right now on nbc bay area news at 11:00, the bart police officer who shot and killed oscar grant two years ago on a bart platform is set to be released from jail hours from now. tonight hundreds of people gathered to protest. and the family of missing hayward student michelle le stepped up their search efforts today. we'll show you how it pulling a community together. and three months later, a look at japan's reactors, and what is being done to stop the spread of radiation. nbc bay area news at 11:00 starts right now. >> good evening. i'm diane dwyer.

in less than an hour, johannes mehserle could walk out of the los angeles county jail a free man. he is the former bart officer viced of shooting and killing a man on a bart platform two years ago. it's expected jail officials will release him some time between midnight and very early tomorrow morning. tonight in oakland, hundreds of people protested. nbc bay area's monte francis is in downtown oakland with that story for us. monte? >> reporter: diane, good evening. business owners had feared that there would be violence and looting tonight, so they boarded up their windows, just in case. while the protest here tonight was loud and boisterous, much to everyone's relief, it was peaceful. >> the people united will never be defeated! >> reporter: at least 200 protesters marched from the fruitvale bart station to downtown oakland where they blocked the intersection of broadway and 14th. once there, speakers criticized police and held signs that referred to racist and killer

cops. >> executing our boys? we wouldn't be here. >> reporter: more than 100 oakland police officers were on hand to make sure there wasn't a repeat of the violence that followed the verdict in the mess seller case when businesses were looted and suffered thousands of dollars in damage. a jury convicted the bart police officer of involuntary manslaughter, and he was sentenced to two years behind bars. mehserle has served 11 months of that sentence, and has qualified for an early release, in part because of good behavior. earlier oscar grant's family and his 11-year-old daughter tatiana were among those who gathered at the fruitvale bart station, the site. mehserle claimed he meant to use his taser but accidentally fired his pistol. >> worst case scenario, and i am saying worst case that it was an accident. even then, two years? get real. come on, he killed a man. he took a man's life. >> reporter: jack bryson's two

sons were with oscar grant on the train platform that night when mehserle shot grant in the back as he lay face down. bryson says mehserle is being let out early and shown favoritism because he is white. >> i don't think. it's a fact. that's why we're all here. >> reporter: again, mehserle is expected to be released between midnight and early this morning. we have a crew in los angeles, and we can report that oscar grant's uncle is going to is planning to camp out, outside the jail starting at midnight tonight. now there are no planned protests tomorrow in the bay area. we understand, however, there is a planned protest in los angeles tomorrow. live in oakland tonight, monte francis, nbc bay area news. >> thank you, monte. the family of missing nursing student michelle le passed out flyers this afternoon, urging people to keep searching for their loved one. she has been missing for about two and a half weeks now. nbc bay area's kimberly tere joins us from hayward with the very latest on the family's

search. hello, kimberly. >> reporter: hello, diane. hundreds more of these flyers went up today. they were posted and handed out. now police have reclassified the case as a homicide. but michelle le's family says until they get conclusive evidence, this search isn't over. >> until we're getting any signs that she is not out there, we still will believe that she is out there. >> and in your gut, that's what you believe? >> yes. yes. absolutely. she is a fighter. and we're fighting just as hard for her. >> reporter: michelle le's family and friends gathered in hayward sunday for what they're calling a much more organized effort to distribute flyers with information on the missing nursing student. >> we're looking at, you know, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, fast food places. >> reporter: le was last seen may 27th leaving kaiser hospital. she was doing a clinical rotation that was part of her course work. >> people think we're going to

give up just because the case has been changed to a homicide. but they haven't found her. if it was cnn's sister, if it was anyone's daughter. that would keep fighting and keep trying to find her. >> thank you. >> reporter: today strangers showed up to help the family pass out flyers. >> i never met her. but i know the area like a little bit. i'm just concerned. . >> thank you. thank you. >> reporter: just a half a mile from kaiser, in the neighborhood where le's car was found locked with her valuables inside, residents pitched in to help. >> i've been knocking on doors to support by putting these posters on my bakes and show people around that i care. >> my wife, she is worried about it. she wants michelle to be alive. we all do. >> reporter: police have remain tight-lipped about the investigation. on friday, they continued their search of remote areas of alameda county. so far they say they are not turned up any new clues. >> the police may have given up

on finding her alive. but you bet our family has not. >> reporter: there is a $65,000 reward being offered to anyone who has information on le's whereabouts. if you have any information, you are urged to contact hayward police. live in hayward tonight, kimberly tere, nbc bay area news. >> thank you, kimberly. in alameda today, about a dozen people waded into the bay as part of a protest. they gathered at crown memorial beach where 52-year-old raymond zack committed suicide last month by walking into the water and drowning. the story made national headlines after reports that firefighters and police officers witnessed the suicide and did nothing to help. zack was reportedly mentally ill and stood out in the water for more than an hour while emergency crews watched and waited for a rescue boat and helicopter. they wanted to show just how easily zack might have been saved. >> it's not as cold as a lot of people have reported. and we show that the -- about 150 yards out, the water was only about 5 1/2 feet deep.

so we think raymond zack could have easily been saved by somebody walking into the water. nobody needed to swim. nobody needed a boat. >> reporter: alameda leaders say policy prevented them from going into the water because a certification period had lapsed. they're now reimplementing the water rescue program. certain activists were on the golden gate bridge for a similar demonstration. people joined hands to form a human chain across the bridge to raise awareness about the staggering number of suicides there. the event was in memory of danville teenager allison bay list who jumped to her beth last month. bridge directors approved the construction of a suicide barrier last year, but the $55 million project was stalled because of lack of funding. there are new calls tonight for congressman anthony weiner to resign. that as new photos have serviced as well. the congress announced this weekend he would take a leave of absence to seek treatment. nbc's luke russert has more. >> reporter: shocking new photos

of anthony weiner published by tmz.com. he mailed the pictures to an unidentified woman. other photographs were too graphic for television. still, the congressman says he will not resign. instead, he is seeking, quote, professional treatment and asking for a paid leave of absence from the house. >> look, i made some serious mistakes here. and i have to redeem myself. i'm going to try to get back to work. these were personal failings. so i'm trying not to let them get in the way of my professional work. >> reporter: facing an escalating scandal this weekend, democratic leaders called on weiner to step down. debbie wasserman schultz yesterday. >> weiner's continued service in congress is untenable. this sort of affair has become an unacceptable distraction for representative weiner, his family, his constituents and the house. >> reporter: and again today on meet the press. >> once he crossed that threshold, acknowledge head had been lying, had engaged in conduct that is completely

unacceptable and indefensible. that's where i thought the line was crossed. >> reporter: house minority leader nancy pelosi said, quote, i urge congressman weiner to seek help without the pressures of being a member of congress. >> anthony weiner should resign. >> reporter: polls show the majority of his queens district supports him. but this afternoon a rally outside his new york office demonstrates opinions are clearly divided. >> he is a liar. how do i know how many other things he has lied about? >> everybody has lied at some point. >> i don't agree. >> reporter: sources tell nbc before wiener makes a decision on his political future, he wants the council of his pregnant hueneme, huma abedin, who is traveling with her boss, secretary of state hillary clinton. >> this is one of the situations where everybody can say you should leave, you should leave. but only the member can make that decision. >> again, that was nbc's luke russert reporting. tonight we have new pictures of congresswoman gabby girds as she continues to recover from a gunshot wound to the head. these are the first photos of giffords since january's

shooting in tucson. in both, she is smiling. her hair is shorter and darker than before, but there is no noticeable star from her wound. a friend and colleague says while there is still a challenging road ahead, she has made incredible progress. >> we really had a wonderful conversation. she spoke to me in full sentences, initiated those sentences instead of just responding which is what she had really only been able to do recently. she is making remarkable progress. >> giffords' aides say she may be able to leave the hospital at the end of the month. and coming up on nbc bay area news at 11:00, three months after the nuclear crisis unfolded in japan, we'll take a look at conditions there today. and next, we'll take you to arizona, where firefighters said something today they have not e maiv.ssrefiegarding this ♪

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it was three months ago today that the world began to realize that a terrible situation was unfolding at a japanese nuclear power plant called fukushima. that was one day after japan was struck by that devastating earthquake and tsunami. and today workers at the power plant are struggling to bring the reactors under control. and officials now acknowledge that three reactor cores melted in the disaster. fire cannons spray a blue resin to try to contain the radiation. some still leaks, but experts say nowhere near the amounts compared to the first few hours and days of the accident. >> in the first three or four days of the crisis, you know, all of the analysts were warning about the possibility of a

large-scale fuel meltdown. it turned out that that had happened within 16 hours. >> farmers are taking expert precautions as well. workers on this organic farm about 35 miles from the reactors test for radiation levels in the soil every day. right now the level registers about 50 times the so-called normal background. so that is below the level for evacuation, but it may not be safe to sell or to eat. and in arizona, firefighters said for the first time today that they are finally making progress in their battle against the huge wildfire burning for weeks in the eastern part of that state. but now there is another threat. nbc's tom llamas reports. >> reporter: dealing with nearly half a million blackened acres across arizona, firefighters are now battling a monster fire in two states. the wallow wildfire jumped the board their weekend, now burning parts of new mexico. with a fire this size, a d.c. 10 comes in handy. the massive aircraft can drop a fire retardant 100 feet wide a

mile long. the help from above is appreciated by the boots on the ground. >> it is very physical work, and absolutely, these folks are tired. >> reporter: the hard work has paid off. incident commanders feel controlled burns in the north and east have given them the upper hand. >> we've turned the corner. we feel a lot more confident than we did two days ago. >> the evacuation has been listed. >> reporter: thousands of residents from three arizona towns were allowed to return home sunday after being forced to evacuate. >> we had to make a choice. either make a stand here or in town. >> reporter: rancher jerry left, but his animals stayed, with friends dropping off their animals, he says his ranch turned into a zoo, but the flames never got close. >> we're just so thankful that they were able to get in there and do what they did and save everything. >> reporter: the evacuation ban may be lifted for some, but emergency management officials recommend residents stay away because of health hazards caused by the smoke. >> i don't want to come back here until the smoke is cleared out of here. >> reporter: in new mexico, some residents near the border have

evacuated out of caution. one of the big concerns in that state, two power lines not far from the fire. customers have been warned of rolling blackouts, but fire officials are hopeful. >> right now we have mitt getted those. at this point i don't see any threat. >> again, that was nbc's tom llamas reporting. we have much more ahead on nbc bay area news. princess kate is beginning to make public appearances in her official royal capacity. and britain is watching. -->>u s p ig now we'rein w pchatg some breezy conditions around the bay area. chstill seeing a good case of ocean air conditioning outside. but in the days ahead we'll see less low clouds for the morning and warming temperatures. 80s, maybe even 90 degrees in a few spots. a look at that in your seven-day forecast, coming up. good evening. i'm laurence scott. coming up on "sports sunday" tonight, the nba has a new champ, which means marc jackson is leaving the broadcast table and coming to the warrior. we talk about his plans as head coach. what a roller coaster year of emotions.

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temperatures in the 50s around the bay area. a healthy sea breeze as well which has pushed up a lot of low clouds on the coast. and come tomorrow morning, if that sea breeze going and the low clouds, don't be surprised to run into mist or drizzle around the peninsula and coastline for tomorrow morning. but the big story is high pressure, which will take the storm track way far away from the bay area. informal eventually put it up probably north of seattle. some showers passing well to the north tonight. again, as high pressure builds in, this is the big-time pattern change that was kind of overdue for the last couple of week. as this high starts to build in, you will start to see the temperatures climb on up. starting as early as tomorrow for some of the inland valleys. i think we're finally going to see some 80s. even areas south of san jose will be warming up some for monday. but the biggest warm-up for the week will likely come tuesday and wednesday as the sea breeze backs off just a bit. we'll get 70s around san francisco. and maybe even near 90 degrees inland. this is going to be for places like livermore and certainly to the south around morgan hill and gilroy. we could see the temperatures

getting close to the low 90s. but eventually the sea breeze is going to win the battle for the second half of the week. well will see temperatures drop do you think some as we approach next weekend. the summer preview followed by cooling for next weekend. plan on low clouds and maybe some misty sky. good bet to see that around the peninsula and coastline could make for a little dampness on the roadways tomorrow morning. by the afternoon, and as we approach lunch time, look at the numbers. great to have lunch outdoors with the numbers in the mid-70s. and for the afternoon, places like pleasanton, concord and livermore climbing into the low 80s. near 80 in san jose. should be in the low 80s in alma din valley. upper 60s near san francisco. but the seven-day forecast starts to warm things up. given how cool things have been, that's going to feel relatively hot. we're not used to the 80s, i can't wait. >> as we head towards the middle of the week, but cooling and staying comfortable as we head towards next weekend. >> thank you, rob. tens of thousands of people

packed stanford's football stadium for graduation today and to hear mexican president felipe calderon to be the guest. students nominated him to send the message for international leadership. in an 18-minute speech, the mexican president talked about the need to create a global economy as well as to do more to preserve the environment. nearly 5,000 students, by the way, received diplomas today at stanford. still ahead, the former kate middleton has quickly become princess kate, the dutch chez or appearances went this weekend.

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it's your green line. but i'll be there every step of the way. call or come in and talk with us today. it was quite a weekend for the former catherine middleton, now of course the duchess of cambridge.

she seems to have given a new energy and charm to the house of windsor, and people seem to be loving it in britain and beyond. princess catherine is settling into her new royal lifestyle quite nicely. here is a look at her yesterday at the annual parade marking the queen's official birthday. the queen turned 85 this year. they may have been gathering to celebrate the queen, but all eyes were on the newest edition to the royal family as crowds took a glimpse of their future queen in one of her first official appearances since the wedding. then she went out afterwards, same day, same hat, different dress apparently. so a dress actually from four years ago, showing off that she is not going to -- she is going to be more practical, i suppose. >> nice choice of fascinators too. >> yes, yes, yes. >> so the best days this week are the hottestdays, tuesday, wednesday? >> you could have a need for a fascinator around the bay area. block some of the sun. it's going to be toasty inland. the warmest places tuesday and wednesday the warmest days of the week. the sea breeze eventually wins out. the second half of the week the

low clouds coming back. but that, by bithe way, looks like june. the 60s and 70s on the coast with the morning clouds and 80s inland. great for your outdoor plans. >> seems like the bay area. >> finally. >> okay, thank you, rob. thanks for watching nbc bay area news at 11:00. "sports sunday" is up next. the cal bears baseball team that was almost cut from the school does something pretty impressive today. and the nba has crowned a new champion, which means one of the broadcasters of tonight's final game is ready to start his new broadcasters of tonight's final game is ready to start his new job.

[ crowd cheering ] and 500 miles from home... [ cheering, cellphone beeps ] ...we finally had a new home. [ male announcer ] from pre-approval to closing, citi is with you every step of the way. what's your story? citi can help you write it. and now an nbc bay area editorial. >> with new wide-sweeping cuts proposed, we're about to dismantle one of the world's greatest systems of higher education. nbc bay area believes we can't go down this path. i'm suzanne shaw. with california's population growing by 400,000 a year, we can't let our community colleges turn away 100,000 students, or let cal state suffer a 36% cut

in funding. we're already short of higher degrees. do we really want more jobs to leave the state? do we want more undereducated, underemployed so we shrink the tax base, increase welfare this we need a billion five to save education. roughly $38 per person. we either pay now or forfeit our future. an educated competitive workforce is core to a thriving economy. with sacramento in gridlock, let the voters decide what to spend and what to cut. join our debate on

nbceditorials.com. good evening, and welcome to "sports sunday." i'm laurence scott, and tonight the nba crowned a new king. an east bay native chasing a championship for years, gets one tonight. it was another thriller. tempers flaring in south beach, pushing and shoving just part of a tough-fought game in this final series between dallas and miami. also we go in-depth on the warriors move this week, bringing mark jackson to the bay area. well hear from golden state's new head coach, who is calling the nba finals tonight in miami. plus, the giants are heading out on a very short three-game road trip to arizona this week. but first, some unfinished business with the reds tonight. the action from china basin in moments. but first, tonight, the heat did not want to flame out at home in this rematch of the '06 finals with reloaded teams. while a former cal bear was hoping for some