ago when the auschwitz death camp was liberated. here in new york, 1 world trade and other iconic sites were lit in yellow. never forget. that's "nightline" for this evening. thanks for the company, america. good night.

anchor: with the omicron search beginning to subside, some

counties are lifting restrictions. we will have the latest on what you need to know. >> high-tech fundraising using nft's, or non-fungible tokens. how one university is cashing in on the craze. >> more like spring today than winter. how it will change for the weekend. abc 7 news at 11:00 starts right now. >> building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> with new omicron surge may be beginning to slow down, several bay area counties are rolling out plans to relax some of their covid restrictions. thank you for joining us. tim johns joins us live tonight in the studio with the latest on what is changing. tim: that's right. public health experts are all pretty confident we are past the peak of the omicron surge, so several counties, including san francisco, marin, and sonoma, are modifying their roles. in san francisco, masking look

at lest strike. -- masking will get less strict. starting tuesday, masks can be removed indoors in places like gyms and offices, as long as there is 100% vaccination and booster shots are up-to-date. in the north bay, schools are easing some restrictions in marin county. there will be no limits on how many people can attend assemblies and sporting events, unless the crowd is excited to be over 500, in which case everyone needs to be vaccinated. >> know there are some students who go to school because of sports. that is their driver. so it is important. it is important to bring that community together. tim: in sonoma county, officials modified their rules for indoor spectator events, allowing 50 inside a venue, not including staff, athletes, or performers. >> there will be more parents, more family members.

maybe grandma and grandpa can see their kids play. tim: the relax is welcomed by many. >> i really think it is time to allow people to have masks optional. tim: she is an infectious disease expert. she believes with natural immunity, we are approaching a stage where the virus is shifting from being a pandemic to an endemic disease. as that transition continues to occur, health officials will be allowed to lift more and more covid restrictions. >> i am very confident that a very transmissible variant does end of the pandemic stage of of ours. -- of a virus. tim: even thoutim: eve coming off in certain places, that does not mean it will be everywhere. in settings like schools, bars, and restaurants, you will have to mask up after the first of next month. reporter: tim, thank you. or on the pandemic -- more on

the pandemic. those ineligible f ineligible fe vaccination will have to submit to weekly testing. vta will require workers and contractors to be fully vaccinated by april 29. a booster is not required so far. weekly testing will be required for those who claim an exemption. the vaccine mandate for oakland public schools students 12 and older is being delayed until august. it was scheduled to take effect monday. to find the latest, head to our website. dan: the abc 7 news i team has learned the federal government is investigating san mateo county's handling of after our reporter found millions of dollars worth of equipment soaking in the rain. this was on the same day the county began handing out what has been salvaged to bay area community groups. reporter dan noyes who broke this story has more. dan: the i team has learned the

department of homeland security office of inspector general is investigating san mateo county's handling of personal protective equipment after i found thousands of boxes of it soaking in the rain at the event center and confirmed it was out there for four months. what should viewers know or what should they take away from the fact that the feds are looking into this? >> that we are going to be completely transparent about this, that we will cooperate with them to the full extent. we certainly did make an error. dan: san mateo county manager provided an email that sites my first report and says, the dhs about oig is responsible for invest getting fraud, waste, and abuse and is seeking information from your office regarding the funding for the ppe and if san mateo county purchased the ppe using dhs fema disaster money that was awarded to the state of california. he also told me it looks like

management at the event center did not make the mistake, moving all that ppe outside in september to make way for a software conference. >> i think it was moved outside at our request at some point in time. dan: at the county's request? >> at the county's request, at some point in time, with the intention of moving it elsewhere or getting it off to other nonprofits like we are doing now. dan: today, the county started giving away the ppe that was salvaged from months in the rain. hospital gowns, face masks, bleach, and other supplies. rebecca jackson is with a nonprofit that houses formerly incarcerated women with children. >> face shields and goggles and bleach and all that stuff, it is not easy to come by, especially for a nonprofit that is doing what we can to keep our families fed.

free of charge, i met church groups, homeless advocates, the peninsula humane society, and a volunteer loading ppe for the 23rd marines and the fire departments. the county called on a nonprofit, the wine country marines, to organize the giveaway. >> we network with nonprofits because we have 30 plus years working with other nonprofits, government agencies, and we have a reach beyond the county. dan: i wanted to see how they salvaged the ppe up close, what they have done with your tax dollars, but they barred me from going inside. they made me stay behind this fence. i am not allowed to go inside? >> you are not. dan: why not? >> because we have vehicles coming through here. dan: i just want to get a picture of the stuff. i cannot get video of the supplies? >> they are right there. you can shoot through here. dan: i would like to walk in and see it inside. if this is a county building, i should be allowed to go in and see what you have done. >> you can see right here, sir. dan: can i walk in? >> no, you cannot>>. dan: a man has been hired to

investigate the massive mistake. the county is paying him $150 an hour. the invest geisha and is expected to take two to four weeks. i wore a mask all day except when i was speaking to the camera with no one nearby. late today, the county manager invited me back to see the ppe inside after all. but because of our deadline, i will have to wait until tomorrow. for our i team, dan noyes, abc 7 news. dan: dan will report on what he finds tomorrow. you can 1 contact dan noyes if you have a story you would like to see investigated. go online or pick up the phone. ama: san francisco police investigators think they are close to breaking a four decade old serial killer mystery, and they are linking a sixth death to him. a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man known as the doodle or has been increased. on the left is the original

suspect sketch from 1975. there is also an age progression of what he might look like today. police say he targeted gay men. >> pick a guy somewhere at the bar, he would sit at the table, and he would sketch them. he was a good artist. he would walk up to the guy and say, like my doodle? ama: the san francisco chronicle reporter says investigators told him they believe they know the identity of the doodler, someone they brought in years ago, but they could not pin anything on him at the time. one of the victims police say he killed was jay stephens, who was stabbed in golden gate park. we talked to his sister. >> the fact that people are even interested in it now means we are getting closer. a lot of families have been terribly damaged by this act of his. ama: police have recently linked a sixth death to the doodler. lauren andrews was found beaten in 1975 and died nearly two months later. dan: a man who had to be rescued

after fire broke out at hoechst in senior homes in pleasant hill this afternoon. he told the woman who took the video that his tv exploded. police say the cause was electrical and started in wiring. the man was taken to the hospital with minor burn injuries and some smoke inhalation. no other injuries were reported. >> it could be much worse in a situation like this. a quick fire come a lot of resources -- a quick fire attack, a lot of resources made the difference today. dan: officials say the fire was contained to one unit, but others were damaged by water and smoke. uc berkeley cashing in on nft's. how the latest digital trend is being used for fundraising. ama: a food bank is putting out a cry for help. dan: and capturing some of the biggest 49ers moments. meet the person behind the lens. >> springlike down south for the game and here in the bay area.

i will have your forecast coming up. ama: first, a look at what is coming up on jimmy kimmel live. >> it is guillermo's cumpleanos, amiogs. he is the embodiment of the american dream. his parents sacrificed everything to get to america and now he gets paid handsomely to get drunk and work. cong okay, it's go time. team usa on the largest gig-speed network. which means this mega fan never misses a second.

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dan: president biden today

announced the retirement of justice stephen breyer. he said he will make good on a campaign promise to nominate a black woman to the high court. pres. biden: the person i will nominate will be someone with external air qualifications, character, experience, and integrity, and that person will be the first black woman ever nominated to the united states supreme court. dan: some of the front runners reportedly include judge quintana g brown jackson, a former clerk to justice breyer, and supreme court justice leon drucra krueger. justice breyer plans to retire at the end of the current term, assuming his replacement is nominated and confirmed. cal fire is predicting the colorado fire burning in monterey county will be fully contained by next wednesday. it has been burning in an area between big sur and carmel since last friday. so far, 700 acres have along with three structures. calfire says it began from a

pile of burning embers on highway -- burning embers. ama: a food bank is making a plea for volunteers. they are asking for anyone with a few hours to spare to help out as long as you feel safe doing so. the website lists a need for people who can pack groceries or make deliveries. masks are required indoor and out for staff and volunteers. dan: one of golden gate park's biggest and brightest attractions is going to be around a little while longer. san francisco's park and recreations department has extended the art installation in peacock meadow. it is an enchanted forest of light. it will continue until march 5 and include a valentines display. why not keep it around? it has been really cool. ama: and it is dry outside, so why not check it out? sandhya: it is beautiful.

we went to go see it a couple months ago. definitely worth checking out, and you have dry weather ahead to do it. let's take a look at a sunset from tonight. the sun went down, 5:27. it is later and later. you probably noticed there was some haze in the air and low clouds around. moderate air quality expected through the weekend, which is still safe to get out and enjoy. mild to warm today. it did not feel like winter. when you are at 72 degrees in gilroy, that is warm. 66 degrees in santa rosa, and also in half moon bay. no fog on live doppler 7. we have some hype lasting clouds coming through, all in association with this high-pressure. we have this area of high pressure that is preventing any storms from getting here, so that low will go down south. the good news is, despite the fact that we have been in a dry

pattern -- today is the 20th day of no measurable rain -- we have seen no change in our drought. this is the second consecutive week across the state or here locally. severe still in the bay area. that is the category we are in, so we will need more rain. we have gotten very little. san jose has gotten no measurable rain. when you look at the rainfall averages for january, nowhere near what we should be for this time. so we are waiting. maybe next month for miracle march? seeing clearly across the bay. the weather will be fantastic when the niners take on the rams at sofi stadium on sunday. pregame, 60 degrees. the sun will be shining at kickoff. 62 degrees. for the final, 58. if if the niners can pull off the win, the weather is looking good. out the door tomorrow morning, you will want to grab a jacket. temperatures will be in the 30's

to the 50's. patches of fog possible. certainly high clouds around. those clouds will filter the sun tomorrow, so even though it will be mild, i think we will knock off a few degrees from today's high temperatures. low to upper 60's in places like cloverdale. as we check out what is ahead for the beaches, it will be nice weather to hit the beach. low uv index, mild conditions. 60 at bodega bay. 66 in santa cruz. watch the storm systems. that is going down south. the next one we were hopeful could bring us something, not going to make it. all the way through february 6, the rage is blocking everything so -- the ridge is blocking everything, so we will keep it dry. a mild pattern for a couple days. sunday will be foggier and cooler, then back to average on monday with clouds and gusty offshore winds developing tuesday and wednesday. no signs of rain, at least not ye

ama: tonight, focus on the buzz around nft's, short for nonfungible tokens. each is a digital object one-of-a-kind, and when purchased it can net real profit. uc berkeley recently auctioned and nft based on nobel prize-winning research, raising more than $50,000. amanda delk i cas reports. amanda: nft's are dominating the digital world. each object is one-of-a-kind and cannot be replaced or replicated. a tech expert breaks it down. >> the mona lisa, for example. you have millions of copies of it, but there is one original one. people cannot exactly note that this is a copy.

amanda: at uc berkeley, the university found a way to cash in on the craze through fundraising. margaret valentine was challenged with merging this groundbreaking new technology with groundbreaking research. >> it took me a while to wrap my head around it and understand the significance, but it was such an awesome project to work on. amanda: the university's first nobel nft, netting more than $50,000 just last june. >> the one that we launched was jim allison, who did his work at berkeley and won a nobel prize for coming up with cancer immunotherapy, the fourth pillar in cancer treatment. let's call attention to that work. if some money comes in at the same time, great. amanda: rich lyons is the chief entrepreneurship officer. he says it showcases allison's handwritten data, a profound discovery that could be part of a worthwhile collection. >> imagine a collector, just a

thought experiment, who says i want to own the nft's that represent the 10 most important scientific discoveries of my lifetime. that is kind of a cool collection. amanda: ownership is a big deal when it comes to for any future transactions of that specific token, cal will automatically get a percentage of that profit. >> it is a good thing for them. it is protecting and generating revenue. amanda: but nft's are another avenue for fundraising. but where there is talk of cryptocurrency, there are still many questions. >> do you have a good reason to be skeptical of some of what is going on? yes.yes. come to terms with both of those answers. amanda: he says the university is pursuing future nft options. dan: steph curry has been in a shooting slump, but that may have ended tonight. larry: steph curry named an

all-star starter today, along with a teammate that might surprise you. when siddiqusteph --

>> and abc 7 sports sponsored by river rock casino. larry: we knew that steph curry would be an all-star starter, but he will be joined by andrew wiggins. the dubs facing the old team, the t-wolves. the receiving line to congratulate wiggins upon arrival. steph curry, the baby faced assassin. splash. curry feeling it, doing his dance. carl anthony townes, a monster first half. the warriors were down four half, but golden state, 38-20 they outscore the t-wolves. look at steph going to work, absorbs the contact and spins it in. curry losing his balance, but why not shoot it?

6-10 from deep. the new all-star, andrew wiggins, to klay thompson. the warriors victorious 124-115. college troops, thedon so jacked he might be drug tested. led by as many as 23 in the first half. usf led by 17 at the break. all gail's gone wild in the second half. mattias toss working hard on the putback. let's go to the final seconds because usf needs a three to tie. , zane makeeeks, no. adam keith watching the cardinal at usc. they go to the freshman with 30 seconds left and he scores. stanford by two. last chance for the trojans. isaiah mobley, no. sc has only lost twice this year, but twice to stanford.

how about cal at ucla? the bears trying to snap a five-game losing streak. not gonna happen. first half, campbell versus the turnover. bruins by 14. the bears could not make a run. second-half off of another turnover. peyton watson finishes on his way to 12 points. the head coach the meaning of life. the bears lose six in arroyo. all you need is just one play from byu. jaelyn williams going coast-to-coast. the floater drops. 26 for williams and santa clara takes down byu, 77-76. sports on abc 7.

dan: when the 49ers play the rams this sunday, terrel floyd will be there to capture the memories. ama: lloyd is the team's director of photography. it is his job to capture the big

plays, the touchdowns, and the celebrations. during his 25 years with the niners, he has seen a lot of them. >> heading to the nfc championship game, it is about the journey. it is about having fun, about having the memories of what you get to do as a profession. so i am going to take it all in. . it is exciting it is definitely exciting and a great opportunity. ama: he and his team are loading up their gear for the trip to l.a. and another chance to capture team history. dan: talk about a fun job. ama: absolutely. and beautiful pictures. thanks for watching tonight. dan: for all of us here, we appreciate your time. right now on jimmy kimmel, johnny knoxville. good night.

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