to play scheme. federal investigators released the

indictment against former oakland mayor sheng thao. good afternoon. i'm audrey asistio. welcome to nbc bay area news at 4:30. we'll tell you how the recalled mayor i is respoing to those allegations today. we're also tracking other stories on this friday, including the supreme court upholding the ban on tiktok just days before it will take effect. our scott budman is looking into what it will mean for all of you who use the popular social media app, also pleading guilty. the man convicted of kidnaping, denise huskins in vallejo, is answering to new charges tied to other cases in the south bay, and crews are making progress on those destructive wildfires in l.a. county. the positive news to come out of the burn zone. but let's go ahead and begin with the big legal bombshell facing former mayor sheng thao today. federal prosecutors unsealed an eight count indictment against tao and her partner, andre jones, and two

members of the huang family. the huang's are a powerful east bay family that owns a recycle company that's contrtracted b te city. the indictment comes just months after fbi agents raided tao's home in oakland. voters removed her from office in a recall election. you'll remember tao and jones are facing charges of conspiracy and bribery, as well as mail and wire fraraud. e u.s. attorney's office alleges the four conspired to funnel city business to companies owned by the duong's and in exchange. investigators say tao and jones received money and benefits. for other. federal prosecutors say the scheme started in october 2022, a month before tao was elected as oakland's mayor. tao has consistently said she is innocent of any crime or wrongdoing. if convicted of all counts, each defendant faces a

maximum of 95 years in prison, but andy duong faces up to an additional five years if convicted of lying to federal agents. okay, now to the impending ban of tiktok. come sunday, the u.s. ban will go into effect. supreme court upheld the law today, putting tiktok's future in question. let's go ahead and bring in our business and tech reporter scott budman. okay, scott, this is happening just two days. we've all been waiting for sunday, but it looks like the supreme court has spoken. yeah, and this is what we were waiting for, to find out if the court would uphold that law or put a stall on it. the court said no, it listened to the arguments, but it says the law can stand, which means on the 19th, your phone can still have tiktok on it, but apple and google will have to remove it from their app stores. got it. i know you've been busy. we've been talking about this since last night. last night, a lot t of tikto users, they had hope after the white house said that this you know, they'd try to stop this. but what are users telling you today? you know,

users are saying they still have some hope because after all, the law goes into effect. unless tiktok gets an american buyer, we don't know that it's with its parent company, bytedance of china will sell. and we don't know that any buyer in america is going to shell out that kind of money. so right now, the users are saying, okay, it's time to look to a plan b, whether that's instagram or youtube. and a lot of the young people we talked to say, yes, i make a lot of money on tiktok, but now i'm going to have to try to bring as many people, clients, people who follow me over to these other sites. and that's really a big ask when people are actually spending money and subscribing to you. so it's a tough time both for the people on tiktok and for tiktok employees who so far have their jobs. but if they shut down in the united states, that's a pretty big place. and, you know, for tiktok and they have a lot of employees, some 7000 here, we don't really know what happens to them if they get to stay yet. so still, a lot of questions to

be answered. i know you got to speak with some lawyers about this today. so what are the different scenarios we're looking at here? i mean, at this point shy of a buyer that comes in at the last possible minute and says, okay, we'll take tiktok and make it here into an american company, it will have to wait until after monday when donald trump is sworn in. he has said one of his goals is to somehow figure out a way to keep tiktok in america. okay, but that means at least one, maybe two, maybe some weeks. it means some time without tiktok getting anywhere from the app store, which means no updates, no bug fixes, nothing like that. so if you have it on your phone, it will stay there. you can still use it, but it won't get any of the updates unless and until the trump administration or someone can step forward with some sort of a deal. but the law is. and now it's been upheld by the supreme court. without that buyer, tiktok is banned in the u.s.a. okay. all right, scott, thank you for that update. appreciate it. let's go and take

a live look at capitol hill now where the city is preparing for major celebrations. a last minute venue change and heightened security measures ahead of inauguration day. presidt elect donald trump will take the oath of office on monday. the event has been moved inside because of the cold weather there. it's now going to take place in the capitol rotunda. trump said he's also going to hold an indoor rally at capital one arena on inauguration day, where his supporters will be able to watch the ceremony. the event is bringing together all the living presidents, foreign dignitaries, celebrities and hundreds of thousands of spectators from around the world. all right. back in our a area. the man convicted of an infamous kidnaping in vallejo has now pled guilty to more home invasions in the south bay. so you may remember, matthew mueller was convicted in the 2015 kidnaping and assault of denise huskins. vallejo police originally dismissed that case as a hoax. well, earlier this month, investigators linked to matthew mueller to more burglaries from back in 2009, in

mountain view and palo alto. today, mueller pled guilty to those charges. prosecutors say the investigation was only possible because of the help of huskins and her husband. they've used that experience and turned it into a force for good in collaborating with police departments to make sure what happened to them never happens again. it was through that collaboration earlier this year with detectives, with chief nick borges in seaside, that this whole investigation reopened. mueller faces life in prison. he is scheduled to be sentenced next month. there is some good news for survivors of the la wildfires. a few evacuation zones were lifted today as crews continue to gain ground. palisades fire sparked last tuesday. it is now 31% contained. that's up from 22% this time yesterday. and eaton fire. the eaton fire burning

north of pasadena is now 65% contained. slowly, a few evacuation orders have been lifted. still, tens of thousands of people can't return home. yet many firefighters on the front lines are working to extend and extinguish those flames, all while wondering if their own homes are still standing. i'm just so used to being the one coming and asking, how can i help you? and now being the one needing that service, it's just completely different. la's mayor has appointed stephen soboroff, a real estate developer and longtime civic leader, to lead the wildfire recovery efforts. we should note he is the father of nbc correspondent jacob soboroff, right. the ongoing dry conditions in california, low humidity and lack of rain play a role in elevating fire conditions, and this week's drought monitor update shows an increase in severe conditions for southern california. january now ranking as the third driest on record. let's bring in our

meteorologist, vianey arana vianey. how are the percentages looking? well, you know, we get these updates every thursday. and i do have a look right now at where we stand. you mentioned that increase in southern california with the drought conditions. and if you look right here, we've got the boost in the colors from abnormally dry to that severe orange color. so far we've seen an increase of severe drought by about 15% in just the last two weeks, which is when we see the updates. we've also got a sliver right here in the red zone, which puts it in that extreme category. now notice northern california is still mostly abnormally dry and drought free. how does this compare to last january? yeah, i think that's where a lot of us are kind of playing in the component of we haven't really gotten much rain. so let's take a look at what the drought monitor looked like just last year. notice january of 2024. we had no dught on california's map. 97% was completely drought

free. and the reason for that was we had a really great 2023 to 2024 water year. we had a good amount of rainfall that came through. that certainly helped. and then if you notice just to today, that comparison around the same time last year, 27% of the state of california is now under a severe drought and 61% is abnormally dry. so certainly you can tell there there's been a lack of rainfall. that, of course, plays a role in this. and when we see that lack of rainfall, we start to see not only, you know, with the surface water conditions, but also groundwater concerns as well. when we talk about rain in northern california, does that include snow and what are the what's the snowpack looking like right now? yeah. well, you know, we've been looking at potential for rain chances, which of course in southern california, you know, would definitely benefit from that as well. and in the long range forecast, we do have the chance for some rain in sight for northern california, but potentially even for southern california. now again, this is in the extended

forecast. so we're still waiting to see how that plays out. but i do want to show you, audrey, what that rainfall percent of average since october 1st looks like so far. comparing northern california, as you mentioned, to southern california. so notice this is the bay area here. look at the percentages right up top here. so we did really well so far for northern california especially when you look at this. and then let me take this further south compared to southern california we've got much drier conditions, a lot less rain. you know it's looking a lot drier in comparison there. but yes, it does include the sierra snowpack as well, because that's another key component when it comes to not only the water supply. the sierra snowpack plays a big role in the water supply. and i do have the latest numbers for this. this is looking like 84% right now of the statewide average. you'll also notice there the difference between north at about 125% versus south at about 56%. so definitely brings an impact there to the sierra snowpack. but we're hoping that fruary

might play out as a more active, you know, month for just the state of california in general. that would be very helpful. all right, vianey, thank you. well, desperately wanting to save their school, parents and students rally outside a san jose campus. the reason the namesake of the school holds special meaning. our ian cull will fill us in. also a special ceremony in the south bay. a toddler rings the bell, signifying the end of her cancer battle. we're going to show you more of this emotional moment, but before we head to break, we want to know what trending story would you like to see later on in this newscast? i do have a survey up right now on my instagram, and you still have a little bit more time to vote for one of these stories right here. craig melvin's dream interview. detroit lions call dibs on 32 pound infant or new women's we'll tell yougue tips off. a

- i had health insurance before. (discouraged) so expensive. i mean, i'm helping my mom out, i don't have that kinda cash. - ugh, i know. but you can get financial help now through covered california. it's totally affordable. you'd be surprised. they've got this calculator thing that shows how much you'll pay. - for real? - yeah! what are you doing not having health insurance, man? - hey, i know, i know... - here, let me show you... - we all have questions. covered california has answers and can find a health plan that's right for you. covered california. this way to health insurance.

to make sure newborns have enough diapers. here's our

marcus washington with the details. governor gavin newsom unveiling his latest budget proposals. and he's working to help those trying to make it in the bay by supplying them with free diapers. now, newsom is looking to set aside more than $7 million in this year's budget and $12.5 million next year to provide three month supply of diapers to families with newborns, regardless of income. so the goal here is to address diaper affordability, which is a cause near and dear to east bay. assemblywoman liz ortega families continue to talk to me about three major pressures that they were feeling. it was housing, food and diapers. so to finally see that we've made a shift from last year where we were cutting diapers and cutting diaper banks to actually seeing in the budget as a priority from the governor is really exciting. ortega attributes the

initiative's inclusion in this year's budget to female lawmakers who have pushed for diaper affordability. the goal of the program is for the state to give out 40 million diapers this year, doubling that number to 80 million next year. the initiative would need to survive budget negotiations and passed by lawmakers in june. and to see stories like this, be sure to join us every morning on today in the bay from 5 to 7 a.m. i'm marcus washington. back to you, marcus. thanks. parents are now getting into the battle to save a south bay elementary school, named for a man many see as an american hero. today, parents joined kids and community members in a morning rally outside jason dahl elementary in san jose. they are demanding the school district take it off their potential closure list, arguing that not only would a closure create major hardship for students and parents, but would also tarnish the legacy of its namesake. nbc bay area's ian cull joins us now. and, ian, i understand jason dahl's family was actually there this morning.

yeah, they were. and just to be clear, we're talking about the family of captain jason dahl, the pilot on united flight 93 that was taken over by terrorists on september 11th. today, members of his family joined parents for a rally before school. it's part of the franklin-mckinley school district and one of the schools the district has marked for potential closure to address a major budget deficit. the district says it may need to close at least five schools this summer. as you noted, dahl elementary was named for pilot jason dahl. on september 11th, terrorists took control of his flight with a plan to crash it into the u.s. capitol. instead, the crew and passengers fought back, forcing the plane to crash into a field in shanksville, pennsylvania. dahl attended the school as a child when it was known as hillsdale elementary, and today his sister carol was among those rallying to keep it open. it's disappointing to think that it would be closed, could be closing. it's been a community school for ever since i went to kindergarten here, you know, and my siblings and i all

went through here, and it was such an honor when they decided to name it after jason. that's been around for a while. ian. so what happens from here? yeah. so the district says an advisory committee will release its final recommendations on which schools to close next week. they stress that no final decisions have been made yet. but officials also note that cuts are necessary because the district has lost 40% of its student body since 2011, writing in a statement this is a process that weighs heavily on our community, and we empathize with everyone who may be affected. if captain jason dahl elementary is selected for closure, we remain deeply committed to honoring and celebrating the legacy of captain dahl, a hero who will always hold a special place in our community. the school board will make a final decision on this issue on february 11th. you'll hear more from all sides coming up at 530. all right, ian, thank you. we'll see you at 530. more than 100 year old restaurant in san francisco's chinatown could serve its final

meals in less than two weeks. sam wu on colleen kearny street street has been open since 1908. in chinatown, the current chef, david ho, is retiring after nearly 45 years. for more than a year, the co-owners have searched for a new chef to take over, but haven't been able to find someone. one of the co-owners says their landlord is giving them three months of reduced rent, in hopes of still finding someone else to take over. if not, the co-owners will dismantle the restaurant through an auction. i am with meteorologist vianey arana once again to take a look at our weather. it's actually been it's been really beautiful out there. and you know, today we were just a bit cooler. the reason for that look at the cloud cover there. itt lingere throughout our afternoon. we did still get some sunshine peeking through, but let's get right to your microclimate forecast so we can talk about the temperatures. and of course, what we're seeing right now. so this is what we've got right now. we've got 50s across the board, 58 in san

jose, 53 in danville, 51 in san francisco. and just to show you how the clouds manage to keep us just a bit cooler, i'm going to show you the 24 hour temperature change around the same time yesterday. almost ten degrees cooler in hayward, san jose, about five degrees cooler. look at novato and santa rosa. so definitely feeling a bit more of that cool factor today. as far as satellite, things are still quiet, so no rain for today or through the weekend or for the next several days, but we've got some way out ahead. now, we do have, of course, the cloud cover. do expect to see the formation of some fog once again into early saturday morning. and in addition to the fog, we're also going to monitor for some chilly weather as well. san jose in the next couple of hours. here's what we can expect. we're at about 58. you're going to notice at about 8:00 those temperatures start to dip into the 40s. so if you've got any sort of late dinner plans, absolutely layer up and bundle up, because san francisco is also going to start dipping into those 40s right around that late dinner hour at about 8:00, walnut creek, we start to see

the low to mid 40s as well, right around nine, 10:00. and it's going to get even colder as you wake up tomorrow morning, once again waking up with several 30s and 40s on the map. 39 degrees in dublin, 40 for san jose and afternoon highs will be in the 50s. but just to give you a sneak peek ahead, keep in mind we're watching the fog, but also that next potential wind event into next week, so make sure to stick around at 5:00. chief meteorologist jeff rooney we'll have more details on that. all right. vianey thank you. in the south bay today, a very special reason to celebrate at kaiser permanente santa clara. a two year old girl got to ring the bell to signal that she's cancer free. lucy nguyen was diagnosed with an aggressive form of infant leukemia when she was just two months old. now two and a half years old, she has spent her entire life in and out of the hospital, enduring chemotherapy and other treatments. and as you can imagine, it's been a difficult

journey for lucy and her parents. but mom and dad say lucy is a warrior. she was pretty much our shining light in one of the darkest times in my life, and it's just so grateful that she has been an amazing daughter, amazing child, and super so brave. i could finally take a deep breath, sigh of relief. oh, it's so cute! lucy's care team and extended family all took part in today's ceremony. the nguyen say they are looking forward to traveling and letting lucy run wild. lucy tells them she actually wants to go to school, just like her five year old big sister. i'm so happy for this family i know, so happy for them. touching, wonderful beginnings for them. all right, a lot happening at five. yeah, okay. a lot more happening. more than 24 hours later, a lithium battery storage plant is still smoldering in monterey county. it actually

reignited. today, the plant in moss landing is one of the largest in the world. the fire is contained to the building, and emergency crews say it is safe to breathe the air. but neighbors, they aren't buying it and say something needs to be done. this is the third fire at this facility, and we're going to dive deeper into the indictment of former oakland mayor sheng thao. a lot of accusations flying back and forth. our investigative team looks into what's really going on and details the scheme being laid out by prosecutors. all that and more coming up at 5:00. all right, janelle thank you. still to come, top trending still to come, top trending story voted byas i don't ever see anyone coming out to maintenance anything, so it's very scary for me because i have everything i love in this home. so, we've now implemented drone technology. how is that safe for me? it enhances the inspection, so it allows us to see things faster. your safety is the most important, and if you're feeling unsafe, that's not okay. it doesn't feel like that in our hearts. i mean, it's worrisome. [dog barks]

[dog barks]

after going viral on tiktok. a six month old baby already has nfl teams lining up. this is video of kaylyn souza racked up millions of views on tiktok this week, with users noticing his impressive size. his mom, madison peltzer, said he weighs 32 pounds at just six months

old, and the detroit lions have already called dibs in the comment section. peltzer then posted another video of her baby responding to the lions comment. she told the team, just give them a few years and they'll be there. as always, i'll be posting links to the other stories you voted for on my instagram. okay, now look at this. look at her go baby spider monkey that was brought to the oakland zoo is doing well on her road to recovery. may remember eshoo louis was found inside a rolls royce during a traffic stop in central california. she was actually being kept illegally, needed medical care, so the officers took her to t oakland zoo. her care team says she's making steady progress. in fact, they've upgraded her quarters with exciting climbing structures and enrichment. they say it's helping her build muscle, keeping her strong and active during recovery. thank you so much for joining us. at 430. jess and janelle are working on the 5:00 newscast next. we're back in two minutes.

sheng thao indicted, accused of funneling city business to certain companies in exchange for money and other benefits. we have team coverage of what happened and the long prison sentence she could face. also, a fire at one of the world's largest battery storage plants continues to smolder in moss landing. we're going to take you there live for the latest on the effort to put it out and the impact on air quality. and a former 49ers star tries getting released from jail once again. what a judge decided today. good friday everyone. the news at five starts right now. thanks so much for joining us i'm janelle wang. and i'm jessica aguirre. exactly a month after recalled oakland mayor sheng thao served her last day in office. she's now facing federal criminal charges that could send her to prison for decades. now, her longtime romantic partner and two influential local businessmen have all been indicted on conspiracy and

bribery charges. nbc bay area's velena jones has been following the story since the former mayor's home was raided by the fbi. she was in court today where all four were formally arraigned. the defendants used bribes, mail fraud, wire fraud and other illegal practices to manipulate and corruptly influence the levers of local government. a 21 page indictment lays out eight counts the u.s. attorney's office claiming sheng thao promised to use her influence as oakland mayor to benefit businesses owned by david duong and his son, andy. in exchange, she and her longtime partner andre jones would get money and other benefits. prosecutors claim the bribes started in october 2020, two weeks before the mayoral election. the public needs to know it can trust those in charge of city hall to work for the best interests of the people of oakland. this public trust is broken when elected