. >> and i'm raj mathai. tonight state officials voted for dramatic water cuts. if you don't comply, you'll be slapped with a hefty fine. the new restrictions might put some businesses out of business. but there are people who don't have to follow the rules. nbc bay area's jean elle is in san francisco this evening with details and loopholes of tonight's big decision. jean? >> reporter: raj, state water

. >> and i'm raj mathai. it is friday morning in the ukraine and the world is watching. investigators, including a special u.s. team are awaiting access to this horrific crash site. here is what we know at this hour. keep in mind, the story is change big the hour. the u.s. confirms a surface-to-air missile struck a malaysian airlines jetliner over ukraine. this is near the russian border. nearly 300 passengers have been killed. families of the passengers are still being contacted. we have multiple reports tonight. let's begin with nbc's peggy bunker and the latest on this investigation. peggy? >> reporter: well, good evening to you. for the second time in just four months, a malaysia airlines 777 yesterday meets a tragic end. this time 298 lives have been lost. the plane originated in amsterdam, flying over towards the russian-ukrainian border on a flight to kuala lumpur. three hours in controllers said they lost contact with the plane. then came the reports of a fireball this the sky. this is all that is left of malaysia airlines flight 17, charred and smoldering in a b

. >> i'm raj mathai. for the first time, the disease is hitting the united states.he first american has died of ebola. patrick sawyer who worked in liberia collapsed at an airport in nigeria nine days ago and then died on friday. we're also learning that two aid workers are gravely ill, fighting for their lives. here in the bay area, a lab is helping to prevent the spread of ebola. michelle roberts is live with details. >> reporter: the symptoms of ebola can be similar to the flu. fever, nausea and headache. here at the lab they are working on a test that can defect ebola virus along with thousands of others all at the same time. and time is crucial for people who need treatment now. the ebola virus has killed more than 600 people and has a variety of strains. scientists say the current tests aren't capable of recognizing mutations. >> our sample gets labeled. >> reporter: scientists at the livermore lab have created a new test that can recognize t

i'm raj mathai. >> that fear growing. more than 1,000 firefighters with a new enemy. for much of the day it's been a draw with neither the fire nor firefighters gaining a lot of ground. it has burned an estimated 3800 acres so far, and it's only 30% contained. that's the same containment that the fire had 24 hours ago. but that could soon cheick, leaving the fate of nearly 200 homes in jeopardy. >> jeff ranieri is tracking the shifting wind, but we begin with mark matthews near pope valley. what's the new information about the damage with this fire? >> reporter: they have upped the number of structures that have been burned in the fire from five to seven. they now say that five outhouses or five, i should say sheds burned. and one hunting cabin and one actual residence. we'll tell you more about that in a minute. the most significant change is that the winds have picked up, and it has exasser batesed this fire. from the air, that's how this fire is bei

. >> and i'm raj mathai. he's a former car dearly and member of the santa clara county advisory board. >> but he's said to have swindled money, part of a ponzi scheme. >> investors were not disappointed to see ron battistella in a jumper and handcuffs. he's now entered a no-contest plea. and we now know his next stop is a state prison. >> we are just overwhelmed with emotion at a hearing that finally justice is going to be done. >> she's one of nearly two dozen victims. she's asked us to hide her identity and reacting to the guilty plea. >> he's going to prison for what he did. your reaction? >> i'm stunned. i'm very stunned. >> reporter: in santa clara county court, battistella said he was

i'm raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirre.ater leaders voted on a plan that could mean stiff new fines for water wasters. jodi hernandez is live in sacramento with the meeting that just ended. and some people are depending on water for their lively hood and are very worried now. >> reporter: that's right, they're really sweating. and actually, this is something that's going to impact everyone. state water regulators just finalized the new measures. they approved the emergency restrictions just a few minutes ago. if you haven't scaled back on your water usage yet, watch out. >> fields are going fallow. thousands of people are going to be out of work. there are communities running out of water and are having lunch sent from other communities to them. they're bathing out of buckets. >> reporter: that's why regulators are considering first of their kind restrictions and hefty fines for water wasters. starting next month, outdoor overwatering could cost you big time. ? for heaven's sakes. when communities across the state are exper

. >> i'm raj mathai. we begin with that story m he's accused of murdering the morgan hill teenager, and this report has been unsealed. the report outlines some of the key evidence against torres. it includes dna details and the possibility that sierra lamar and garcia torres had more than just a casual encounter. this is part of a 2,000-page document we have just obtained. we are at the courthouse with the latest details. robert? >> reporter: we have been poring over this transcript, and even though it is incredibly technical and detailed, we have gotten some very interesting new information. as we have been reporting, torres was charged in the disappearance of sierra lamar even though her body has never been found. but investigators tell nbc bay area, there was evidence linking the two. some of the inferences in the transcript are graphic. but much of the testimony revolved around the testimony of bodily fluids, including some found on her clothing. now t

. >> and i'm raj mathai. it is massive and there's no stopping it. our nbc chopper is on the scene. you get the scope and size of this fire. it started in the noon hour and is spreading fast. it's happening in the pope valley 20 miles east of calistoga. you can also see lake berryessa there. this is a rural area, but there are small communities throughout. they are surrounded by the dry brush fueling the fire, and they are on steep and rugged terrain. this has damaged at least five structures, forcing crews to evacuate more than 180 homes. at this hour, it continues to burn, but it is 30% contained. >> there are horse ranches in that area. smoke can be seen. it is dark, ugly smoke. this is what it looks like from our san rafael camera. the wind is very erratic. that's why we've seen the fire shift from the pope area to the lake berryessa area. >> you can see it's now at the

. >> and i'm raj mathai. it weighs 60,000 pounds. what's it doing in redwood city? critics are calling foul. they don't want to see it on the peninsula. we are live at the police department. what is the plan here? >> reporter: the plan is simply to protect. but some people say it's just a bit too much. even the redwood city police department says this vehicle does have some things that they don't even need, but hey, they take what they can get. it was paid for by the federal government. >> it's big. that's the first thing that struck me. >> reporter: it's hard to miss, 60,000 pounds and 13 feet tall, the bulletproof, armored vehicle, a hand-me-down from the military. lieutenant ashley osborne says it was used -- >> to protect troops in afghanistan from roadside bombs. >> reporter: it has a new coat of paint, courtesy of the police and s.w.a.t. team. it wasaid for by the federal government. it is part of a program

. >> and i'm raj mathai. we're on a little late tonight because of the giants game here on nbc. our breaking news in contra costa county. >> a brushfire that has burned 50 acres so far and is threatening some buildings in the city of clayton. we've also learned it may have been started by a car. >> let's get rights to our chief meteorologist jeff ranieri who has been tracking the conditions and joins us with what we know right now, jeff. >> right now this is one of the windiest locations in the bay area at the current moment. temperature 52 degrees. so obviously it is is not hot out here. it's a sustained wind at 19 miles per hour coming off of the west and at least five acres have been burned. this is right here march creek road. this is on the eastern side of mt. diablo. as we get you in closer, we know a lot you have that are near here are concerned about the fire, the direction of the winds. right now it is extremely close to leon way, also morgan territory road, oak hill lane a lot of this smoke, and hopefully any embers from this fire would be blowing away from you at this

i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm janelle wang in for jessica aguirre. tonight a somber anniversary for an east bay family. today marks one year since the disappearance of daphne webb. >> her father says the toddler was taken from his car. now this is not a cold case. police say they do have active leads. nbc bay area's cheryl hurd is with us in oakland tonight with the new details. cheryl? >> reporter: well, raj, this case is unusual because oakland police aren't sure if little daphne is alive or dead. her father may have been the last person to see her. and the district attorney is now looking over the case. now despite all the negatives, daphne's family is holding on to hope that she is alive. ♪ >> we got a lot of support from people who never met daphne. ♪ oh we need you >> reporter: so they came to 79th avenue and international boulevard in oakland. to pray for her return. >> we ask the lord wherever daphne is, we need closure in this matter. >> reporter: closure because the 2-year-old seemed to have just disappeared. >> we didn't know we were going

i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. community weapons up for grabs. shotguns, pistols, all stashed away at parks for gang members to pick up and use. today it wasn't a bad guy who found a loaded shotgun at a school, but a group of young campers. nbc bay area's jean elle is live in santa rosa with more on the discovery and why police believe there may be weapons like this hidden in neighborhoods all over the bay area. >> reporter: jessica, santa rosa police say gangs all over california hide guns in a community, and like the one police here picked up today, most are loaded. >> what are we going to do? who can help us? >> reporter: anna salgado feels helpless after learning kids at a summer camp program at lincoln elementary school found a shotgun hidden on campus yesterday. >> this gun was loaded and could have easily injured someone. >> reporter: police say the weapon was under a building right next to jacobs memorial park. >> apparently often marbles kind of roll under the building. they went under there being innocent kids, saw what they thought was

i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. we're now learning more about the sole u.s. citizen on board. 19-year-old lucas schansman was supposed to meet up with his family in bali for vacation. the dutch american citizen had dual zip. he once lived in bay area. tonight his family is grieving a young life they say was just lost too soon. >> you go through all the phases of mourning. at the moment it's just mourning. of course it's angry that you see why it didn't need to be happen. it didn't. >> also tonight, a candlelight vigil at the international aids conference. a group of passengers on board were flying to that conference in melbourne, australia. now world leaders are demanding that pro-russian rebels give investigators complete access to the crash site. the first international team of investigators to arrive weren't granted full access. the delegation mostly from europe was only allowed to make a partial inspection of the debris field before being ordered to leave. >>> some blunt words from president obama today. he says russia is responsible. he believes russia s

i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. we've been on early tonight because of the giants game here on nbc bay area. new questions about the connection between pg&e and the group that is responsible for making sure it follows the rules. on monday, the city of san bruno is going to hold a news conference outlining what it says are e-mails which reveal a bias on the part of the cpuc to protect pg&e's best interests. tony kovaleski joins us from the newsroom. tony, this isn't the first time that this relationship between the cpuc and pg&e and been called into question. >> reporter: no, it is not, jessica. this is a significant development in what has become an ongoing feud between the city of san bruno and the leadership of the california public utilities commission. san bruno saying tonight that this stack of e-mail communications exposes an uncomfortably close relationship between the leadership of the regulatory body and top managers at pg&e. the public utilities commission is expected to soon announce its decision on pg&e'

. >> and i'm raj mathai. tonight state officials voted for dramatic water cuts. if you don't comply, you'll be slapped with a hefty fine. the new restrictions might put some businesses out of business. but there are people who don't have to follow the rules. nbc bay area's jean elle is in san francisco this evening with details and loopholes of tonight's big decision. jean? >> reporter: raj, state water officials say we are wasting the most water here, outside, doing things just like this. washing down the sidewalk and washing down our driveways. starting in august, that could cost you a $500 fine. but there are exceptions. power-washing may seem like a waste of water. but the manager at the cadillac hotel in san francisco's tenderloin says it's a must. >> the urine. >> reporter: the department of public works gets nearly one thousand requests a month to clean up human waste. more than half are in the tenderloin. cleaning crews use as much as 600 gallons of water a day. people who live here say it's not a waste. >> people are health area risks, with feces, garbag

i'm jessica aguirre risks and i'm raj mathai. it's massive, and it's been burning for nearly 12 hours. more than 2700 acres. it's about 30% contained. and more than 200 homes have been evacuated. at one point, the smoke created what looked like a mushroom cloud, reaching about 2,000 feet into the sky. this is all happening about 20 miles east of calistoga in polk valley, which is not far from lake berryessa. >> we have live team coverage. we begin with nbc bay area's jean elle right from the fire line. we're talking about rugged location, very rural, which obviously makes it very tricky for firefighters. >> that's what cal fire says. it's a difficult firefight. we're actually at the roadblock here of pope valley and aetna springs road. this is as close as residents can get to this fire. take a look, though. you can see the orange glow up there on the hillside. you can also see the wind has died down, which is good news for firefighters. residents are stopping by this roadblock, hoping for more good news. >> i turned on to deer pa

. >> and i'm raj mathai. the heat is on. that self-proclaimed call girl is accused of killing a google executive there are several twists to the story including prostitution and heroin. let's bring in peggy bunker from the crime scene in santa cruz. this is a scandalous story making headlines. >> reporter: it certainly, raj. police have been investigating the connection between forest hayes and this alleged call girl, alix tichelman. they say there was text messages and e-mails that they've been investigating for over eight months. she was arraigned in a santa clara courtroom for felony manslaughter, but police say she should be facing charges of murder. >> we believe this case is more than just an accident and more than a manslaughter. >> a 26-year-old high-priced call girl who catered to silicon valley executives modelled and made tutorials on youtube. police say she is a cold-blooded killer whose weapon of choice is heroin. she was in a courtroom after being arrested for the overdose death of former google executive forre

. >> and i'm raj mathai. it's an incredible sight, and it's still unfolding at this late hour. we're going to show you some live pictures from our nbc chopper. you can see down below sunset boulevard, the world famous artery through l.a. is closed right now. and it has been closed for several hours. the water still leaking there just a bit. but here is why. an estimated 10 million gallons of water down the drain. and we watched it happen. to put that in perspective, the entire city of los angeles uses $55 million gallons of water each day. at its peak, that geyser was shooting water 30 feet into the air. it took more than three hours to turn off a series of valves and ultimately stop that massive leak. but the damage was done. the 93-year-old water main broke just above the ucla campus. water and mud blanketed parts of the school. you can see students down below literally wading through that water. underground parking garages were also flooded. and at one point up to 8 inches of water covered the floor of the historic pauley pavilion which is home to the ucla basketball team. t

. >> and i'm raj mathai. the push for pot is on not just for medicinal purposes. many want california to do what colorado and washington did and legalize it for recreational purposes. how realistic is this? nbc bay area's nanette miranda is in with the story. nanette, this is a notable night. >> reporter: well, it is for those who have been watching the two states carry this out. a field poll back in december found that 55% of californians asked supported the legalization of recreational pot. that's the first time the poll found a solid majority for the change. but the movement couldn't get its act together this year to take advantage of the momentum. the wait in washington state is finally over. 20 months after voters there approved the recreational use of marijuana, people can finally buy it. >> it's very liberating. i never thought i would see this in my lifetime, ever. >> reporter: washington now joins colorado in legalizing marijuana. >> california has definitely fallen behind. >> reporter: back in california, pot supporters are hard at work, trying to make t

. >> and i'm raj mathai. only on nbc bay area, a major development in a high profile local corruption case. federal prosecutors have filed new charges against embattled state senator leland yee. sources close to the case have confirmed to us that the feds have filed a superseding document, essentially replacing the initial indictment with a new charge, racketeering has now been added to bribery, moneylaundering, and gun-running charges. yee and chinatown gangster are the central figures in this case. >>> new at 11 tonight, the man behind the wheel was aiming for him. that's what police say about a driver who ran down a man at a south bay shopping center parking lot. it happened this afternoon near ross and brenham in south bay. officers started chasing the man until it finally ended at a shopping center with the man being hit. the man was taken to the hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. the driver took off. police don't have a motive, but say the victim was intentionally hit. >>> okay. get ready for a

. >> and i'm raj mathai. no pomp or circumstance at sfo, but there is controversy in the midst of an international crisis, president obama left the white house and is in san francisco tonight. his critics are questioning the timing of this trip and the message it might be sending. nbc bay area's jean elle joins us from sfo where the president touched down just a short while ago. jane? >> reporter: raj, the president landed here at sfo on a fundraising mission. and this trip is drawing a little bit of criticism. here at the airport tonight there was the usual tight security at sfo. but unlike most visits, there was no one at the bottom of the stairs to welcome him. the president is here raising money for the democratic national committee, specifically, for democrats running for congress in the midterm elections. while he is collecting checks, there are lots of things happening around the world that demand the attention from the commander in chief. political analyst says the president can handle both roles and

. >> and i'm raj mathai. the fourth of july weekend is here, and more than ever there are serious concerns about illegal fireworks. >> we have live team coverage tonight. we begin with jean elle in san mateo, which city is taking what some people consider to be drastic measures, jean. >> reporter: jessica, here on third avenue in san mateo, it's pretty clear people are not welcome at the parks along the shoreline tomorrow night. signs announcing the park's early closure have been posted all week. police and fire officials say the grass here is just too dry to take any chances. >> if somebody throws a match or something out here when i'm walking, i worry about that. you know? it's a fire, it's going to burn up this beautiful area. >> reporter: all the dry grass at seal point park in san mateo has deborah worried about fire danger. >> with views across the bay, police say it's a popular park for people to gather and watch the fireworks on the fourth of july. >> a lot of families gather. and then eventually you

. >> and i'm raj mathai. bank robbers, hostages, and a deadly shoot-out. it was a shocking scene. and tonight people in stockton are still stunned. three alleged bank robbers took three women hostage and led police on a wild chase. in the end, three people were killed. nbc bay area's cheryl hurd has the latest details on this developing story. cheryl? >> reporter: well, raj, bullets were flying everywhere. and when it was over, a bullet-riddled car was left on the street with at least one body inside. veteran police officers with at least 20 years experience say the shoot-out between the alleged bank robbers and police will go down in history. >> sounds like firecrackers. >> witnesses describing what they saw. >> i could see the car getting blasted. i can see all the little sparks and everything off the car as stockton police chased alleged bank robbers through this neighborhood. >> i was just coming down this way. went to go to the store up there. i seen this. >> reporter: the fallout from a bank robbery at this bank of the west in north stockton. the violence started around 2:00