wholesale changes are made. >> seemingly every election cycle the svo is forced to issue an apology due to actions of its pac. that will no longer be sufficient. >> reporter: deb davis, a self-described moderate, publicly condemned the ad, cut ties with the svo, and gave svo contributions to charity. >> well, i hope when people are making their decision, they focus on the ideas, the qualifications, and the experience of the candidates and don't focus on the noise that is happening from outside groups. >> reporter: since the community groups have condemned the svo but have not endorsed either candidate, we may not see the true impact of all of this until the election. in san jose, robert handa, nbc bay area news. >> thank you so much, robert. well, missing ballots in contra costa county, and tonight election officials are trying to figure out why. at least 40 people say they voted but the registrar of voters office confirms it never received those ballots. the affected voters have one thing in common. they all dropped off their ballots in a drop box outside

richmond city hall on october 12th. after the online tracking system showed their ballots were not received, many of them reached out to local election officials, trigger an investigation. >> we have identified about 40 people who said they dropped their ballot off that day, and we have not yet received it. we have called and emailed each one of them. many of them -- most of them actually we've already reissued them a second ballot so they can have the opportunity to vote. >> the assistant registrar of voters says it's possible there are more missing ballots. however, he says 84 other ballots dropped off at that same ballot box in richmond the same day were received. he says it does not appear the box was tampered with. instead they suspect it's a handling error. today several concerned voters who had planned to use the richmond city hall drop box drove their ballots to the registrar of voters office in martinez instead. let's get to the campaign trail. tonight the focus is florida.

president trump and joe biden are campaigning in the all-important battleground state. biden just finishing a rally a few minutes ago in tampa. the pressure is certainly on. nbc's alice barr joins us now from washington, d.c. alice, as we march toward this election day. >> reporter: and, raj, florida is squarely in the path of any path to victory, especially for president trump. hard to overstate how important those 29 electoral votes that are on the line in that ultimate battleground state really are, and both candidates going after them hard on the campaign trail today. in presidential politics, all roads lead to florida. and today the two campaigns converged there. president trump and joe biden both rallying in tampa with their starkly different approaches to coronavirus on display. the president speaking to a tightly packed, mostly maskless

crowd of thousands, touting a record high job in economic growth last quarter. >> we are doing great. did you see the number today? 33.1 gdp, the biggest in the history of our country by almost triple, right? almost triple. >> reporter: but the gains don't make up for historic losses earlier in the pandemic, and economists fear another downturn with new covid cases topping 80,000 for the first time in a single day. >> i'm not going to shut down the economy. i'm not going to shut down the country. but i am going to shut down the virus. >> reporter: biden speaking to supporters in critical broward county, the first of two socially distanced drive-in events. recent polls show biden with a four-point lead in florida. that's within the margin of error. seniors giving biden a boost with president trump's handling of the pandemic a top priority. >> i had covid, so i do feel very strongly and have very strong feelings about covid. had he done something earlier, i

might not have gotten it. >> he has done everything that anyone could have done. >> reporter: the hispanic vote also key in this state. biden now promising a task force to reunite 500 immigrant children separated from their parents at the border. and president trump had planned another rally in fayetteville, north carolina, tonight but he had to cancel that because of high winds, the remnants of hurricane zeta. he did meet with military personnel at ft. bragg in north carolina tonight. raj, back to you. >> alice, thank you. we certainly have a busy few nights ahead of us. if you have questions about the election, we are here to help. what's on the ballot and how to make sure your ballot stays secure and gets counted. all that information right on our website in a special section. head to nbcbayarea.com/electionguide. dealing with covid and the flu at the same time. doctors have warned about it for months, and now it has happened.

solano county health leaders say someone living in that county has tested positive for flu and covid co-infection. the county says it's the first case there. the person is under the age of 65, and his or her condition is not being released. doctors are once again telling everyone to get a flu shot. it takes two weeks for a flu shot to be fully effective, so you're urged to get one as soon as possible. several months ago harvard university predicted we wouldn't return to normal until 2022. today dr. anthony fauci echoed that timeline. flights, vacations, movie theaters, experts say resuming our daily life in the carefree way we're used to likely won't happen until there's a vaccine and it has widespread distribution. dr. fauci now says a vaccine likely won't be ready until december or next january. normalcy will take much longer. >> when we get this under control, not only at the domestic but at the global level, we will start to approach

what we call normal. i don't think, francis, that it's going to be at a level where people are going to feel like there are no public health measures to be implemented until we get to the end of 2021 at least. >> you see dr. fauci speaking today with the director of the national institutes of health. a blunt message from leaders in san francisco. don't come to the castro district on saturday. it's a favorite party spot every halloween, but the city says it doesn't want to move in the wrong direction. right now san francisco is in the yellow tier, the only county in the bay area in the least restrictive tier. here's nbc bay area's christie smith. >> reporter: in a typical year, this would be a halloween hot spot, especially with it falling on a saturday. but this year several people told us they'll be joining celebrations online instead. >> it's too much going on, so we're doing a virtual party. >> reporter: that's the plan for this halloween after a possible

early saturday afternoon stroll close by in the castro district. adjustments made due to the pandemic. >> nothing where we want to draw a crowd or see a lot of people together because that's just not the thing right now. you can't. and i think it's too easy to forget. >> reporter: the big halloween party in the castro ended years ago, but people still often gather in costume to celebrate. this year the message is different. >> we are asking people to stay home, you know if they want to come during the day and go to a restaurant or do a little shopping, that's okay as long as you don't see a crowd. >> reporter: people are being reminded about san francisco's efforts to flatten the covid curve. and it's been successful enough that the city moved into the yellow tier for reopening. >> we really need to try to continue to keep covid under control here in san francisco, and the only way too do that is to maintain the social

distancing and not have large crowds gathering. >> reporter: at rozzi arbitration deli, they say business has been a challenge lately. still they're hoping halloween night stays quiet. >> you can't have more than three people in the store. >> reporter: in san francisco, christie smith, nbc bay area news. a disturbing discovery in the oakland hills. a man's body was found on grizzly peak boulevard this morning. police say that man died from an apparent gunshot wound. right now they're not releasing his name, and so far no arrests have been made. san mateo county firefighters worked quickly to p put out this small brush fire today after a dump truck fire spread to nearby brush. you're looking at time-lapse video of that fire. the flames burned only half an acre before crews got it under control. a fire a couple of weeks ago in the sign hill area of san francisco is keeping the area closed. this is what it looked like today. all trails and access to the

hill are closed until further notice. the city is trying to make the area safe and hopes to reopen it as soon as possible. on october 16th, a fire burned ten acres there and prompted evacuations. no homes were damaged. two teenage boys admitted to starting the fire after a neighbor spotted them leaving the area. they were released to their families while a full investigation continues. take a look at this. saddle up. we're going to take you to oakland where this creative campaign to get people to vote is happening this afternoon. plus tracking covid clusters before they grow out of control. why a team of scientists is looking below the ground to get critical information. i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. i've been telling you about this dry pattern being influenced by la nina. i'll show you when that pattern could break down and bring some rainfall to the bay area. i'll see you back here in about ten minutes. when we welcome our west coast viewers, shades of last spring. new ppe shortages.

a dependence on foreign made supplies as the country faces new covid surges. also how the pandemic is changing halloween. some important information for you and your family when we see you here on "nbc nightly news." d

the nation )s attention during the "black lives matter" rallies earlier this year, is once agai it's like the old days of the pony express. look at this. today a woman who captured the nation's attention during the black lives matter rallies earlier this year is once again

riding through oakland. she says this is her way to inspire people to vote. nbc bay area's melissa colorado joins us now in oakland. melissa, we love seeing those horses. >> reporter: absolutely, raj. and that message of hers, get out and vote, it was heard loud and clear. i want to show you where exactly she dropped off that ballot, and these election workers, they're used to picking up ballots from drivers who pull up in their cars. but today it wasn't a car that pulled up. it was a horse named dapper dan. you'll recognize who is in the saddle, a woman named brianna noble, who is calling on people to get out and vote. ♪ you might recognize the east bay equestrian from the xfinity commercial. back in late may, noble made headlines when she rode her horse to a protest in downtown oakland condemning the killing of george floyd. she swung a homemade sign around

dapper dan that says black lives matter, and crowds of demonstrators started to follow her. the iconic image went viral and since then she has used her notoriety to make horseriding accessible to underprivileged youth. noble told us she's hoping to inspire people, especially those who haven't voted in years prior to register and vote early. >> i think all of us just want to make a little difference in the world. that's exactly how i feel. i just hope that my vote matters too and i can make help sway the tide. >> reporter: noble was followed by two other equestrians as well as a group of supporters on bikes and those who came by foot. after she dropped off her vote, she stuck the "i voted" sticker on dapper dan, and the two posed for photos on the steps of the courthouse. and just speaking briefly with these election workers, they tell me they have noticed a noticeable difference. more and more people dropping off their ballots. in fact, they said they collected about 800 ballots today. coming up at 6:00, we're going to share new figures from the

alameda county registrar. that's the latest here in oakland. i'm melissa colorado, nbc bay area news. >> every time i see her, i'm so inspired. i'm one of her biggest fans. thanks, melissa. high above the golden gate bridge, a reminder that we are in this together. the airplane banner with the word "together" flew in san francisco today. it's all part of a project organized by a group of nonpartisan artists. the goal, reignite the american spirit. the city of san jose is standing with the black lives matter movement. this morning city leaders came together to unveil several banners all around city hall as a way to show support for the movement and lift the voices of the black community in the city. the founder of youth height, which helps empower dis disenfranchised youth in san jose. >> it's about our community coming together and saying we're taking a stand and saying black lives matter matter here in san jose. that our black community members matter, and that we're going to do everything we can to protect and empower and uplift them.

>> san jose mayor sim liccardo also spoke today saying now is the time to move forward as a community through action and encouraging people to vote in the upcoming election. bay area scientists are searching for signs of covid-19 in a new way. they're looking through the sewage. video from uc berkeley shows a pop-up lab launched to monitor wastewater. right now it's testing 30 samples a week from water agencies across the bay area. but it hopes to scale up to 200 a week. scientists say sewage testing is an efficient way to find out if covid-19 is spreading in our communities. >> there's no way we can test every single person every single day, and so this gives us a bigger picture of what's going on in a given region. >> yep, they're doing it. this lab is the result of months of work in refining the testing process to identify covid. a special day in contra costa county as the newly renovated michelle obama elementary school opened. ♪

that's so lovely. the school band was part of today's pomp and circumstance. the virtual grand opening highlighted the richmond school's new campus and name. the district voted earlier this year to change the name from woodrow wilson elementary to honor the former first lady. the school's new look includes a large public plaza, community room, and library to encourage collaboration. >> today is about the learners. we talk a lot about what students need. these buildings and this name puts students first. student learning drove this building, drove this name change, and drove this vision. >> the name change came as the school was already in the middle of a renovation. >> post-pandemic, we need michelle obama to come to campus to visit. >> wouldn't that be nice, a little ribbon cutting ceremony. jeff is with us now as we look toward a very busy weekend, jeff. a lot going on.

>> and the weather forecast, you guys, looks phenomenal. i know halloween is going to look a lot different, but we've got some good weather, whatever you have planned within your family bubble. we're going to get to that and also some larger changes that could actually bring back some rainfall. let's bring you outside to that live high-definition camera network. if you were outside like me today picking up tree limbs, plenty of sunshine here in san jose. unlimited visibility. look at the temperatures, 75 degrees right now. a light wind and the dew point at 35. so that's an indication of some very dry air. we'll drop down to some 60s at 7:00 p.m. then once we hit 11:00 we'll be into some cooler 50s here. that means for tomorrow morning we're definitely going back down to the 40s. so if you have to get up early, you might need that light jacket. toss it in the back of the car

from 6:00 to about 8:00 in the morning. 48 for the south bay. tri-valley at 47. some of the coldest weather for the east bay at 46. san francisco we're starting you off right, 49 and not much in the way of fog. for the north bay, 47. temperatures tomorrow, i see them cooling off a couple degrees. it's just going to make it more beautiful outside. we're kind of in that mid zone. 76 here in san jose. more of those 70s continuing to the east bay. vallejo, 75. walnut creek, 78. 70s for oakland. that trend right over through the peninsula. 74 in redwood city. probably some of the best weather, sunny skies, and a light wind out of the north at 6. we continue that sunshine on my forecast for san francisco. 69 in the mission. for the north bay, also beautiful here in santa rosa at 76. novato, 75. so we have high pressure, which has been related to our la nina face we're currently in. it's been pretty stubborn and

hasn't wanted to break down. i see this staying into the current weekend. but here is the change i've been monitoring. we may actually get to see this la nina-influenced pattern break down once we head into november, the 6th through the 10th for maybe some rainfall moving in and definitely some colder temperatures. so much, much larger changes on the horizon for us. look at this rain outlook. again just take this with a little grain of salt here. heaviest rainfall well off to the north. but for us we're in a little bit of that green to blue color which you can see at the key at the top is a very light shower chance for us. so in san francisco next seven days, it remains dry. good for halloween on saturday with 69 degrees. and for the inland valleys, not too hot the next seven days, a mix of 70s and 80s. i talked about halloween. it's going to be different for so many families out there. but for whatever you have planned, we are looking at some beautiful weather as we head

into saturday. >> oh, sound effects. >> look at this, 70s. >> he's gotten fancy on us. >> as we head through 4:00, 5:00, 6:00. if you're doing your thing with your family bubble at home, i'm sure everybody is going to get creative and have a good time. you guys like that music? normally you can't hear it because i'm in the studio, but i was able to attach it to the graphic. >> oh, very fancy, jeff. i like your graphics. >> thank you, jeff. coming up here at 5:00, a grey wolf loses its endangered species protection even though there's only one known pack here in california. we'll tell you what's behind the decision. stay with us. when we see you back here tonight, shades of last spring. new ppe shortages. a depend on foreign made supplies as the country faces new covid surges. also how the pandemic is changing halloween. some important information for you and your family on "nbc nightly news."

uber and lyft are like every big guy i've ever brought down. prop 22 doesn't "help" their drivers-- it denies them benefits. 22 doesn't help women. it actually weakens sexual harassment laws, which are meant to protect them. uber and lyft aren't even required to investigate sexual harassment claims. i agree with the la times: no on 22. uber and lyft want all the power. so, show them the real power is you. vote no on prop 22. traffic and air pollution will be even worse after the pandemic. that's why we support measure rr to keep caltrain running. which is at risk of shutdown because of the crisis. to keep millions of cars off our roads, to reduce air pollution and fight climate change. and measure rr helps essential workers like me get to work and keep our communities healthy. relieve traffic.

reduce pollution. rescue caltrain. [all] yes on measure rr. asof being stretched too thinar to do my job right. rescue caltrain. and it's not just health care workers. our teachers and school staff are going the extra mile for our kids. our firefighters are taking on unthinkable missions to keep us safe. how can we keep giving billions in tax breaks to rich corporations when our communities need that money? prop 15 closes corporate loopholes and invests in our schools, health care, and public safety.

help us do our jobs. vote yes on 15. the trump administration today dropped the grey wolf from the endangered species list, the

wolf was nearly extinction from the u.s. when it was put on the list in the 1970s. now there are some 6,000 in the u.s., but in california wildlife experts only know of a few pups and their two moms. the male has wandered into oregon. it's because the population is not widespread, activists say they will appeal this ruling. california laws will still protect wolves. some covid-related changes at the dmv. older californians don't need to go in for a license renewal. an executive order signed by governor newsom now allows seniors to renew by mail. that order applies to people over the age of 70. around 860,000 seniors each year have to apply in person for updated licenses. this new order, though, will stay in effect until the state of emergency is lifted. big relief for one of the bay area's most congested freeways. the northbound express lane of 680 in sunol is now open.

the lane runs between auto mall parkway and 84. it's for cars with two or more people as well as motorcycles and qualifying electric vehicles. if you're alone, it's a pay lane. improvements are under way for 680's southbound express lane. governor newsom took advantage of early voting today, officially casting his ballot in sacramento. the governor and his wife voted in person at the golden 1 center. they now join the more than 8.5 million californians who have already voted ahead of tuesday's election. a special treat for voters in the south bay. recognize him? >> sharky. >> sharky greeted them from a safe distance of course as they dropped off their ballots. this is at the shark tank, sap center. the sharks say sharkey's appearance was to encourage people to get out and vote. >> i'd go to meet sharkie. that's cool. >> we just need to see hockey one of these days. maybe the strongest argument yet of life on other planets. we'll share it with you next. [ whispering ]

what's this? oh, are we kicking karly out? we live with at&t. it was a lapse in judgment. at&t, we called this house meeting because you advertise gig-speed internet, but we can't sign up for that here. yeah, but i'm just like warming up to those speeds. you've lived here two years. the personal attacks aren't helping, karly. don't you have like a hot pilates class to get to or something? [ muffled scream ] stop living with at&t. xfinity can deliver gig to the most homes.

official ballot drop box near need to fiyou?he closest just visit vote.ca.gov to find your nearest location. then drop off your ballot. your vote will be secure and counted. there are other ways to vote too. just return your vote-by-mail ballot at your voting location or mail it back. or you can vote safely in-person during early voting or on election day. vote the way you're most comfortable - but vote by 8pm on november 3rd.

tonight at 6:00, there's a good chance you've thought about leaving the bay area. well, the exodus continues. new numbers show how many people are saying good-bye and which part of the state is getting hit the hardest. that story and more coming up on our 6:00 newscast. before we leave tonight, if there were anybody out there, where would they live? astronomers stay about 300 planets in our galaxy alone could be habitable. >> we have a lot of friends, a lot of neighbors here. that's the result of a study involving the nasa ames research center in mountain view. the scientists say about half the stars with temperatures similar to our sun could have a planet capable of supporting water on its surface. so what does it all mean? astronomers say the new information brings us one step closer on the long road of figuring out if we're alone in

the cosmos. >> that would be remarkable if we had some neighbors out there. >> maybe they're going through a big election as well right now. never know. that's going to do it for us right now. lester holt is next. we'll see you again at 6:00. >> bye. see you soon. tonight, the face-off in florida. just five days until the election the campaigns collide in that crucial battleground with duelling rallies at president trump's event the heat s intense a dozen supporters taken to the hospital biden at his own event blasting the president on covid and declaring if florida goes blue it's over. our new poll, who's leading in the sunshine state. hurricane zeta turning deadly the storm racing across nine states after slamming on shore as a category 2. at least six killed, at least a million without power. some outages impacting early voting. the terror attack at a church. a man armed with a knife killing three, one victim escaping