dan: while in southern california, many niner fans are already ther

>> the final farewell as the 49ers go to l.a. for the nfc championship game. >> we are outside sofi stadium, inching our way closer and closer to the nfc championship. a report from inglewood is next. >> opening new bars has been banned for the last 35 years. that changed this week. >> a north bay resident is fighting to get his cat back. she says a couple who rented an airbnb took it. sandhya: i will let you know what is in store for the weekend coming up. abc 7 news at 11:00 starts right now. >> moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> beat l.a., beat l.a.!

dan: tonight, big energy from the faithful as fans bid their final farewell to the 49ers, cheering on the team as they drive away from levi's stadium. they are in l.a. to take on the rims sunday in the nfc championship game. thank you for joining us. ama: amanda del castillo begins our team coverage. she was in santa clara and has a look at the sendoff. amanda: the sweet sounds of the 49er faithful. many fans waited hours to catch even a second of the team as they started their trek. outside levi's stadium, hundreds lined the sidewalk. in a sea of red and gold, fans held signs and screamed. anything to get their message across. >> i want the niners to know we are sending them with good vibes. >> i hope they get the inspiration we are here and they know we are here for them.

>> the need to feel our energy. amanda: the energy amplified now that nfc championship weekend has kicked off. the fan base, as it is to california teams, the support needs to be felt across the state. >> it is a fact we are in california, it makes it easier to get to the game. it is hard to stay away from something like that. amanda: from the tiniest to the longtime fans, a win would put the 49ers back on track for the seemingly everlasting quest for six. each super bowl win unforgettable for all faithful. >> beat l.a.! >> i was nine years old when we went to the super bowl when they played the miami dolphins. it comes home. amanda: ask any member of the faithful, home is anywhere the heart is and this weekend it is in l.a. >> we just call sofi levi's south. every time we have a game there, the faithful show up. amanda: let's talk about the

faithful. talk about that dedication. fans tell me they plan to wave goodbye and get in their cars and drive hours to l.a. to watch the game on sunday. i'm amanda del castillo. dan: they are excited. a lot of fans are already in los angeles tonight. ama: j.r. stone is also in l.a. and caught up with the faithful. here is his report from sofi stadium. j.r.: 49ers fans are arriving in los angeles. >> beat l.a.! j.r.: first some, that meant a friday of flying the flags and driving from the bay to l.a. for others, that mended thursday night for driving with interior with red. you think there will be a sea of red? >> a tsunami of red. j.r.: thisful'chapter says they will become sday.ey rf

reaction en route. >> about 90% of the people were on niners fans giving us a thumbs up. we did give us some rams fans. j.r.: the championship may soon break a record by boasting the best selling secondary tickets of all time for a non-super bowl game. the many we talk with have not yet bought. >> $400 range. >> fans are waiting for the prices to drop now. at the last minute, it will change. j.r.: yes, there will be some diehard rams fans at the game. you are in the bay for four years. you didn't transition to being a niners fans? >> no. the competitiveness between san francisco and l.a. has been going on forever and ever. j.r.: a competitive love. just don't try to protect with the locals are rooting for. >> we have diehard fans here. i appreciate the rams coming back, but i'm a diehard 49ers

fan. i have my money and i am doubling down with the 49ers. j.r.: all is quiet outside sofi stadium right now, but that will change as we get closer and closer to sunday's big game. as for events for fans, this weekend is full of them on saturday. a fan tailgate in the downtown area. on sunday, another tailgate in the parking lot outside of sofi stadium. you can bet we will be there for all of them. j.r. stone, abc 7 news. ama: now let's get to sandhya patel with a look at the forecast for sunday's game. sandhya: it is going to be sunny skies for the show down on sunday. let's take a look at the view from earlier tonight at sofi stadium in inglewood. it is 59 degrees right now and it is about the same when hopefully the niners take the win. let's take a look at the forecast. saturday, 71, cloudy.

sunday, mild and sunny. morning fog giving way to a cooler afternoon. nfc championship game, the forecast is a winning one. pregame, 70 degrees. a few clouds, 62 degrees at halftime and i am predicting winning weather for the niners. i will be back with a complete look at the local weekend forecast and let you know if there's any rain coming our way anytime soon. dan: we will hold you to that. let's move on. developing news -- california's embattled employment development department is getting a new leader. rita signs announced her resignation this afternoon. she took over as the department dealt with a surge in unemployment claims and rampant fraud estimated at at least $20 billion. saenz will go back to her role as a commissioner on the california commission on aging. nancy farias is taking over. farias is currently the edd

chief deputy director of external affairs, legislation and policy. ama: there are new developments in california's fight against coronavirus. hospitalization statewide have dropped below 15,000 patients for the first time in a week. san franciscans who got the johnson & johnson vaccine and a booster can get a third shot. the city health department updated its guidance. beginning tuesday, oakland will require people 12 and older to show proof of vaccination and many indoor public locations. that includes restaurants, bars, museums and indoor events with more than 500 people. dan: omicron news in the north bay tonight. today, a shipment of n95 masks,, 9000 of them from the federal government arrived at marin community clinics. hundreds of test kits also arrived. >> it will keep us safer and it is going to help us the next step with the covid. dan: in other developments in

marin county, first responders now have until march 1 to be fully vaccinated and boosted. the previous deadline was today, so it has been pushed back about a month. only a small percentage of first responders are not vaccinated. they can keep their jobs if they agree to weekly testing. ama: no word whether teachers with the west contra costa school district will go on strike. negotiations going on today over covid safety measures. the union wants weekly testing for everyone and twice weekly testing for classrooms that have breakouts. kn-95 and n95 masks for all teachers and staff on the demands. if there's no deal, the union would consider a strike vote. you can keep track of all the changes in the pandemic. dan: a decades old ban on opening new bars in san francisco's castor district is no longer. city leaders voted to change the rule this week and tim johns

explains the history and plans for the future. tim: it is one of the liveliest neighborhoods in san francisco but for the past 3.5 decades, if you wanted to open a new bar in the castro neighborhood, you are out of luck. >> it was the story of this woman who came to us with this tale that we were a little surprised about. tim: he is the supervisor of district eight. he says his office was recently approached by a woman who wanted open ap on a bar in the castro only to be told she couldn't. >> we dug a little bit and realized this is true. and, we probably should change this. tim: the ban goes back to 1987 and probably came about due to a multitude of reasons, says a gay-rights activist and former supervisor. >> they had to do it as a decision. the less competition you have. aids was happening as well. that could have hundred influence -- could have an

influence on the dynamic of patronage. tim: at a meeting on tuesday, an unanimous vote passed the new ordinance once again allowing new bars to open. a move that has been welcomed. >> excited. it is great. tim: it is not just about changing it, the new rule means a new chance to revitalize a neighborhood that has been hit hard by covid. the president of the castro merchants association. he says the pandemic has caused devastating economic consequences. >> unfortunately, we have lost a whole bunch of businesses. they went out of business permanently. but having new business come in, it is a hope. tim: it is not just replacing the old with the new, he says. he hopes the new city rules allow for more lgbtq entrepreneurs to set up shop. >> trying to open up the castro to more different kinds of people. it makes sense to allow some of

those folks to open businesses. tim: tim johns, abc 7 news. dan: coming up, a north bay mann says his stolen cat has turned up in l.a. county. why he says airbnb renters are behind it. ama: more fallout for spotify. another acclaimed artist pulls their songs. dan: a look at the lunar new year celebrati

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no matter their rank or when they were in. a marine just out of boot camp or a petty officer from '73 and even his kids and their kids. usaa is made for all who've honorably served and their eligible family members. are we still exclusive? absolutely. and that's exactly why you should join. ama: an oven is being blamed for starting a fire that did significant damage to the elks lodge in santa clara tonight. the fire department was called out to the building on marne avenue just before 5 p.m.

two people were preparing food for bingo night at the lodge and it appears there was some sort of grease fire. one person had to be taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. firefighter staying overnight to watch the flareups. dan: in major winter storm taking aim at the northeast that can bring several feet of snow along with hurricane strength winds. states of emergency have been declared for the carolinas to maine. the brunt of the storm is expected to hit from long island to coastal new england, bringing blizzard conditions. up to 30 inches of snow was predicted outside boston and 95 rr>> not onlyrect large amounts of snow, we are expecting high winds. we are fully expecting white out conditions tomorrow. this is serious. dan: airlines have already canceled more than 2800 flights. amtrak is shutting down train service for several major routes in new york, boston and washington, d.c. pennsylvania officials credit

the winter weather for preventing a bridge collapse for being worse. they said because of school snow delays, traffic was letter than usual when this bridge gave way, swallowing a bus and five cars. first responders formed a human changeable people to safety. thankfully, no one was killed. 10 people suffered minor injuries. the bridge collapsed hours before president biden traveled to pittsburgh to highlight his infrastructure law. ama: new developments of a showdown over spotify. joni mitchell removed her music from the platform. she posted a statement saying " irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives." earlier this week, young cold is music saying he was upset by covid vaccine misinformation on joe rogan's podcast. dan: a sonoma county man is pleading for his beloved cat to be returned. he says and believes tourists in

his neighborhood snatched the cat and now have it in southern california. luz pena explains how he pieced the story together. luz: for the past three months, troy farrell has been fighting to get his cats back home. >> that was my friend. that was who i have. luz: he's a neighborhood cat. she has lived in sonoma for years. troy says she is a recent they chose the house -- the reason they chose the house. >> every time we would go to the window, she would run up and be like i'm here. let me in, i love you. we were like, that is the sign. this is the right house. luz: several years ago, troy adopted her. in october after he came back home from a trip, she was gone. >> they stole my cat. luz: neighbors say a couple stayed at airbnb two houses down from troy's asked about her

while seeing her out in the neighborhood. >> i said, what do you know about this cat? we love this cat. luz: according to troy, last november he got a call from evette in long beach confirming they have his cat but could not send it. the vet had scanned the microchip. >> it is my cat. she said we are not legally allowed to house cats in this facility so we have to give them back to the people who stole it. luz: in a statement, veterinary centers of america say they have legal obligations to the client who initially brought in the cat and confirmed they are fully cooperating with the sonoma county sheriff's investigation. now the neighborhood has united to get nevins back. >> really ask our visitors, i hope you enjoy visiting sonoma county. please return the cat. we can probably find transportation back up to the state. luz: troy is helping the couple who took nevins 500 miles from

home brings her back to him and her family. >> she means a lot to this neighborhood. a alot. luz: in san francisco, luz pena. dan: we will keep you posted. let's turn our attention to the weekend weather forecast. ama: sandhya patel is here with that. sandhya: the weekend is looking fantastic for outdoor activities. i want to show you where we stand in terms of our rainfall. san jose, 100% of average. santa rosa, 122. san francisco, 137% of average freedom the snowpack tonight statewide is at 100%. we will continue to go down over the coming week until we see some snow moving through. we have a system we are watching that has been sending us the high clouds. high pressure is so locked in and so strong that we keep getting rain. this area of low pressure will keep giving us clouds.

it will go into southern california where it will bring us the possibility of a few sprinkles tomorrow. temperatures tonight mainly in the 40's and 50's. we have a few 30's showing up but they are really isolated. we are looking clearly across the bay and fog is not a concern tonight. hazy skies and mild weather. minor temperature variations. no sign of rain through early february. we are looking at a lovely view of san francisco. air quality the next two days will be in the moderate range, a lot like what we've been experiencing. higher clouds will be thinning out towards tomorrow afternoon. as you look at the hourly forecast, watch the coast. fog begins to return. sunday is going to be cooler. it will not feel quite as warm as it was. today, temperatures anywhere from the low 60's to low 70's. five to 10 degrees above average. low 30's to the low 50's

tomorrow morning. mild, 67 in gilroy. mid-60's redwood city. downtown san francisco and daly city in the low 60's. north bay, 63. these temperatures where they should be, warmer than average. 65 in oakland. head inland, 66 in fairfield. it is really going to be a nice enough day to hit the beach if we can't bring in rain. enjoy the mild and mainly sunny, moderate uv index. 67 if you are heading down to monterey. look at the system here going into southern california. the next one goes well to the north. high and february 7. there is nothing in the bay area. i do have springlike weather for the first half of your weekend. the second half is cooler.

mostly cloudy on monday and gusty offshore winds developing tuesday into wednesday could bring us fire danger. be watching for that. january fire danger, hard to believe. dan: t ♪i want to break free♪ (vo) imagine a place where we can finally be free. free to zoom without a meeting request. free to enjoy savory bites, and stunning sights. and free to reunite with old friends...and new.

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was the home of a lunar new year celebration tonight. a large crowd turned out for chase center for performances in all sorts of entertainment. as part of the celebration, there was a huge tiger statue since it is the year of the tiger. the statue was one of six placed around san francisco. the warriors are planning another celebration following tomorrow night's game against the brooklyn nets. dan: the 49ers one win away from the super bowl. can they beat the rams on sunday? ama: larry beil is here. larry: so much pressure on jimmy garoppolo. his motivation and the one loss

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larry: good evening. one giant question for the 49ers as they head into the nfc title game. massive offensive tackle trent williams did not practice all weekend long. kyle shanahan believes williams will play. the 49ers desperately need him to protect jimmy kuralt below. jimmy has been under scrutiny since the loss of the super bowl a couple years ago. that is a memory that lingers. >> it has been a motivator for me, honestly. it is a feeling that i can't describe. it is unlike any other loss i've ever had. obviously since that moment, it has motivated me and always will going forward. those are the lessons. if you can take those lessons and be better from it, you will be better off in the long run. >> if you see social media, you see people talk about jimmy this, jimmy that. numbers don't lie. i just say check the winning percentages. larry: if the niners win, jimmy

could face the very team that denied him a super bowl victory. the chiefs will reach the third straight super bowl if they beat the bengals. the phrase any given sunday is true for a reason. >> another step to get to our ultimate goal, the super bowl. by no means are we looking past this, it is just checking things off the list that we started and been trying to achieve since back in training camp, ota's when we first started this journey. larry: women's hoops. the championship bobblehead. stanford hosting arizona state. all cardinal from the jump. anna wilson,, one of her four steals. hayley jones all 12 of her points in the first half. defense optimal book -- optional by asu. the backdoor cut. cardinal roll. they will host arizona, rematch

of the title game on sunday. how was this for the assist of the season? the warriors beat the timberwolves last night. the young fan saying he was a fan since he was zero. hoping to get his steph curry autograph. jta, gets it signed, delivered. that is awesome. sports on abc

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limited availability ama: that does it for tonight. thanks for watching. dan: for sandhya patel, larry beil, all of us, we appreciate your time. go, niners.

right now on jimmy kimmel. enjoy the ballgame. have a great weekend. >> lou: from hollywood, it's "jimmy kimmel live"! tonight -- rob lowe. francia raisa. and music from joy oladokun. and now, jimmy kimmel! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> jimmy: hi, thank you. hi, welcome. thank you. i'm jimmy, i'm the host of the show. we're glad you're here. [ cheers and applause ] please, relax. i know it is -- oh, man, it was very cold here in l.a. today. 64 degrees it got down to. [ laughter ] i had to wear two layers of yoga pants to work this morning. [ laughter ] we think it's cold.