nbc bay area melissa colorado has more on the bush to create statewide covid testing plan for all schools. >> reporter: if you thought testing students for covid was only going to be a temporary thing because of the omicron surge, state senator dr. richard pan says think again. >> schools need to know what's going on in the schools and so the the parents. >> reporter: a licensed pediatrician wants to require every school in the state to develop a covid testing plan for students. under the bill, preschool, off school program and day care centers would also have to come up with a testing plan. >> without a testing plan, schools risk high numbers of teachers becoming positive and having to close schools because of staffing shortages. >> reporter: she sit on the school board. the berkeley unified school district was one of first districts in the bay area to provide free weekly testing for all student and handing out take home test kits before the winter break. >> we don't know what's coming next month. we don't know what's coming throughout the next year. if there's one thing we have learned

melissa colorado explains the financial of bart is grim and options of fixing it are not popular. >> reporter: cleaner stations, better lighting and more service hours. bart is hoping that is going to convince riders to hop on their trains again. it is going to be an uphill battle when you consider how many office workers are still working from home and the emergency federal dollars keeping bart afloat will eventually run out. >> it is slowly coming back. very slowly. >> definitely cleaner. >> reporter: bart is ready to welcome back thousands of their prepandemic riders. the problem, will they come back or better yet do they need to. >> i do see that so many companies are working remotely. it is going to be harder and harder to get that ridership up. >> reporter: bart held a board meeting to discuss their financial future and according to their ridership forecast, the next two years looked grim. >> we'll not get to prepandemic level not until next summer. >> reporter: the fed handed bart $1.3 billion to keep it running. the rest will run out the next two years and full prepandemic ri

melissa colorado went to find out what parents are thinking. >> reporter: is it time to give students choice to keep wearing their masks in school? we could all agree it's a hot-button issue and it's up for debate at an upcoming school board meeting here in brentwood. >> a lot of us are kind of getting fed up with having to wear it all the time, especially now that it's getting hotter and everything. >> reporter: california's indoor masking rule might have an expiration date, at least for the more than 8,200 high school students in brentwood. last night the liberty union high school district board of trustees asked the superintendent to look into how the district can stop enforcing the mask mandate. >> i talked to two or three superintendents that have gone this route, and getting their insights as far as preparations for next steps. >> reporter: the roseville joint unified high school district and half a dozen smaller districts have already gone down that road, and all are now at risk of losing liability insurance over the decision to defy state masking rules. according to a new poll

as melissa colorado explains, it's because the county reached a major vaccine milestone. >> reporter: this is the new way that buzz greets customers when they step foot inside his restaurant. >> you don't have to show i.d. or your vaccination card anymore as of this morning. >> my goodness. >> thank god. >> reporter: they lifted the health order requiring indoor businesses to check their customers' vaccination status or ask to see recent negative test results. the county says, there's no need for that mandate anymore because 80% of all county residents are now fully vaccinated. it's the load off this waitress' shoulders. >> i'm getting ready to cry. it's amazing. we have suffered greatly. this is amazing news. >> reporter: in december, health inspectors visited and warned the owners that they would face fines if they continued to ignore the county's vaccine verification order. >> that's been a strain on everything. >> reporter: a county spokesperson clarified the indoor masking order remains in place. >> the majority of us are vaccinated. i believe things are coming down. i think thin

here is nbc bay area's melissa colorado. >> reporter: it's the cozy restaurant known for rotisserie chicken, mistura restaurant managed to survive two years of the pandemic. now his loyal customers and nearby business owners along piedmont avenue are hoping he survives this tragic incident, too. >> to have this happen just as we're starting to feel like maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel, maybe we're going to really start to get to a point where we can get through this, to have this happen to chef luna is heartbreaking. >> reporter: when daniel luna wasn't cranking out peruvian dishes, he was likely wearing some type of bay area sports gear as seen in one of his facebook profile pictures. police in englewood are searching for the person or group of people who pete up the 40-year-old chef landing him in the er in a medically induced coma. he was wearing a 49ers jersey when paramedics found luna in the stadium's parking lot a half hour into the game. >> the heat of a moment, the football atmosphere, people tend to go overboard. >> reporter: we stopped by luna's home but no one was

nbc bay area's melissa colorado introduces us to the neighborhood detectives. >> reporter: it's the website where people in oakland go to report a problem like illegal dumping, abandoned cars, or potholes. it's the first site that came to mind when jennifer noticed an abandoned white van that was left on her block last month. >> this car had been there for quite a while. >> reporter: but after she saw the website was filled with a list of abandoned car reports from all parts of the city, she decided to do some of the leg work herself. >> i walked outside and looked at the side of the van and i could see that there used to be a company name and phone number on there. >> reporter: she called that number and found out the company had recently sold the van to this couple from san francisco. >> they had just bought it a few months ago and then it was stolen. so that was obviously upsetting. but they were really happy to get it back. >> reporter: her neighbor knows what that satisfaction feels like. >> these cars were dumped. i opened the door, personal information was there and i was able to con

melissa colorado reports that bill may be more important because of russia's invasion. >> we are notng in. >> reporter: it is a line the united states will not cross. that is the message from speaker nancy pelosi, who was in berkeley today to talk about more domestic issues. even though russia's invasion of ukraine continues to intensify by the hour. >> putin is not going to provoke the world into -- nato and the rest of us into world war iii. >> reporter: this morning pelosi toured the berkeley national laboratory where researchers are working on ways to improve semiconductor chips. smartphones, laptops, electric cars and medical equipment. >> faster computers, smaller computers, your cellphone will last longer. >> reporter: but the u.s. is lagging behind when it comes to manufacturing chips in the u.s. and that's worsening our supply chain issues. the russian invasion is expected to create even bigger issues because 90% of a key ingredient the u.s. needs to create those chips comes from ukraine. to address growing global supply concerns, the house passed the america competes act of

here is melissa colorado. >> feels like the largest family reunion. >> reporter: it's been two years since alicia green well has reunited with the extended family that is the black joy parade. a one-day celebration of all things positively black. >> it's fun and it's beautiful and our community deserves to be celebrated. you are also moving the economic machine around and making sure that people can stay in oakland and can survive in oakland. >> reporter: not all black-owned small businesses survived the pandemic. tanya's soul food restaurant served the last meal last month. green well says more than 200 black vendors have signed up. >> culture and creativity is an economic powerhouse. and so we do a survey with our vendors every year and they report doing 30% better at black joy parade than what we call general market events. >> reporter: the free event includes two stages. >> one with a headliner that i can't talk about. >> reporter: a healing village with yoga sessions and a children's play area. while it is a non-profit, she says she has found a way to make sure that the artists

that doesn't, to me, signal that you are rooted in oeblgd. >> reporter: in oakland, melissa colorado,>> it's getting close. i remember 25 years ago we were doing this with the giants at china basin and finally that deal got through. so it looks that way for the a's. >>> coming up, our olympics coverage. we're going to send it over to ross and malou for the olympic zone. happy friday to you guys. >> hey. ♪ ♪ off camera: and cut! ♪ ♪ this is amazing. we're almost ready for you. (on cellphone): don't say yes to that date yet. see you soon. ♪ ♪ come on let's go... ...push for another one! everything looks good, see you next year. see you next year, thank you. making your health a priority is real love. hologic. the science of sure. [bushes rustling] [door opening] ♪dramatic music♪ yes! hon! the weathertech's here. ♪ weathertech is the ultimate protection for your vehicle. laser-measured floorliners... no drill mudflaps... cargoliner... bumpstep... seat protector... and cupfone. ♪ what about my car? weathertech. ♪♪ >>> tonight on the "olympic zone." the can't-quit attitude that led to thes

here is nbc bay area's melissa colorado. >> reporter: skaters of all ages practice at the oakland ice center. some as young as 7-year-old braylon from san francisco. >> i like the spinning and the jumps. >> reporter: and others as seasoned as two-time u.s. figure skating champion and beijing olympian alysa liu. >> she grew up skating here, started at 5 years old. >> reporter: gloria lee opens her daughter follows in alyssa's footsteps. >> i think that is the dream for them. >> reporter: but the sport comes with extreme challenges as we saw this week. 15-year-old kamila valiyeva, the russian olympic committee was the gold favorite and hailed by some as the greatest skater ever until she tested positive for a banned substance. officials allowed her to compete because of her age. deeming her a protected person under the world anti-doping code. >> with these olympians, they train their entire lives and they have just got one opportunity. >> reporter: 16-year-old alysa liu is the youngest member of team usa across any olympic winter sport. >> several athletes are still children. they are s

. >> reporter: in oakland, melissa colorado, nbc bay area news. >>> still ahead, a rocky start for former president trump's social media app. what users get to do on his app now that it's live. >>> what happened five years ago today, floodwaters rushing into san jose. embattled neighbors say they're still fighting to get back to normal. >>> you can see it right here, some low snow and rainfall. i have an update on what's ahead for today and tomorrow. >>> not only is britney free, but she's also free to tell her own story. "variety" is reporting spears inked a book deal to talk about her family. it comes after the judge ended a 13-year conservatorship that the father had over spears. >>> this is his return to social media for trump. the app is called truth social, and it is now available to download in apple's app store. in fact, truth social began the free apple app today. there were some problems, though. #truths is where people went because many were assigned to a waiting list. >>> our scott mcgrew breaks down why these new social networks are not as open and free as they would like the

. >> reporter: in the east bay, melissa colorado, nbc bay area news. >>> we have new details on the rift between san francisco's d.a. and the police chief over that memo of understanding. chief bill scott terminated it after learning chesa boudin's office withheld information from the police department in a criminal case. today rob banta, mayor breed announced an extension. >>> there is encouraging early signs on the homeless crisis. it seems that the problem in the south bay may look unchanged because of litter and mess, and that can be misleading because the pandemic has stalled cleanup, however, they are working together more efficiently and in a quicker manner, they do see a difference and it is helping. >> there was just under 6,000 people in the last two years who have been permanently housed. there was about a 33% decrease of people branching into homelessness for the first time. >> we're building prefab housing in four or five months, instead of the typical apartment complex taking four or five year. >> the census is a year over due because of the pandemic. the results will be re

melissa colorado joins us from inside the coliseum from the tribute's going to get underway. he lived in pleasonton and he was beloved for not only being an amazing coach, but just being a good guy. >> absolutely. and we're already starting to see the fans come over here, get their seats and they're here to really honor the late, great john madden. i know today's valentine's day, but i don't think you're going to see a lot of red and pink here, it is all about the black and silver. it's called one more monday night here in oakland. a tribute to coach madden. i want to show you the set up. they've got the stage, the flowers, the chairs for the speakers and they have that colorful collage right there depicting key, critical moments of his career. we're also going to hear from a number of speakers including his son, mike madden, andy reid, and former oakland raider's linebacker. >> on the shoulders of his players. >> john madden revolutionized the world of coaching, sports broadcasting. >> the right goes to left, this guy crosses here, they have no idea. >> video games and even

here is melissa colorado. >> i absolutely don't ever want to do this again. i can tell you that. >> he is referring to the board decision to close the following seven schools by next year, due to the declining enrollment and budget management. community day school in parker k-8 school will close sooner, by this summer. community day school is small with anywhere from 10-15 students, it gives expelled students one last chance to graduate. >> currently the only alternatives in heyward, but there's county programs in oakland. i feel the district needs to work with the county to provide an option in oakland. >> the board voted to merge two schools, rise academy and new high land academy. la escuelita and hillcrest will no longer offer classes for middle students the class sizes will grow but they will be able to spend money wisely and use savings to give teachers a raise. >> people are still very, very angry, and i believe that, in the long run, it's going to be better for the district and it's urgent because of the financial situation we are in. even though ther

in oakland, melissa colorado, nbc bay area news. >> $20,000 to help catch a criminal. that's what's offered after a weekend shooting in palo alto. want to show you the suv linked to a string of overnight car thefts. around midnight saturday, a man caught a person near his car. police say that person ran to a getaway su vurx. when the victim says someone from the car fired at him. luckily, he wasn't hit. now, the nonprofit mothers against murder is offering $20,000 to try to find that gunman. police say five to six people could be involved. anyone with a tip can call the palo alto pd. >> from san francisco to mexico. district attorney chasea budean is supporting the mexican government's effort to go after u.s. gun manufacturers. he's joined by 25 district attorney s from across the u.s. they want a federal court to allow mexico to sue u.s. gun manufacturers. mexico claims the manufacturers are liable for crimes committed with their weapons across the border. the lawsuit also says gun makers are breaking mexican laws by helping cartels get their hands on those weapons. >

. >> reporter: in the east bay, melissa colorado, "nbc bay area news". >>> santa clara county firefightersa list of reasons they believe they should not be subject to the county's vaccine mandate. in a message sent to the media, they say there's a staffing shortage of 17%. so removing firefighters from active duty for not having a booster shot, they say, will cripple the department. they also say that the current shortage has some firefighters working an average of 80 hours a week, which is a lot of expensive overtime. the unsigned message adds, quote, the mandate, as it is currently being enforced, will incur an additional loss of over 40 employees and worsen an already critical staffing shortage, putting our firefighters and our residents at risk. >>> a new name and an expanded mission for pg&e wildfire's safety center. the center started four years ago as a hub for monitoring wildfires. it now has a new name, the hazard awareness and warning center or the acronym hawc. it is to monitor disasters, not just fires but tsunamis, floods, earthquakes and even avalanches. they will move to oak

as nbc bay area's melissa colorado explains, families, teachers and at least one school board director says there's another far less painful solution. >> my daughter is terrified that her school is going to close. >> in a span of three years, this little girl went from celebrating her first day of kindergarten to taking part in a protest to save her oakland school. >> she doesn't know where she's going to be. she doesn't know whether her friends are going to be with her. >> carl b. monk elementary could close in a matter of months if the school board votes to approve the district's money saving consolidation plan. the dropping and in chools willo merge, and grades at two schools will be cut. >> i have can stay in osusd. >> the district says while we do not deny these changes are difficult and painful for african american and latino families, we aim to build improvements in happened in less than a month. >> school phing back and said families did not get enough time to weigh in. >> we have seen a dip in enrollment in the two years of pandemic but so has every pandemic around the country