to say, you know,

lunar new year and the super bowl are opportunities for friends and family to really get together and celebrate together. i think all of us really miss that, enjoy that, and want a good, safe time as the mayor mentioned. >> the city has spent a lot of money building chinatown back up after the pandemic. what is the status of the situation post-pandemic in chinatown? are the tourists coming back? do people feel safer back again? >> you know, i'm downtown in chinatown, union square every day. things look so much better every single day. the streets are in great condition. stores are opening up. in chinatown in particular, they have this entire next two weeks programmed with festivals, street closures, and of course the parade on the 24th, which culminates the lunar new year celebrations. come on down. check it out. things are lit up. they're beautiful more than ever. obviously all the great restaurants are open. chinatown san francisco is actually one of the first places to originate the parade. there are over 100 floats that

are going to go through the parade on the 24th. it's great family fun. invite everyone down. >> does the aapi community feel safer now and ready for this and feel like this is going to be the best they've had in a long time? >> you know, i think that energy is throughout the city and in different communities. san francisco is really buzzing, whether it's the neighborhoods or downtown or chinatown. i think the consumer confidence is obviously coming back. so get out there. be part of it. there's safety in numbers, and san francisco, you know, we've gotten a bad rap, and we've got to change that. if you're out and about, you recognize and know this is a great, great city, a classy city. so let's enjoy that. >> all right. thank you very much, rodney. year of the dragon for sure. >> thank you. i'm rooting for a great game, i would say. >> well, a popular wine country chef having a tough time deciding who to root for. he's from kansas city but a family member plays for the niners. now that's a condrum. we'rune

growing up, my parents wanted me to become a doctor or an engineer. those are good careers! but i chose a different path. first, as mayor and then in the legislature. i enshrined abortion rights in our california constitution. in the face of trump, i strengthened hate crime laws and lowered the costs for the middle class. now i'm running to bring the fight to congress. you were always stubborn. and on that note, i'm evan low, and i approve this message. two leading candidates for senate.

two very different visions for california. steve garvey, the leading republican, is too conservative for california. he voted for trump twice and supported republicans for years, including far right conservatives. adam schiff, the leading democrat, defended democracy against trump and the insurrectionists. he helped build affordable housing, lower drug costs, and bring good jobs back home. the choice is clear. i'm adam schiff, and i approve this message. you want to see who we are as americans?

i'm peter dixon and in kenya... we built a hospital that provides maternal care. as a marine... we fought against the taliban and their crimes against women. and in hillary clinton's state department... we took on gender-based violence in the congo. now extremists are banning abortion and contraception right here at home. so, i'm running for congress to help stop them. for your family... and mine. i approved this message because this is who we are. welcome back. so who are you cheering for this sunday? a lot of us, the answer is easy. obviously the niners are in the bay area. it's our team after all. but the answer isn't that simple for a popular chef in the wine country. nbc bay area's jodi hernandez explains why. >> reporter: chef darryl bell, co-owner of stateline road smokehouse has been swamped, filling hundreds of orders of

ribs, brisket, and other barbecue favorites for super bowl weekend. >> we came in running today, and it's not stopping and it won't slow down. >> reporter: but while bell has been going gang busters in his napa kitchen, his cousin is gearing up to go gangbusters on the super bowl field. wide receiver ronnie bell is the chef's cousin. >> so ronnie bell, he's a beast, does special teams, wide receiver, and it's his rookie year coming straight out of michigan. he's just been crushing it. >> chef bell says he couldn't be more proud of his cousin, but the kansas city native says the chiefs and niners matchup is a bit difficult for his family, who are lifelong chiefs fans. >> it's, you know, a little tear there and a little split. but i think ultimately i just want ronnie to do great as i know he will and for the chiefs to do great as well. i'm rooting for a great game, i would say. chiefs are always there, but,

you know, i'd say ultimately ronnie's blood, so you've got to go with family. >> reporter: the michelin trained chef says his culinary creations are kansas city inspired. in fact, his signature barbecue sauce is named after his hometown. >> for us, you know, what we do here, it's all kansas city style, so that's obviously where i'm from. so i'm mixing that but with the kind of culinary michelin world background to kind of create a slightly more elevated in terms of flavor for barbecue. >> reporter: bell says he'll be happy no matter what the outcome of sunday's game and hopes his barbecue dishes make his customers feel like winners no matter what too. >> this becomes the highlight of the game, right? this is for them something where all their guests that they have to their house say, wow, the game was great, but this food, those burnt ends, those ribs were amazing. >> reporter: bell and his partner plan to move to this new

5,000 square foot location sometime this spring. there will be enough room here for both chiefs and niners fans. in napa, i'm jodi hernandez, nbc bay area news. >> very diplomatic. prestigious honor being inducted into the california hall of fame. earlier this week the governor and first partner inducted a group of californians into this year's class. this year's class includes former san francisco mayor willie brown, also the assembly speaker. pop punk band the go goes, and former u.s. secretary of defense leon panetta. yesterday i spoke with the first partner jennifer siebel newsom about these new inductees. >> just incredible individuals from different walks of life that have contributed to not just california but they've moved our society forward. they've moved our country forward. and, you know, feltny henderson was just monumental in criminal justice form not just in

california but across the country. so i'm just so proud to celebrate these individuals. year after year, we just have phenomenal classes and the really feel good opportunities and they remind us of, you know, our love for this state and our love for each other and how we're all inspiring each other to sort of be the change we wish to see in the world. >> congratulations to all the inductees. inductees. taking you this ad? typical. politicians... "he's bad. i'm good." blah, blah. let's shake things up. with katie porter. porter refuses corporate pac money. and leads the fight to ban congressional stock trading. katie porter. taking on big banks to make housing more affordable. and drug company ceos to stop their price gouging. most politicians just fight each other. while katie porter fights for you. for senate - democrat katie porter. i'm katie porter and i approve this message.

okay, jeff. lunar new year and super bowl parties all over the bay area. you're on deck. >> we've got dry weather. we haven't been able to say that for a long time on a weekend. with this area of high pressure building in, we'll see a mix of some sun and clouds as well. let's roll it into that weekend forecast. we're going to begin with tomorrow morning. we'll start it off here with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. so another cold start. a slight chance we could get into just a little bit of patchy fog. but otherwise as we roll through tomorrow's forecast, look at that. mostly sunny skies. temperatures warming up here with low 60s throughout the bay area. 62 in san jose. 61 martinez. 56 here in san francisco. now, if you're headed out to the lunar new year celebration from 12:30 to 2:00 in china, partly cloudy skies. of course super bowl watch parties on sunday, it will stay dry. low 60s. we'll have partly cloudy to

partly sunny skies. but all in all, a great forecast for anything you got planned on sunday. and on the seven-day forecast, next big thing we're looking out for is next friday. we could see some additional rain chances return really from the 16th through the 20th. we might get a couple different storms. so we'll keep a close eye on that. otherwise, all eyes on that weekend. >> yeah. you know what we have to say now, jeff. ready? >> what's that? >> go niners. >> go niners. come on! >> that's going to do it for us at 7:00. i hope to see you at 11:00. jeff and i will be back. we'll see you then. bye-bye.

. tonight on "access hollywood" -- >> family emotion as kobe's statute is unveiled and "access" reveals how daughter gigi will be honored to. >> tough [ bleep ].