sanchez is with one couple. we begin with cheryl hurd from the supreme court in washington. >> reporter: from the u.s. supreme court this plaza was filled with excitement earlier today. political watchers thought that the justices would wait until the last minute to decide on doma and proposition 8. and those political can watchers were right. the plaintiffs in this case walked down the steps of the supreme court with their hands held high for victory. the defense of marriage act was struck down and proposition 8 invalidated again legalizing same-sex marriage in california. >> we are going to prove that marriage is a fundamental right and the other side accepted that. >> reporter: both cases decided on a 5-4 vote. doma was ruled unconstitutional. in the proposition 8 case the justices said the proponents of the initiative didn't have

standing to enact. those proponents were defending proposition 8 because california officials refused to. >> we believe from the very beginning that the importance of this case was to send a message to the children of this country that you are just as good as everybody else no matter who you love, no matter who your parents love. >> reporter: while the crowd cheered the plaintiffs on those who fought to defend the idea that marriage is only between a man and a woman says the fight is not over. >> no matter how any of us feel about the outcomes in these cases, one thing is true, the supreme court has no authority when it comes to the nature of marriage. >> reporter: still there were plenty in the crowd who feel that the rulings are a victory for them. >> we got married in d.c. three years ago today. this is of the best present we

could ask for. >> reporter: one didn't waste time acting on the court's ruling. >> today is a good day, the day i finally get to look at the man that i love and finally say, will you please marry me? >> reporter: those plaintiffs are right now on a plane heading to los angeles for a huge news conference tomorrow. reporting live from the u.s. supreme court i'm cheryl hurd, nbc bay area news. governor jerry brown chimed in a few hours after the announcement. he said in light of the decision i have directed the california department of public health to advise the state's counties that they must begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in california as soon as the ninth circuit confirms the stay is lifted. attorney general urged the ninth circuit court of appeals to immediately lift the stay. >> as soon as they lift that

stay marriages are on. >> thank you for the clarity. >> the wedding bells will ring. >> the appeals court says it will be at least 25 days before same-sex marriages can begin. >> the debate will not go away. from the catholic church to millions of californians there is plenty of opposition. supporters of prop 8 say they will keep fighting. their life line is that the supreme court did not rule that prop 8 was unconstitutional. with that said some opponents say they will take individual counties to court once they start issuing marriage licenses. >> obviously there are some disappointments in today's ruling. we think there is more of a glimmer of hope. the main point we would like to emphasize is that the fight goes on. >> when we don't have government of the people that is disenfranchisement of the voters and it is a actually destroying

the republic. >> prop 8 backers say they are trying to determine if theoo court's ruling applies only to the two couples who took the matter to the supreme court. the doors to city hall in san francisco opened at 6:30 this morning and within moments it was a packed moment. monty francis was there as the decisions were being read. >> reporter: this is where the fight over same-sex marriage in california began almost a decade ago. this morning there was rejoicing when the decisions were handed down. walking arm in arm with san francisco mayor ed lee and lieutenant governor 87-year-old phyllous ryan rejoiced after learning the supreme court had cleared the way for same-sex marriages. she and her late spouse were the

first same-sex couple to be married by then mayor in 2004. today was a day her wife never got to see. >> i think we have made a lot of progress and we have to continue. >> it feels good to havehave -- >> came here and we are excited that prop 8 was overturned. now as soon as we decide to get married we are able to. >> relief and just overwhelming joy. >> reporter: they are a couple and they also work together as wedding photographers. they say the rulings not only benefit them personally but also professionally. >> it is a long time coming. it just feels like it's about time. so it's really good.

i feel really happy about it. >> reporter: the man credited with sparking the political fight over gay marriage in california said he hopes california's example will lead other states to legalize same-sex marriage. >> this is hardly the last step and no one should expect or believe that even here in california there is an enormous amount of work to be done. >> reporter: by the way we do not see prop 8 supporters at today's rally at city hall. the williams institute estimates that during the next three years 37,000 same-sex couples will marry in california and that will benefit the state economy to the tune of $492 million. city attorney expects same-sex weddings to resume here at city hall within 25 to 30 days because the ninth circuitt court has decided to not lift its stay. live in san francisco, monty francis, nbc bay area news. >> basically late july can start the same-sex marriages.

this is a bay area wide celebration for gay rights activists. in less than an hour a rally will begin at san jose city hall. several families are planning to attend. kris sanchez is there this evening. >> reporter: one of the families planning to attend is the first lesbian couple to marry in santa clara county. they say it is about more than the marriage license and reception and flowers and it comes down to the businesses and finances of a family and who gets to make the life and death decisions. while there will be a lot of celebrating here tonight there will be talk about the work that is still ahead. five years and nine days ago hannah and ronnie were the first lesbian couple to marry in santa clara county witnessed by their then 12-year-old son isaiah smith. >> we felt like we are part of the masses. we are equal. and then the marriages stopped

and there were 18,000 of us that were put into a separate bubble. we felt separate to our own community. >> reporter: they say that feeling drives them to keep donating and show up at rallies. though the decision allows same-sex marriages to marry again in california they won't stop fighting until it is legal nationwide. >> my aunt in michigan has no rights at all. >> that's right. >> i'm a champion for them and a champion for our friends, chantelle and pam in new jersey that just had a baby and have no health benefits. >> they know the price of that, too. they estimate that while the defense of marriage was in effect they payed more every year than couples whose marriages were recognized. >> there was a penalty. we were paying through the nose in taxes.

you can switch back and forth between married and single which we would have to do. and the difference was astronomical. it was in the thousands. it is a huge difference. >> reporter: that little boy who signed his mom's marriage license is now a young man who still has a hard time understanding why his parents' marriage ever married to anyone other than them. >> even now what's the point. you're denying people their rights for what reason? >> reporter: prop 8, that ban on gay marriage was passed by voters and the supreme court decision was far from unanimous. there are opponents to gay marriage but they are happy to keep working to change their minds. the legal and financial status of hundreds of thousands of gay americans could can dramatically change in light of

today's decision to strike down doma. here is a break down of a few of the benefits same-sex couples could receive. survivors benefits after the death of a partner. irs benefits, spouses can claim perks from estate tax exemptions to head of household deductions and file jointly. immigration benefits. gay citizens can lobby for green cards and visas for nonamerican partners. our coverage continues with a life report from san francisco where a big rally is beginning. >> it continues online. i'm scott budman tracking the social media response. would i have fired me knowing me no? >> a celebrity chef fights for her job. how paula deen defended her use of racial slurs today. we are tracking a warmup in the forecast that has already brought our temperatures up in parts of the bay area into the

mid and upper 80s even down near santa cruz and morgan hill. we are talking 90s and perhaps 100 degree temperatures in parts of the bay area this weekend. a look at the heat on the way coming up when we come right back.

in this high tech world a low tech way of delivering the news. an intern sprinting with the supreme court ruling in hand. this video on twitter captured the intern bolting over the crowd to hand over the decision to pete williams. the plaintiffs received an unexpected phone call during a live interview with msnbc today. >> thank you, mr. president. >> pretty nice for them.

president obama called chris perry, sandy steer, paul and jeff to congratulate them on the victory. the entire moment was caught on tape. as you can see huddled around the iphone. here is a picture of the president making the phone call on air force one. the white house released this statement saying "when all americans are treated as equal no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free. google, facebook, twitter, the web was on fire this morning as the decision was announced. >> social media was how many people heard about the news. scott budman has been tracking the social network. >> you saw what the president had to say. lots of people all over the world getting social today. this is how we share news with each other. there was a lot to share. let's take you to san francisco. this was a photo shared all over the place from the steps of city

hall. show you another photo. this from cheryl hurd. this was the scene outside the supreme court building in washington, d.c. lots of tweets today also. we heard from both sides. this is carmela harris saying she wants the ninth circuit to lift the stay immediately saying gay and lesbian couples in california waited long enough. we see michele bachmann saying what the court has done will undermine the best interest. we saw statements like well done. this is a photo tweeted around. this is the woman that fought back against the defense of marriage act. as for twitter itself the company tells us 9,000 tweets a minute were sent out starting at about 7:00 pacific time this morning as the news got out. that is a higher number than the last ipad release but a lot less than the numbers sent out as nik

wallenda tight roped. is this the send of the same-sex marriage fight in california? you can vote by texting or calling 408-300-9222. text 1 for yes or 2 for no. you can also tweet us. we will have the results during our 6:00 newscast. our coverage continues online where you can find more raw reaction. there is another major story unfolding. bart might be shutting down as early as next monday. bart workers are on the verge of a strike. today both unions voted to authorize the strike. the workers contract expires this sunday. other agencies are lending a hand. about 4,000 people use bart every day. bart urged the governor not to

order a 60 day cooling off period because a september strike would hit during one of the busiest months. back in 1997 the last time bart workers went on strike bay area freeways were jammed. take a look at this rescue at baker beach. a woman was stuck on a cliff. san francisco fire department got the call just after noon. firefighters and life guards were able to pull her to safety. the woman appeared to be uninjured. here comes the heat. i can start to feel it. >> we are going to see the heat starting off in southern california at 7:00 you see the giants versus the dodgers. let's show you first the weather here in the bay area where we have sunshine around san francisco at least parts of san francisco but out towards the coast it is a different story. bay bridge commute just fine. let's show you your golden gate bridge commute. there you go. the bridge is obscured by the fog. that is part of the story. right now enough low clouds to

keep san francisco cool. l.a. should see 70s around first pitch as the temperatures in southern california warm up. the game coming up here at 7:00. 100 degree temperatures in southern california. some of the heat spilling our way. right now 90 in gilroy. plenty more low 90s. one improvement in the forecast less humidity. it has been very sticky the last couple of days. sea breeze will make things comfortably cool and patches of clouds will spill locally inland. any chances of showers way off to the north. one of the transitions increased heat inland. by the weekend perhaps as warm as 100 degrees. also watching the air quality tomorrow. we may have spare the air days setting up for the weekend as the temperatures continue to climb. on the coast into early tomorrow no chances of rain now. mostly sunny skies eechben out

to the coast line later tomorrow as things start to warm up here. 50s and 60s tonight. tomorrow's highs upper 80s and low 90s south of san jose. low 90s around the trivalley. that seems cool compared to sunday. low 80s in oakland. temperatures ramping up in inland valley. upper 90s to kick off the weekend. sunday and monday we haven't budged from these numbers from last night. looks like monday should be the hottest day of the week with locations going just above 100 degrees. upper 80s in parts of the inner bay monday and tuesday. wednesday a sign some of the heat might start to break down a bit. >> we are fully prepared. up next drama off the field. a star football player is facing murder charges. plus we want to remind you some of the history behind today's decision at the supreme court. the fight has been in the works since 2004 when mayor gaven

newsome directed san francisco clerks to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

celebrity chef paula deen appeared on the today show this morning and denied she is a racist. her use of a racial slur came to light last month in a deposition in a discrimination lawsuit filed by an employee. deen admitted to using the n-word. >> is paula deen a racist? i will ask it to you bluntly. are you a racist?

>> no. i am not. >> by birth, by choice, by osmosis. >> no. >> deen said the only time she used the n-word was 30 years ago when somebody was robbing her. since the deposition the food network cancelled her contract. an nfl star is now charged with murder and being held without bail. new england patriots tight end aaron hernandez was arrested today at his home in massachusetts. he is bleeding not guilty. he is accused of shooting a 27-year-old man last week. the patriots released jodi hernand hernandez -- we leased aaron hernandez after his arrest. the 94-year-old has been in the hospital since june 8 suffering from a reoccurring lung infection. well wishers as well as family

continues to gather offering prayers for mandela. we are back with a live report from san francisco where the celebrations are just about to begin. same-sex marriages will be allowed here in california. the netherlands was the first country to legalize gay marriage in 2001. for our families...

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low and no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know... exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks... with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories... america's beverage companies are delivering. welcome back to our coverage of today's historic rulings from the supreme court. there are celebrations at this hour.

we are looking live down in southern california in west hollywood, a large rally beginning there to celebrate today's ruling. looks like a few hundred people are gathering. it could geto a few thousand people in the next few hours. >> here in the bay area the heart of the celebration in san francisco. >> a parade will kick off there in about an hour. let's bring in terry mcsweeney. how is the crowd picking up? what is the vibe and the mood out there? >> reporter: just about ten minutes ago police put up barricades blocking off castro street. that means it is party time. some people were partying on the sidewalk today. take a look and a listen. >> we won!

>> reporter: people very excited about both supreme court decisions, doma and prop 8. they feel there is still some work to be done. very soon 25 days or so california one of the states where you can get married if you are of the same gender. a lot of people out here today very emotional reactions to today's decisions. >> absolutely stoked. it is an incredible moment in history. it is really nice to see that the supreme court has made a respectable decision. i am overjoyed. >> it feels like a big pressure valve got released today. we are going to play and dance and have a great time and do stuff for future generations that don't have to go through what we went through. >> reporter: and again just a very small but vocal group on the sidewalk from 7:00 this morning when the announcement came out until a few minutes ago and now people are pouring off the sidewalks. coming out of it seems like nowhere pouring into the

streets. there is a truck set up. that is a stage. there is going to be live music. people have been putting posters around parking meters saying you can do what you want to do but not advised to park along castro street until about 10:00 tonight if the party can stop at that point. live in san francisco, terry mcsweeney, nbc bay area news. >> you talked about a stage being set up. is there a formal guest list of speakers? will this get to the thousands tonight? >> reporter: i would bet a lot of money if i were a betting man that there will be thousands of thousands of people here. they are blocking off four streets. this is a pretty big one here, castro street. i don't know who is going to be speaking. the rumors are all over the place. i can't confirm them. there will be bands and a party here on castro street. >> terry mcsweeney live from maybe the biggest party in the country right now.

>> it is already pride week in san francisco. thanks for joining us. our coverage of same-sex marriage continues on nightly news. see you at 6:00. on our broadcast tonight, making history at the supreme court. as the justices lay down the law, two big cases on same-sex marriage. tonight the decisions and the impact across the country. the final moments. chilling testimony from the woman on the phone with trayvon martin the night he died, talking about what she heard during that deadly confrontation. taking a stand. one woman's epic all-night filibuster, her desperate effort to run out the clock when suddenly chaos erupts during a showdown over abortion in texas. in her defense. paula deen's emotional appearance this morning on "today" followed by news tonight of another loss to her one-time food empire. "nightly news" begins now.