reporting live in san francisco, scott budman, nbc bay area news. >>> thank you, scott. the san francisco consulate is continuing the war of words on facebook. posting, it is so difficult to remain diplomatic but we will. if you check our facebook post, tweets, our public statements, the message is always the same. our nations can and should be friends, for the sake of well being of our people, for security and stability in the world. >> president-elect donald trump sent out a flattering tweet about putin today. praisiing him for not retaliating. great move on delay by putin. i always knew he was smart. he will be briefed on hacking next week and the senate armed services committee has called a meeting over foreign cyber issues. some want stronger actions against russia, even if mr. trump does not. >>> we are in for another chilly night and it is about to get really cold. rob mayeda joins us with more on what is in store. good evening.

. >>> and i'm scott budman in san francisco where uber is still sparring with the dmv. just ahead, the latest in the driverless car wars. >>> i'm meteorologist jeff ranieri. a spare the air alert continues into thursday's forecast. but we're tracking the storm system that will wash the air quality away and we'll tell you who could see over 1 inch of rain. that's in about eight minutes. the death toll from that massive explosion at a fireworks marketsi >>> the death toll from that massive explosion at a fireworks market outside mexico city yesterday is now at 32 and authorities expect that number to climb. they're searching for more than 30 people who are lost in the debris. more than 70 people were also hurt. authorities are still trying to determine what caused this deadly blast. >>> a very patient thief managed to walk away with more than $200,000 worth of jewelry. this happened in the east bay. investigators are now reaching out for help to find this man. he's accused of robbing the sears store at the sun valley mall in concord last friday. tonight we're learning mor

. >>> i'm scott budman. while a whole lot of us shopped online this year, we'll tell you what brought so many people back to the mall. >>> despite the big day after christmas sales, scott budman shows us the fastest growing way to the shop is still online. >> reporter: after christmas sales and cashing in their gift cards. but it was a huge year for online shopping. people saying they'll come to the physical store and let their fingers do the shopping. drones are still flying at the mall and big crowds flocked here to oakridge to exchange what they already got. and check out new things. >> catch a movie, come over here and see what i can find. >> returning things i didn't like or couldn't fit. >> reporter: so you're getting him sock snz. >> yeah. we got "star wars" and a blond surfer dude. >> reporter: but our informal survey brought the same results as sillicon valley coffee shop. people are doing most of their shopping online. >> probably more online because that's where i ga utthe majority of my stuff. >>

in san jose, scott budman nbc. >> we have a chance after the news to get in line and go watch the midnight show. >> the tickets are sold out. no chance. [ laughter ] >>> we want to do one last -- another check of the forecast after the break. the most colorful man in the sportsworld -- has died. long time nba sideline reporter 'craig sager' passed away, after a lengthy battle with leukemia. >>> well, the most colorful man in the nba died. he passed away after a lengthy battle with lieukemileukemia. he was first diagnosed in 2014. he was inducted into the sports broadcasting hall of fame just two days ago. >> i'd like all of you to join me in an applause for a great man and a lifelong lived. thank you. >> nice touch by the warriors. that's head coach steve kerr that used to work with sager. he held a moment of joy before tonight's game in oakland against the knicks. craig sager was 65 years old. >> all of those jackets were custom made. he would get the fabric himself and have them taylor made. >> he was such a nice man and great reporter. >> jeff, how many more hours? >> four hours left be

scott budman joins us and you got a first look.rones and stw"star wars" you probably can't miss. >> drone racing and battling are catching on, earning decent prize money. if you're looking for a place to start and love "star wars," we found your next high-flier. these are the drones you're looking for. especially if you want to create a drone fight with familiar space ships, like the x wing or thai fighter. >> everybody wants a "star wars" thing. >> and this is the latest thing. drones made by propel to fight with, with a controller and a smartphone. >> and there's an app on your phone, and it registers when you have a battle. it registers, you know, how many hits you got, how many kills you got, who you hit, who you killed. >> reporter: a mobile way to battle, a likely christmas hit. they are pretty durable fighters. they go on sale friday. brook stone, best buy, bed bath and beyond. $240 each. high-flyers sure to get a lot of buzz. >> all right, tonight at 6:00, we'll revisit the battle drones from the point of view of the pilots

in san jose, scott budman, nbc bay area news. >>> life has been cut short. >> paying tribute. how fans of george michael are honoring the iconic singer in his home town. >> and the latest honor today for u.s. gymnast simone biles. >>> looking back on this year, there's a lot that will stay with me. especially the people i met along the way. it's not the headlines i'll remember. it's their stories. >>> happening now, next week, a new set of laws will be coming out. we told you about the b.a.r.t. parking fines but we have a list posted on our homepage. a spoiled christmas all because of a bad batch of tamales. customers lined up for refunds on tamales that turned out to be rotten. that story on our twitter feed. >> happening now, sponsored by finding neverland. intercourse that's painful due to menopausal changes. it's not likely to go away on its own. so let's do something about it. premarin vaginal cream can help. it provides estrogens to help rebuild vaginal tissue and make intercourse more comfortable. premarin vaginal cream treats vaginal changes due to menopause and modera

i'm scott budman.coming up, why you'll want to protect not only your computer, but your mailbox, as well. conjoined twins can now lead succsf >>> happening now, up to 50 doctors and 17 hours of surgery, conjoined twins can lead successful lives separately. the extraordinary details on our twitter feed. >>> and today second earthquake in the pacific. the magnitude 6.9. yesterday an even more powerful quake in remote parts of the nation. president obama made the >>> flags at half-staff to honor late pioneer, john glenn. president obama made the official order today. the u.s. senator passed away yesterday at the age of 95, shortly after being admitted to a hospital in ohio. no word yet on funeral plans for glen and no official cause of death. >>> new at 6:00, the holidays approach, it's not just packages being stolen. it's your mail right out of your mailbox. >> yep. identity thieves going straight to your house. there is a way to fight back. business and tech reporter, scott budman is live with more. sco

scott budman, nbc bay area news. >>> another twist in the wells fargo scandal. several prosecutors investigating the bank over its sales practices. documents just obtained reveal a former employee has been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury. we first spoke with her -- she was fired in 2010. she said her raising red flags about fraudulent accounts. it orders her to provide copies of her complaint. >>> goodbye, california, hello, arizona. the self-driving cars arrived in phoenix just days after they were pulled from the streets of san francisco. they banned the stars because of safety issues. today arizona's governor touted the state's business-friendly environment. >> california may not want you. we want you to know arizona does want uber. we are a state that is open for business. we are a state that welcomes business and new people and technology. >>> now uber has not announced a date of when uber will be tested. uber previously had six self-driving cars registered in california. >>> more water already in a soggy day. it happened around 10:00 near evans a

reporting live in oakland, scott budman, nbc bay area news. >> absolutely. scott, thank you so much. we certainly have more on the oakland warehouse fire. you can find that on our website in addition to all of the stories. you can also find a slideshow of photos that were taken inside the warehouse before the fire. >>> in other headlines, a vacant building went up in flames due to arson and investigators say they know who did it. robert honda is live in san jose. this was initially a concern but firefighters were told homeless people could be inside? >> reporter: that's right. investigators say at this hour they are still searching for the man suspected of setting fire to this building, which is surrounded by warehouses but appears to be more of a single-family home. a group of homeless people were living here and they got kicked out and that's what led to the trouble. san jose firefighters swarmed the building quickly because at first no one knew if it was actually abandoned. neighbors said a group of homeless had been staying inside the boarded-up structur

nbc bay area's scott budman is live outside the russian consulate in san francisco. en press conference wasn't enough...

scott budman joinsis now. scott, could this be a new cold war that we're entering? >> reporter: it's beginning to sound like it, jessica. but this would be a different kind of war. this one would involve computers. >> good afternoon. >> reporter: in his last scheduled news conference, president obama wasted little time before calling out russia. which both the cia and fbi now agree worked to help get donald trump elected. >> our goal continues to be to send a clear message to russia for others not to do this to us, because we can do stuff to you. >> reporter: silicon valley cyber security firm tinfoil security said it expects local companies to get busier as tensions rise. >> we have rules of engagement for conventional warfare, not for cyber warfare. we need to figure out what that means, what that is, when it is we do respond. >> reporter: making hacking attempts, even on the highest level of our government, the new normal. >> we are entering a new era of warfare, cyber warfare, and it is very different in that it's less visible. we don't really see it until after

scott budman, nbc bay area news. >> okay. turn our attention to the forecast ahead and vianey arana is here. we are getting a few more storms coming our way. it was yet yesterday. >> it really was, and a lot of people were still out and about in san jose. i saw a couple people i drove by at christmas in the park. that really didn't stop anybody but if you don't like the rain and you want to be outside, today is going to be the day. we're going to get a break from the rain for now. we are tracking more rain ahead so don't put away the umbrellas just yet. peninsula, south bay, tri-valley, all in the 40s but the low clouds that are lingering in parts of the bay area, well, they should be clearing out and making way for a little bit of sunshine today which is going to be a nice shift from what we enjoyed yesterday which i personally like, slightly overcast skies. today's highs will be a little bit cooler than yesterday. yesterday we did top out in the 60s. today we may be climbing into the upper 50s. santa rosa and san francisco

. >>> and i'm scott budman. they're small and smart but some say these virtual assistant pose a privacy threat. that's coming up after the break. >>> a response this evening to a theft that left a community stunned. after a brass menorah was stolen a new was was given as a gift. a menorah maker heard about it and wanted to help out. christie smith at ghirardelli square. there's a twist this year. christ christie. >> reporter: that's right. that is not the new menorah, but certainly a large crowd here including the rabbi who assembled the new one today. it came fedex overnight from the east coast. >> it's a pop-up menorah. >> reporter: its cross-country journey traveled to san francisco after it was heard a 6 foot menorah was stolen from the park. >> it's a hanukkah miracle, first that fedex could get it here quickly. >> reporter: they quickly heard about this man who created 15 menorahs this year with menorahs to go. >> i really feel bad that it was stolen from them and i would like to have a six-foot menorah an

new at 5:00, nbc bay area scott budman showed us what happened next. >> reporter: the owner of royal market, who asked to stay anonymous, describes what happened when a 16-year-old gun-wielding robber suddenly entered the store tuesday night pulling a gun on the clerk. surveillance video shows how the clerk and his brother, also on duty, fought the attacker, quickly subduing him. >> money's not important, i told him don't think about the money. >> reporter: by the time authorities arrived, the gunman was on the ground and needed to be taken out of the store on a stretcher. >> i come to this store everyday. >> reporter: regular shoppers at royal say the robbery left them shaken. >> everybody around the neighborhood knows them. if you don't have money to pay for something they'll let you get credit and come back and pay so it's like why would you try to rob a local neighborhood store? >> reporter: sheriffs officers tell us both the employee and the suspect were briefly hospitalized and then released. we're told the employee will soon be back at work. the suspect booked into juvenile ha

our business and tech reporter, scott budman talked to security executives who say this area will also be investigating. scott. >> reporter: yeah, they plan to, jessica. because this political problem brings with it a lot of technical questions, as well. questions silicon valley companies tell us they're willing to work on. >> i'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help. >> reporter: it's being compared to watergate. could the russians have actually affected our presidential election? >> is it possible, yes. it's definitely possible. >> reporter: but michael, chief technology officer of tinfoil security, says the way we find out what really happened will be different than watergate. this will take silicon valley know-how. >> it's going to be either silicon valley types or, you know, computer engineers at the end of the day. it's going to be security experts that are well-versed in forensics, tracking down what happened, how it happened, and who did it. >> reporter: inside palo alto's vera security, they're already working to separate rumor from fact, where politics meet cyb

scott budman joins us live in berkeley. and sanders spoke to an auditorium, scott. >> very much so. senator sanders is on a book tour, came here to uc berkeley to tell students and others that it's important to stay politically involved, even after the election. >> thank you! >> reporter: senator bernie sanders and berkeley are still a match. students here love him. >> what i want bernie to do, i want him to be president. a little too late at least for the next four years. >> reporter: sanders still enjoys firing up the crowd, this time with president-elect trump in his sights. >> no compromise with racism, with sexism, with homophobia, with xenophobia. on that issue, we will not compromise. >> reporter: and after waiting in lines that snaked through part of campus, they voiced their disappointment in the election. >> i still am not fully over it. i think i get emotional now even thinking about what's in the future for kids. i have two young girls. >> reporter: which sanders says should inspire action. >> despair is not an option. it is not an option. not just for you, but for your

nbc bay area's scott budman joins us now with that part of the story. >> terry, i can't tell you how often a tech executive has told me he or she was inspired by "star wars" to get into engineering, space or another tech-related field. here in the bay area as we line up to see the latest "star wars" installment, we're remembering carrie fisher and how many people she inspired. >> i'm a member of the imperial senate on a diplomatic mission. >> reporter: many of us grew up in the bay area watching carrie fisher on the big screen. >> it's very sad. i really admired her. >> reporter: and those lining up to see "rogue one" thought about princess leia. >> it's a shame. she was too young. i was a big fan of the "star wars" series and, you know, it's just too bad. i pray for her family and friends. >> i was a "star wars" fan for sure, yeah, i grew up with it, my kids love it. yeah, it's really sad. >> reporter: fisher was also remembered at imagination park in san anselmo, home of the yoda statue. >> she's a great actress in those and also a lot of other things like "harry met sally" and, yo

nbc bay area's scott budman is here with their names and more on who they were. >> we have a very brief look at a very diverse group of creative people. we just want to introduce you to a little bit of what these young people were like. for example, em bohlka transitioned to female, a friend online wishing she had more time to live as she truly wanted. mchale rah gregory, only 20. two jobs, one at a trendy clothing store, one at a mortuary. alex casten, a wonderful dad, son, friend. 32-year-old benjamin reynolds was a singer, a lot of musicians, both pop and jazz. mica danemayer, so full of life. feral pines, another person who we lost in the fire, a sinth genius, 29 years old, impeccable musical taste. and jennifer tonaway, worked at shazam and working on a documentary about pokemon. and jennifer norris, goodbye, old friend, we'll dance again in our dreams. and chelsea dolen, studied classical music. these are names added to the eight people we learned about earlier. just a glance, you guys, at some very complex lives that were cut short far too soon from oakland. raj? >> all right, sc

. >> scott budman is with us. we're still searching for answers in all of this. >> you're right.ocial media has been that for many during this ordeal. facebook not only turned on its safety check but allowed people to remember family and friends, people commission rating about those now gone. the fire getting international attention, people weighing in with condolences. president obama sending thoughts about what local families are going through. >> today is the day that more than two dozen families are going to learn of the loved ones loved. today is the day that more than two dozen families are going to start an entirely new life. for them, this is day one of this incident. >> we have also a way for people to donate. this site is called youcaring.com, and raised money. at last check, more than $300,000. lots of fund-raising also coming from local sports teams, the raiders, a's and warriors all contributing tens of thousands of dollars to the relief effort. back to you. >> okay, scott, thank you. a lot of nice comments, including from president obama who said oakland is one of t

. >> there have been rumors snowden may get a pardon but scott budman tells us the less than flattering things snowden had to say about mr. trump today. that story in about ten minutes. >> reporter: one plan to build a stadium in oakland is picking up steam. i'm jodi hernandez at oakland city hall, where the raider nation has reason to be hopeful. >>> that's something money can't buy, is making that particular wish come true. >> a young woman's wish that has an entire high school coming together. tonight's bay area proud. >>> i'm meteorologist jeff ranieri. we are tracking that storm system for thursday. here are some of the top things we're watching. king tides, the next 48 hours. rising river levels. possibly some isolated street flooding. and trees that could come down with the storm. we'll have the time line and a look at the extended forecast in about eight minutes. the fight to keep the raiders in oa >>> it could be a turning point in the fight to keep the raiders in oakland. city and county leaders deciding today whether to build a new stadium for the team. nbc bay area's jodi he

. >> reporter: tonight at 6:00, scott budman will give a report with much-needed relief. >>> atf says rain will not impact its investigation, but the rest of the area bracing for wet weather. let's go to chief meteorologist, jeff ranieri. >> the storm system is starting to arrive right now. you can see widespread coverage of light to moderate rainfall for most of the bay area, as roadways start to get slick this evening. we have seen a little bit of a heavier pocket here develop right across the 580 corridor from pleasanton right through livermore, as well. and this is really the nature of what we'll see the next three days. some areas getting some heavier rainfall with other areas dealing with light rain. as far as tonight goes, you'll see the futurecast, the zone of wet weather continuing to develop into 11:30 tonight with widespread coverage of rainfall that will push into tomorrow morning, as well. so what we're seeing with this system, as it rolls in, is heavier pockets of rain at times. maybe some isolated street flooding where the gutters haven't been cleared out. winds as high

i'm scott budman. >> chilly start to the morning. those temperatures are execipecg to remain in the 30s. 37 degrees in peninsula. tri-valley are seeing the coldest temperatures in the lower 30s. we are under that freeze warning for parts of the north bay that will remain in effect as of now until 8:00 a.m. we maybe seeing chilly tonight. it will expire at 8:00 a.m. as you're waking up, this is what you can expect if you're heading out to a early morning break fas. 40s will stick around. they will warmup into the 50s but the 30, 40s, 50s that's high as it's going to get. san jose area. >>> check in with you later. you can see the weather and track it. you can use live doppler radar for your community. >>> we are following breaking news out of san francisco. two people shot outside of nightclub. the club is 948 street not far from the at&t park. a gun was found on the street. there was christmas eve event going on at the time. what led up to the shooting is not determined. we will continue to update you as we learn more. >>> russian mi

nbc bay area's scott budman is live outside the russian consulate in san francisco. scott -- yesterday -- they didn't want reporters around. today -- they invited everyone in. =terry/cg= apparently the sudden press conference wasn't enough... on the consulate general of russia's facebook page - they posted: "it's so difficult to remain diplomatic, but we will. if you check our facebook posts, tweets, our public statements - the message is always the same: our nations can and should be friends for the sake of well being of our people, for security and stability in the world." vicky/rail you may find it hard to get a bay area holiday staple -- fresh local crab. that's beacuse a crab fisherman strike is spreading to the bay area tonight. cg earlier this week -- crabbers in humboldt bay tied up their boats. they were followed by crabbers from bodega bay -- all the way to washington state. cg now -- crab fisherman in half moon bay and san francisco are joining them. nbc bay area's michelle roberts is live in half moon bay -- with more on what strikers want. terry/live turn

our business and tech reporter scott budman. >> they are very confident. the best gauge is having a job and the job numbers have been good, add to that the strong stock market and you have people feeling as confident as they have in 15 years. a growing number of americans are feeling good about their finances which led to a robust holiday shopping season both in the malls and online. that led to companies boosting their stock value and hiring more people. there is a lot of change coming in 2017 and that can breed uncertainty. but so far wall street is optimistic about a trump administration and that's putting money in people's pockets. we can tell you that according to the conference board the number of people feeling confident about the next six months is up to the highest level since 2003. perhaps most importantly people say they feel good about their job prospects. back to you. >> thank you, scott. >>> dozens of mail boxes, everything in them vanished in the dark of night. details on the south bay crime and reward being offered. >>> shots were fired in

scott/2shot i'm scott budman... along side vianey arana.imate forecast. >>> i know you were saying you woke up to patchy frost on the wind cheeld. it was colder last night. overnight it's expected to warmup into 40s. san francisco out 41 degrees right now. we're not tracking rain or winds. there's not a lot of wind child in the focast. 30s seems to be the trend. we are seeing that freeze warning that will remain until tect until 8:00 a.m. that's due to the cold temperatures dropped into the 20s. we're going to keep a close eye on that. it's going to be nice cool sunny christmas day. we'll see you in a bit. >>> a woman was stabbed to death. police tell us the victim was stabbed last night in east tailor street and 10th. one person was arrested. the mercury news report this city's 47th homicide. >>> some passengers bound for san francisco almost didn't make it home for christmas. passengers departed from cancun but diverted. crew members smelled smoke on the plane and declared an emergency. they made landing at the airport where it was determ

scott budman. >> reporter: cyber security is already one of the fastest growing areas of the tech industry with growing tension between us and russia, it could soon have a place on the world stage. >> good afternoon. >> reporter: as both the fbi and cia now agree that russia and russian hackers worked to disrupt our election, president obama called out russian president vladimir putin and warned him of retaliation. >> and told him to cut it out and that there would be serious consequences. and we did not see further tampering with the process. >> i think at a very high level tensions are going to be a lot higher. >> reporter: that's tinfoil security who says cyber tensions with russia will likely make companies like his even busier. >> we have rules of engagement for conventional warfare, not for cyber warfare. we have to figure out what that is. >> our goal continues to be to send a clear message to russia -- >> reporter: but will president obama have enough time to strike back? some say yes. >> well president obama is still in office until january 20th. we still about a month left and i

scott budman is here after talking to techies redsy to accept the challenge. >> reporter: they tell us the key to finding a hack is finding a trial which is likely still hot. >> so that we can work together and unify -- >> reporter: they were two of the rekerring themes of the presidential election. cyber hacking and the russians. >> that the russians are indeed involved in these different hacks. >> reporter: inside palo alto's vera security, they're prepared to investigate because while the most recent hacking scandal is being compared to water gate this involved more than politics. >> they're not just sitting in d.c. or some agency overseas. this is all based on technology, typography and things that have been invented in places like sillicon valley. >> they're also ready to work down the road at tin foil security. also believing that in order to find out just what happened with wikileaks and what voters read before they voted, it will take high tech know how. >> it will be sillicon valley types or computer engineers, security experts well versed in forensics. tracking down what happ

scott budman just showed us photos of those who lost their lives and we have more photos on nbcbayarea.com. we'll be right back. >>> we've learned several families have contacted attorneys and a prominent real estate broker says anotherer tragedy could happen. stephen stock joins us with the comp lkted legal issues. we just heard the oakland mayor saying it's not as easy as it seems for them to access the warehouses. >> these are just a few of the ordinances and laws governing who is supposed to inshur a safe and secure living area in oakland and san francisco. the bottom line is that special interests and specific interests could be on the legal hook for that fire in oakland and face not only possible criminal charges but a long and drawn out civil lawsuit process as well. even before investigators were done combing through the warehouse and long before the walls began coming down, survivors and victims families contacted legal counsel to began compiling possible legal lawsuits to hold those responsible accountable. >> you can ashur, they're going to tighten up the noose. >> reporter: the

i'm scott budman alongside vianey arana with your look first at the microclimate forecast. >> it's goingerfect way to set up tonight's parties or festivities or time that you may have with friends. here's a look right now at the east bay. 45 degrees, nice clear skies, a nice change from that storm that we experienced yesterday. hopefully all of that water has dried out in time to not create any issues out on the roads in terms of patchy ice but we are pretty chilly in parts of the north bay, in the 30s, we're expecting to drop down tonight so it might get a little taste of christmas out there. currently, there goes that storm that we saw yesterday. we're not expecting the chance of seeing any more rain, maybe the north bay might see a slight chance of seeing a few scattered showers, but overall, we're going to have a nice dry saturday ahead with a nice look ahead at your christmas forecast but i'll have that coming up in just a bit. >> dry christmas eve it looks like. vianey, thank you very much. >>> in other news, the holidays, as you know, are all about family, not to mention all that

i'm scott budman along with vianey arana with a look at your forecast on this cold weekend. >> yeah, cold weekend. and if you don't have to do any last minute shopping and you can just go and enjoy, i might head down to the ice skating rink. i think that might be fun, especially with some gloves and mittens. belvedere. look at how gorgeous this shot is, 36 degrees right now and a lot of areas are seeing 30s and 40s and we will be warming up but just a tad bit. we're going to be climbing into the 40s for the most part. right now, though, the north bay down to the south bay seeing those lower 30s, upper 30s, santa cruz mountains at act 35 degrees so they're definitely feeling the chill down there and seeing wind and some gusty conditions as well up in the mountain. now, today's highs will be into those 40s, san francisco topping out at about 49 degrees. so, thanks to that storm, we do have a little bit of this cold air mass sitting over the area, and that's going to keep us very christmas-like, though, tonight through tomorrow as well. but thankfully, that storm has made its exit and i