again next friday at 9:00 eight central. i'm lester holt for all of us at nbc news. good night. oh, the puppies are loose. need to get home in a hurry. it's time for sport mode. party's over, boys, drive the nissan sentra now. get a low 259 per month lease. or get 3.9% apr financing for 36 months on sentra. right now, at 11 out of

this world. and tonight, the northern lights are shining in places they normally don't. and that includes california. these are pictures from the mendocino county coast. vibrant colors you see here courtesy of a severe solar storm. now, photos taken from all over the world and all across the u.s. show the night sky lit up in hot pink, purple and green and we are watching and waiting to see if that solar storm will also give us a show here in the bay area. could be a wild weekend. we'll check in with chief meteorologist jeff ranieri in just a moment, but we begin with nbc bay area's jocelyn moran. jocelyn definitely breathtaking, but it also has some scientists concerned, right? yeah. audrey. these images are incredible. but experts say we could also see some of those disruptions. most likely radio blackouts. but we could also see our gps being affected or our cell phone signal at the same time. these cell phones here could also help you capture something you don't

always see here in the bay area the northern lights, a rare occurrence a severe solar storm is expected to bring the northern lights to parts of the world that don't normally see them. some of the pictures we are seeing tonight are absolutely spectacular. this could actually be seen perhaps from northern alabama along the horizon, all the way out to northern california. it's been classified as a g5 level geomagnetic storm. that hasn't happened since 2003. it's based off of an index kp index that measures how much magnetic activity there is in the, earth's atmosphere. because of that strength, we could see disruptions here on earth there at the bottom, this this sunspot group that you see, it's a big group of spots. doctor sushant mahajan is a postdoctoral fellow at the stanford solar group. he says that region has created solar flares and coronal mass ejections, also known as cmes. those cmes are racing toward the earth at 500 miles per second,

while humans are not in danger. it could affect power grids, navigation and satellite communications. we might see some voltage fluctuations and radio frequency blackouts for sure. radio communication will be a bit difficult over the next couple of days, and we might even occasionally see cell phone, signals being affected. or your gps, is more vulnerable. in 1989, a solar storm knocked out power in quebec for nine hours. you have the initial hit, the shock wave, as we call it. it arrives, and then the magnetic cloud. this event, though, could also bring something rarely seen here in the bay area. if you want to see the northern lights, mahajan's says tonight between 1 and 4 a.m. may be your best shot, but it has to be dark away from city lights. i am going to try and wake up, or at least transport my three year old daughter into her car seat and, go into the woods and try and see if i can

capture northern lights on my phone, camera experts say the storm could possibly last all weekend. jocelyn moran rahn, nbc, bay area news last all weekend. amazing chief meteorologist eerie has been keeping an eye on this weather phenomenon all evening. and jeff, just what a sight to see across the country it really is. you know, globally, we're just seeing so many of those beautiful colors. i actually just got this photo in a little bit ago here from the santa cruz mountains. you'll see how the sky is starting to change to a little bit more of a purplish color. this coming into us from our viewer, misty klaussner in boulder creek at 945 tonight. so again, as we heard in that story, away from the city lights is going to be your best spot. so here's the deal. the space prediction center has a geomagnetic storm watch in north america into this weekend. midnight to 4 a.m. you want to look off to the north? we could see that purplish to green color in the sky on an off activity expected this weekend. but let's go ahead and get a global look

at the map here and where we're going to see the high chance is certainly going to be over canada. and right up towards alaska. that's our strong chance. but a good chance here. we're in that belt from the bay area all the way through the central u.s. even for parts of the northeast. we've already seen reports as far south as texas and also florida. so super, super exciting. we're going to be continuing to track that through tonight. and of course, this weekend. other thing we're looking at back here across the bay area is the warm weather. just in time for your weekend temperatures back in the 80s. i've got more looks at your forecast and mother's day coming up on sunday, and about 15 minutes. all right. we'll see you then jeff. thank you. breaking at this hour a head on crash involving two cars in contra costa county. seven people were hurt. we are working to learn their conditions right now. it happened around 740 this evening on marsh creek road. crews are still on the scene investigating and clearing that wreckage. it's unclear what led up to that crash. also tonight, an investigation is underway

following a fire at a church in oakland. this is at saint andrew's missionary baptist near 27th and west. the fire broke out at around 8:00 there. firefighters say the flames jumped to the building next to that church, which happens to be a vacant home. no injuries have been reported. and now to the rising tensions on college campuses across the country. this is a look at penn state, where police arrested 30 pro-palestinian protesters today and tonight, demonstrators blocked an intersection near that university after their encampment was cleared out. now, this comes as graduation ceremonies are taking place across the country, including this weekend's commencement ceremony at uc berkeley. now, graduates are preparing for the possibility of more demonstrations taking place this weekend. nbc's pete serratos has the details. the preparations are underway tonight for tomorrow's commencement ceremony at uc berkeley. thousands of people will be in attendance for the event at memorial stadium.

and for the graduates, it marks the end of an important life chapter as their future awaits. i'm just looking back to all those years i've spent here. yeah, it's been really exciting time and i've learned a lot. i'm an international student, so it's a big deal for me to come to one of the best universities in the us and to be able to successfully finish it. it's like a dream come true. but the commencement will take place as a pro-palestinian encampment continues to grow in sproul plaza, with students demanding the uc to divest from any financial ties to the war in gaza. and it's a movement we're seeing on campuses across the country, with police recently clearing out encampments at the university of pennsylvania and the university of arizona. demonstrators are even camping out on the commencement stage at pomona college near los angeles. and due to protests at columbia university, the university wide celebration was canceled. while there's no planned protests for tomorrow at uc berkeley, pro-palestinian demonstrators did interrupt today's law school graduation ceremony. and now

it's something graduates will have to take into consideration. i really only thought about that today. for the first time. i'm a little bit like i was like, oh, i didn't even think about that. but i mean, i'm sure it'll be fine either way. a uc berkeley spokesperson says they do not discuss security protocol, but at this time the commencement will go as planned. also though adding that berkeley graduation ceremonies have been venues for all sorts of protests for many years. this year, like every year in the past, our efforts will focus on ensuring the ceremony can be successfully held and on supporting the ability of graduating students, their friends and families to safely enjoy and take part in an incredibly meaningful day. and if protests do take place, students say it won't take away from their graduation experience. with that comes dialog with all these different diverse groups and peoples and i think with that comes a better understanding of each other. and that's, you know, better for our future and for ourselves in berkeley. pete serratos, nbc bay area news pro-palestinian

protesters also greeted president biden as he campaigned in the bay area today. the first stop, the portola valley home of venture capitalist vinod khosla. demonstrators tried to get the attention of the president and his donors as they drove by. this is what it looked like inside that fundraiser. these are exclusive photos. president speaking to his supporters. president biden took photos, gave a brief speech using a teleprompter. tickets range from 6600 to $100,000. we are told about 80 people attended. a cluster of supporters also gathered outside to try to get a glimpse. you got here pretty early, i did. did you have to go to a lot of trouble to be here? i walked a while a mile and a half. next it was on to palo alto and the home of former yahoo and google executive marissa mayer. tickets reportedly ran from 40,000 to $50,000 a piece. protesters showed up there as well. and tonight the president is in the pacific northwest before taking

off from moffett field this afternoon. he did pose with chp officers who helped him stay on schedule. all bigoted terrorists acts that is what a san francisco community leader is now calling two racist incidents targeted at a black man at his own home. sfpd is already investigating, but now third baptist church reverend amos brown is also demanding state and federal authorities look into it. nbc bay area's gia vang is in san francisco. ever since terry williams received two packages containing a black doll with a noose around its neck telling him to leave the alamo square district and covered in such vile racial slurs are so bad we can't show them on air. i'm definitely not sleeping. normal, normal hours. like i'm like, i'm up. i hear something and i got to. i'm just constantly on alert. even though williams was born and raised in this neighborhood and is a well-known figure as a dog walker, but the magnitude of the situation and whoever is behind it, you're crazy. insane. so i got to really take this

seriously because you're doing all that brought him to third baptist church. mr. williams knew the right place to come to. he came to our service on sunday morning. reverend amos brown and the san francisco chapter of the naacp have called on all levels of government, from city to federal, asking for investigations to find who's responsible and to accelerate their investigation. so this young man will not get any more of this bigoted terrorist acts here in the city of saint francis, a city that claims to be progressive and liberal. this is video showing a suspect hiding their identity under a hood and mask. terry's neighbors are now raising funds to get him a more comprehensive security system. they're also asking anyone with cameras to check them for any suspicious activity. on april 26 at 12:30 a.m. and the second one on may 5th minutes before 2 a.m. now's the time to stand up. now is not the time to sit back and say, i don't want to be involved.

tomorrow morning, the community will come here at alamo square park in support of terry for a rally that happens at 1030. sfpd, meanwhile, still looking for the person or people responsible in san francisco, gia vang nbc, bay area news. julia. thank you. more than 100 people had to find a new place to sleep tonight after a fire tore through their apartment complex in san francisco's japantown. the fire started just after noon at the jones senior homes on fillmore street. building was quickly evacuated. two people were taken to the hospital. they are expected to be okay, but no word yet on a cause. a new name and a new lease on life for a popular water park in the south bay. raging waters in san jose is now called kali bunga. so you'll remember at the end of summer last year, raging waters announced it wasn't renewing its lease and closing for good because of low turnout. and then this past february, san jose mayor matt mahan said that the park will reopen under new management. and today, city leaders announced it will be

renamed kali bunga, folks, we're very, very devastated, as was i and hundreds of other people in the community because of the nostalgia and the good memories. so with this water park coming back into fruition and an opportunity for residents to enjoy once again, the feeling is definitely excitement. so we do know the newly renamed water park will have an opening ceremony sometime after memorial day weekend, although no exact date has been released just yet. we are back in 60s just ahead. it is not your average phone scam tonight. scammers are using i and your loved ones to steal your money. how it works and what you can do if you get the call. plus inside the tunnel, we're going to show you a massive billion dollar retrofit project in the south bay and how it could keep you safe if the big ones hit. and we're continuing to track the solar storm and the chance to see the aurora here in the bay area. i've got your updated forecast, plus what you can expect into mother's day weekend in just a

few minutes. lessons of the past can guide us moving forward. so all month long, nbc bay area is highlighting the rich history of our asian american, native hawaiian, and pacific islander communities. we'll explore their vibrant cultures and spotlight some extraordinary people making a positive impact on others. join us as we amplify ana api heritage, because knowing each other's stories brings us together, and that moves the bay area forward. we just get hustled. there's no way they were 70. interesting, it's both an electric and a gas car. yep, quite the paradox. the first ever lexus rx plug in hybrid electric for short trips. gas for long. it really is both get special offers on the 2024 rx

350. it is a terrifying eye scam. scammers using artificial intelligence to clone your loved one's voice to trick you and steal your money. this is what happened to a mother from san jose who recently lost hundreds of dollars. nbc's nathalie vera has her story, as well as tips to avoid becoming a victim. elena was day me a few weeks ago. olivia hernandez picked up the phone and heard her 20 year old daughter screaming on the other line, cargamos de vender droga y tenemos un the call came from a new jersey number. the man identified himself as a drug trafficker, explaining her daughter witnessed a drug deal, so they kidnaped her. she then he demanded $1,000. otherwise, the man said he would take her daughter to tijuana and she'd never see her again. olivia

believed she had no other choice. she rushed to a nearby money transfer service in san jose, as the voice instructed, and deposited $400 under this woman's name in tultepec, mexico. por favor. mama ayudame. when she told him that all the cash she had, she says she heard her daughter's screams again, pleading for help. so she came up with the rest of the money, transferred it to the same woman, and never heard from them again. after all that, she called her daughter's cell phone and realized she'd been safe and sound all along. the call was a scam. we talked to this money transfer service and they tell us, unfortunately, this isn't the first fraud case they've seen here. ai has given the capability to many. to many that didn't have prior technical experience or deep technical experience to be able to create

these attacks. right. and so these are all new. gilberto lujan is a special agent with the cybersecurity squad at the san francisco division of the fbi. he says the bureau is now seeing extortion cases like olivia's, where investigators suspect crooks are using artificial intelligence to clone people's voices for scams, creating a virtual crime scene where leads can be harder to track. in fact, olivia says that's what a family friend who's a police officer told her, which is why she didn't report it to san jose pd. sorry, the number you've requested cannot be dialed. when we tried to reach that new jersey number, the scammers used to call livia, it was already disconnected. still the fbi recommends reporting it to local authorities. overall, it's very well done. at a first glance, some bay area tech companies are also stepping in to help

identify these scams. our models can actually detect if a piece of content is ai generated, even if a human eye maybe can't tell hive is based in san francisco and has a free online tool that can tell you if an image or a voice is authentic. they came after me because i was too good at being president and while it might not always help in a moment of panic like in olivia's case, hive's ceo recommends simply trying to carry on a longer conversation with the person claiming to be your loved one. so if you were to ask the person, for instance, certain questions, could they actually respond instantaneously in that character, in that voice? usually they're prerecorded, right? because it's very expensive to generate. now, this san jose mom hopes no one else has to go through what she went through y las personas and hopes the people who defrauded her will one day face consequences in san jose. nathalie vera, nbc, bay area news all right,

everyone, oh, look at how beautiful this is. so guess what this image was taken from one of our viewers in oakland. so the northern lights officially arriving in the bay area a little earlier than what we expected, jeff, that is absolutely beautiful. this, of course, due to the supercharged solar storm. yeah. just phenomenal. i've posted a few from the viewers. just as we went on air. they started sharing them. and this is a level g five solar storm that's hitting us right now. it's the top scale. so that's why everybody across the globe is seeing it. and then all the way down to texas, florida, and then of course now officially here in the bay area so let's get you more details on this in case you missed our earlier update, the spacex prediction center has issued a geomagnetic storm watch in north america this weekend. really right now through 4 a.m. is going to be the best time. you want to look off towards the north. you may see that greenish

or purplish color in the sky, and we'll see those chances on and off through this weekend, as we also reported, may disrupt gps and also the power grid. so we're going to continue to cover this through our weekend forecast. let me get you also a view here of where the best possibility is going to be overall, the strongest, most powerful view of it is going to be over canada and up towards alaska. and we're on that really good chance through the weekend to continue to see this activity with those reports again as far south as florida, texas, and now right here in the bay area. okay. let's get you more details on that microclimate forecast. this is just so exciting. i could stay on this all night long. all right. but we got to move it into the temperatures and what we can expect here across the bay area. and we are seeing this area high pressure moving the storm track off to the north. and thankfully so. so we can see that beautiful sight in the sky. it's going to keep some warm weather in the forecast and then by tomorrow morning we could get some patchy fog to start, but it really doesn't look that thick. then as we roll through the morning,

temperatures are going to begin here in the 50s across the bay area down to 57 for the south bay over two, san francisco 50 for daytime highs for tomorrow. coming in with lots of 80s. look at this down in the south bay 88 in san jose over two. vallejo 8389 in danville and 79 in hayward. 64 in half moon bay. so chilly at the coast and 84 here in redwood city up to san francisco, 72 in downtown and 86 in napa. okay what about for mother's day on sunday? it will be chilly at the coast with fog coming back, 50s and 60s. and for the inland valleys, we'll get back up to some 80s and lots of afternoon sunshine right here. on that 7-day forecast in san francisco, we're dry next seven days and we'll dip into the 60s, starting on sunday. and we have 80s coming back sunday all the way through next friday. i am like so geeked out right now. same. i can't wait to get home and, just check it out. i know i'm ready to get outside right now, right after the show, and see if maybe we get lucky

here in san jose. we should. we should. away from the city lights. okay. perfect. thanks for sending the pictures in to everyone. we appreciate it. beautiful. all right, jeff. thanks. okay. up next, back to business. 49ers are getting an up close look at the man who will be running the defense this season. we're going to give you a sneak peek and of course we have jimmy. hey, everyone. john krasinski is my guest tonight. plus we have brooke shields, our fallon book club winning author tracey sierra, and stand up from jimmy carr. it's a great show tonight. preparing for the next biological attack. the new blueprint experts are recommending to strengthen our country, plus destigmatize stuttering. the one way a bay area filmmakers working to make a difference. monday morning, 5 to 7 today in the bay. when lawyers who don't handle injury claims need help, they call us. justice takes more than a fighter. you need a champion walk, a personal injury law

visit. walk up law.com. oh, the puppies are loose. need to get home in a hurry. it's time for sport mode. party's over. boys, drive the nissan sentra. now get a low 259 per month lease or get 3.9% apr financing for 36 months on sentra. golden one credit union agrees it's never too late to try something new or pick up an old pastime. we know you're up for adventure. that's what you're here for. the golden one member cash rewards plus card lets you try the things you love with your true love. when you can enjoy the rewards of every experience that comes your way. what are you waiting for? dive right in. golden one member cash rewards plus card. life is a

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federal tax credit on the 2023 chrysler pacifica plug in hybrid. when rideshare companies don't hold themselves accountable for injuries caused by their drivers, we will just. this takes more than a fighter. you need a champion walk, a personal injury law call, 866. walk up law. an up close look at a new tunnel inside the anderson dam in morgan hill. this will allow valley water to better control the amount of water being released from its largest reservoir. by digging, the tunnel is about 80% complete. when it is done, a large steel pipe will go inside the 20 foot wide tunnel, while the entire dam retrofit isn't set to finish until 2032, they are nearing the end of this significant phase. dam retrofit was mandated by the federal government after studies found that the dam could fail in a major earthquake. one of san francisco's newest and largest proposed developments is one step closer to becoming a

reality. the city's planning commission just approved a project to redevelop the parking lots around stonestown mall, so the plan is to build 3500 new homes over the next several years. it would include low income housing, along with townhouses and apartments. the plan still needs to be approved by the board of supervisors, and they are expected to make a decision as early as next month. well, five students received a special honor before tonight's giants game. giants community fund inducted the ninth graders into the willie mae scholars program. this program provides support for the students as they continue high school and helps them prepare for college. students will also receive a $20,000 scholarship. okay, so you saw it all. the action right here on nbc bay area earlier tonight. giants facing off against the cincinnati reds. also the a's were in the great northwest to meet the mariners. we have all the highlights coming up in sports. tonight

three for yeah jimmy has john krasinski. it's fun and brooke shields hi. plus jimmy carr and prepping for mother's day for the next 48 hours. if you see an amazon delivery van pull over like it's an ambulance. new tonight show. fully loaded, fully electric. the audi q4 e-tron get exceptional offers at your local audi dealer. stop your search for the one and find your perfect mattress match at mancini's sleep world. save up to $1,000 during our memorial day sales event. get the tempur-pedic adapt mattress starting at $27 per month. save on avocado, helix and more, with queen mattresses starting at 197. take advantage of 60 month special financing and free next day delivery, removal and set up of your new mattress. your perfect match is waiting for you online or in stores at mancini sleep world. you made a cow,

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estrada ties the game up with a long home run. you see right there deep into the left field bleachers. now in the fourth inning, reds took a 3 to 2 lead on this run, scoring double all they were able to hold on to beat the giants 4 to 2. a's were in seattle, take on the mariners, and the mariners took control of the game in the fourth inning, when they scored five runs off of a starter, paul blackburn. yeah, final score for this one. mariners eight, a's one. okay, there's a buzz at levi's stadium now. 49ers rookie minicamp has kicked off. and this is our first look at the new batch of 40 niners. among them ricky pearsall 31st overall draft pick. this was also the first time we've been able to see nick sorensen in action since he was promoted to defensive coordinator. sorensen has more than two decades of experience in the nfl. first as a player and then as a coach. we all know the standard here and you know we all want to win. we

all want to play great defense and that's the expectation most of the defensive coaches are returning from last year. the big addition this season is assistant head coach brandon staley. he is a defensive minded coach, former head coach of the la chargers. a lot of things going on there. we'll be back in a moment. the xfinity sports desk norman, bad news... i never graduated from med school. what? but the good news is... xfinity mobile just got even better! now, you can automatically connect to wifi speeds up to a gig on the go. plus, buy one unlimited line and get one free for a year. i gotta get this deal... that's like $20 a month per unlimited line... i don't want to miss that. that's amazing doc. mobile savings are calling. visit xfinitymobile.com to learn more. doc? where you need them. that's wall to wall wi-fi with xfinity at sutter 224. hospitals and care centers never stop, and 57,000

people never stop caring for 3.4 million californians getting better never stops. summer is here, and with a new toyota, you can capture all the moments that make summer, summer. like driving a rav4 to wade in a waterfall. nice cruising to play mini golf in a camry, or taking a tundra to the beach. you're not gonna leave me here, are you ? get low, 3.99% apr on highlander or choose a low lease on the dynamic rav4 and fuel efficient rav4 hybrid. your summer starts here. toyota. let's go places. direct from broadway. funny girl is musical comedy heaven with celebrated songs like don't rain on my parade and people. don't miss the theatrical event of the season, playing now through may 26th at the orpheum theater. every single sober day, i'm thankful i chose mountain vista farm to help. mountain vista farm is a place where you can

find a new life free of alcohol or drugs. mountain vista farm gave me back my self respect called mountain vista farm today. every day we're working to make california's energy system safer and stronger than the day before. whether it's deploying new technologies like artificial intelligence for faster fire detection and response, undergrounding more lines and high fire risk areas because it's less expensive in the long run, and installing stronger poles and covered power lines. at pg and e, we are building a stronger, safer, and more affordable energy system for your community. at sutter, our 22 cancer centers never stop providing breakthrough cancer care and 33 nurse navigators never stop being in your corner. getting better never stops. we will visit carmel valley's newest preserve, where nature is thriving and ancient ways are reviving. we'll visit a gem of kern county, where tule elk are

making a comeback, and we'll see majestic and protected lands across the west open road sunday night at 630 on nbc bay area okay, before we go. wow, something we just can't get enough of. this looks unreal. but more photos of those northern lights dazzling the night sky. and jeff, i understand viewers shared this photo with you from mendocino county. yeah, i got it back in the weather center. i literally like froze. i mean, look at the vibrant colors. she's right there at the beach away from the city lights. i mean, this is just magnetic, right? it's magnetic. and what's so special about this is first off, we don't see that here right in the bay area. we're actually getting to see it. and also the last time g5 level geomagnetic storm happened was maybe 20 years ago. yeah. back in 2005. this one also from a viewer that was watching us at the top of the show, ran out after they saw our reports. great job. this photo to show us the sky and a lot of the purplish color. when you get closer near the city that people are seeing right now. oh,