right now at 11:00. it may already be here and we just don't know it. what we are learning about that new covid variant omicron. plus, answers to your top

questions about the variant's spread. and a push to get more booster shots out for the holidays. the move that could expand the shots to america's teenagers, before christmas. plus -- >> cared about everybody. tried to protect everybody. we just wanted to ask for the public's help. doing the right thing costs a young man his life. what we know about the latest victim of gun violence in oakland, and his family's plea for justice. . good evening and thans for being with us. i'm raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. we start with breaking news about vaccines. teenagers may be next. sources tell nbc news pfizer is pushing to open booster shots for 16 and 17-year-olds. company expect today ask the fda to authorize the shots this week. right now, only people 18 and older are eligible for that additional dose. once pfizer applies, regulators

aren't expected to take long to sign off. all this comes, as the nation's scramble to contain omicron, the newest variant. south africa first raised the alarm last week, triggering a slew of travel bans against the country and its neighbors. those decisions slammed, by the way, by the world health organization. now, omicron has already spread and has been detected in at least 15 nations. you can see here on this map. it's already here in north america with canada announcing cases just yesterday. well, here's what we know right now. local health officials say it's too early to make any definitive statements about omicron. other than that it will be two to three more weeks before we know how dangerous it really is. for now, it appears those infected with it are experiencing mild symptoms. omicron has had more than 50 mutations. compare that to the delta variant, which has fewer than 20. doctors say it could mean it's more transmissible. so, how can we protect ourselves against the unknown? dr. peter chin hong from ucsf

says it's likely the vaccines will work. >> they worked against all the other scarier looking variants, in terms of vaccine evasion. like, beta, like gamma even like mu and lambda that never really took off. so i think given what we know, it makes sense to get that booster shot as soon as people can. >> dr. chin-hong also believes this variant is already in the united states and will soon be officially discovered. >> well, no cases in santa clara county. that's what we are hearing from health officials tonight. but at the other end of the bay area in marin county, public health officers say they are staying the course with no plans to revive masks mandates. the hope is that we will all be vigilant on our own. >> it's covering our faces in indoor-public settings. it's obtaining the protection of the vaccine and the booster that's the most important thing we can do. it's staying home when we are sick and getting tested if we are having symptoms. >> president biden quelling

concerns saying the variant is not cause for panic. barring foreign visitors from eight african countries did take effect today, though. it does not impact american citizens, though, trying to get home. well, heading deeper into the holidays, california is not moving in the right direction. here is a snap shot of the past three weeks. take a look. we are hovering around that 2% mark for the past two weeks but today, our positivity rate jumped to 3%. hospitalizations are also up but still far below what we saw during the summer. in august, we saw about 8,600 cases largely due to the delta variant. it dropped to about 5,200. and now, you can see today, more than 3,400 patients in the hospital because of covid. 76% of the state is now vaccinated with at least one shot. that includes kids 5 and older. well, urgency is being added to eligibility when it comes to boosters for anyone 18 and over. cdc is asking that everyone get that additional dose. the guidelines about timing

still apply six months since full vaccination for pfizer or moderna. two months since the johnson & johnson vaccination. now, our coverage of the new variant continues on our website. we did post an explainer about omicron. just go to nbcbayarea.com. click on the story in our trending bar at the top of the home page. well, from calls to defund police to now cries to get more cops on the streets. tomorrow, oakland's police chief will address what city leaders are calling for -- a change in policing and a crackdown on crime. this comes, after the death of a man killed while trying to stop a car break-in. nbc bay area's ian cull spoke with the victim's mother. >> reporter: tonight, oakland city leaders are asking for the violence to stop. the mayor wants to add more police officers on the streets. it comes as the latest victim, 28-year-old eric davis, was gunned down near lake merit sunday afternoon. police say he was trying to --

mother and aunt tonight who live in l.a. >> he was our heart. cared about everybody. tried to protect everybody. >> eric is going to take up for whoever can't take up for themselves. >> reporter: davis moved to oakland two years ago. he worked for a restoration company doing construction before he was heavily involved in the new mount pleasant missionary baptist church in l.a. teaching bible study and coaching kids in basketball. he was trying to make it on his own, and lived near lake merit. >> we really thought that that was a good place for him. you know, he didn't deserve to lose his life and violence has to stop. >> reporter: oakland police say a passenger inside a toyota rav-4 shot davis. a $10,000 reward is being offered from crime stoppers for information in the case. tonight, his family, too, is pleading for help. >> we just wanted to ask for the public's help with locating the suspects.

who murdered a kind, loving son. >> reporter: tomorrow, oakland police chief armstrong will give an update on the investigation. he will also talk about the call for manufacturer staffing and how his department is using tactical units to respond to certain crimes. earlier today, mayor schaaf and city council members say they'll support stopping some police budget cuts while continuing to invest in violence prevention measures. >> we have to demonstrate our support for those officers who are sacrificing daily to keep our -- our community safe. >> reporter: ian cull, nbc bay area news. we here at nbc and other tv stations in the bay area continue to mourn the death of a security guard who was killed while protecting a tv news crew. kevin nishita was working $as a guard last wednesday in oakland when he was shot during an attempted robbery. before he was a private guard, he worked for police departments in heyward and san jose. a trust fund has been created at

oakland's metropolitan bank. 100% of the funds will be given to his wife. there is also a reward of more than $32,000 for information leading to an arrest. take a look at this car. it's what police believe is the getaway car. it is a wiet white acura tl, model year 2004 to 2008. no front license plate and you can see there, is sunroof as well. >> today, one of three suspects recented in that violent flash be robbery, prosecutors say one of them, rodry robinson, had 2,$000 of stolen nordstrom merchandise. he pled guilt knot guilty, is facing charges including robbery and using force and fear against nordstrom employees. two other suspects will be arraigned tomorrow. crime and safety, at the pore forefront of san francisco tradition. after so many smash and grabs, the mayor wants to assure visitors the city is safe for the holidays but are shoppers and tourists really buying that?

nbc bay area's jean elle has more. >> at the holiday tree lighting, the mayor is encouraging people from all over the bay area to come to san francisco to shop. she says she realizes safety is a concern and it's being addressed. >> three, two, one! >> reporter: lots of excitement in san francisco's castro district as the holiday tradition of lighting the tree returns after covid restrictions cancelled it last year. mayor london breed telling the crowd it's more important than ever to support local businesses. >> make sure that you get all your toys and christmas gifts and other things at local businesses in san francisco. we are in the midst of our economic recovery. >> reporter: an economic recovery interrupted by smash-and-grab robberies that are scaring shoppers away. the mayor says she hopes felony charges filed against suspects paired with a visible police presence will help stop the thefts, and make shoppers feel more comfortable in districts

like union square. >> my hope is that these people are held accountable and that others see this as a lesson. but in the meantime, we have officers that are downtown. >> reporter: sam says the police presence is reassuring. >> i am indifferent about cops but i know if they're there, that at least there is going to be some kind of protection going on. >> reporter: state senator scott wiener says he will be supporting the governor's request to increase funding for the organized retail theft task force and hopes the police presence serves as a deterrent. >> it's not the shopping experience that people want to have a bunch of police officers around but it's -- it's a very visible way for the city to make clear that we're not going to tolerate this. >> sfpd says it will also increase patrols around special-holiday events like tonight's tree lighting. jean elle, nbc bay area news. in the south bay, some bombshell allegations and revelations today by theranos founder elizabeth holmes. among them, holmes says she was

raped at stanford. in a tearful moment, she told the jury she was raped while a student at stanford which is why she left that school at age 19. she also revealed her boyfriend abused her. he was a fellow theranos executive. holmes says she processed what happened by focusing intensely on starting her own company, which she did. the question now, how do these personal revelations impact the trial and the accusations that she defrauded her investors knowing that her theranos blood testing technology did not work? >> i mean it's very compelling testimony that she's told us that he's been abusive, verbally berating her and controlling her. and telling her how to live her life. and was forcing -- she did talk about that she was forced to have sex with him. >> holmes says she ended the relationship in 2016. balwani, by the way, has not testified in this trial. he has, previously, responded to allegations of abusing holmes calling them untrue.

tomorrow, elizabeth holmes will be cross-examined. nbc bay area's scott budman has been following this case from the beginning and you can get all his reports, the latest scoop on the trial by following scott on twitter. he is also doing live updates from the courtroom. he, of course, is our business and deck reporter. his twitter handle is @scott budman. one of the most infamous inmates in san quentin is no longer in san quentin. scott peterson is now in a redwood city jail. peterson was convicted of killing his wife laci and unborn son back in 2004. this is his new booking photo taken this morning after he was transferred ahead of his resentencing hearing next week. the california supreme court overturned his death sentence last year saying the trial judge excluded potential jurors who were opposed to the death penalty. peterson is fighting his conviction saying a juror was untruthful when she filled out her juror questionnaire. during next week's hearing, he is expected to face family and

friends of his wife for the first time since his conviction. okay. check this out. new video of a dramatic rescue. a chp helicopter crew responding to a report of an injured person on the sea wall. this happened yesterday. you can see the waves down below. as first responders prepare the patient for an airlift. the man was flown to stinson beach and then taken to the hospital by ambulance. we are back in 60 seconds with four east bay cities on alert. >> our concern is that there is a network of these individuals that are connected somehow that are committing these crimes throughout the cities in the bay area. different suspects, same methods. the new trend has thieves swiping valuables from seniors in broad daylight. the warning tonight from police. plus, it's not the kind of cat you usually see just roaming around your neighborhood. mountain lions again making themselves home further from the wild. why officials say not as strange as you think. i'm chief meteorologist jeff

ranieri. we will need to watch out for some fog down here in the south bay, and around the bay. we will take a look at those chilly temperatures and i will show police say a criminal network is operating here in the bay area targeting the most vulnerable among us. in at least four east bay cities, they found older women who were walking alone had

thousands of dollars worth of jewelry taken right from them. nbc bay area's terry mcsweeney tell us more. 95-year-old frances roberts went for a walk on the san francisco bay trail in berkeley on thanksgiving day. a car pulled up with a man and a woman in front, and two children in back. the woman approached. >> kissing me on each cheek saying you're so sweet. you're so nice. >> then, the stranger put a necklace of junk beads over roberts' head, supposedly as a gift but in reality, as a distraction while stealing the invaluable necklace roberts' mother had left her. >> because we had a pact that she would wear that chain until she died. and then, i would wear it until i died. and it was our way of keeping up with each other. >> reporter: the thieves also got roberts' $2,500 ring. tonight, we are learning thieves in four east bay cities pulled off nearly identical crimes in the past few days. talking about berkeley, pleasanton, brentwood, and twice in san ramon, the most recent

there just yesterday. in every case, a woman over the age of 65. >> and the common theme is that they were walking alone by themselves, and they did have visible jewelry. um, watches, necklaces, bracelets that someone could see. >> what varies is the thieves, themselves, and their get away cars. this suspect vehicle caught on camera in san ramon is a different make, model, and color than other getaway vehicles. that license plate showed the car to be a rental. suspect descriptions also vary. >> both, in race, in size, and in age. so our concern is that there is a network of these individuals that are connected somehow that are committing these crimes throughout the cities in the bay area. >> reporter: roberts says she regrets not doing something with that cane she uses to get around. >> i was going to take my cane and hit anybody i could hit. i knew that i couldn't -- you know, i couldn't do a lot of damage but i would satisfy me that i didn't let them do it and

me do nothing. >> reporter: terry mcsweeney, nbc bay area news. opening statements began today in the high-profile sex trafficking trial of ghislaine maxwell. federal prosecutors say the british socialite and jeffrey epstein were partners in crime trafficking kids for sex. maxwell's lawyers say she is a convenient scapegoat for epstein's crimes. she's pleaded not guilty to six counts of sex trafficking. the trial of empire star jesse smollett started today in chicago. the santa rosa native is accused of staging a racist and homophobic assault against himself in 2019. two men actually say that smollett paid them to attack him. his lawyers say police and prosecutors rushed to judgment in charging him. the actor faces six disorderly conduct charges for making false reports to the police. he could spend up to three years in prison. all right. following up on a story we first brought you as breaking news last night. we now know the name of a suspect accused of driveling a

truck the wrong way on the bay bridge. his name is martin callatano of oakland. charged with assault with a deadly weapon, felony assault on a police officer. police say he argued with a cal trans employee, then drove his truck the wrong way through the toll plaza. you can see him slam into a chp patrol car in one of these videos that we have been showing you backward. he actually drove the wrong way several times on the bridge hitting two other cars. the officer did suffer some minor injuries during the arrest. okay. a surprising sight on thanksgiving and, no, that's not a turkey. it's a mountain lion. just casually, strolling down a street in san bruno. you can see it there, it's daylight. something you don't typically see. nbc bay area's ginger conejero saab spoke to the family who shot that video. >> reporter: this quiet residential street doesn't see much action, so you can imagine the shock and fear that people felt when they saw a mountain lion make its way down this

street in the middle of the day. liz burrdebt says she looked out of her window on thanksgiving day around 4:00 in the afternoon. >> we saw a mountain lion in broad daylight just giving itself a bath um across the street. >> reporter: it was the first daytime sighting for liz and her three boys. but the night before, they took this picture of a mountain lion. >> around 11:00 p.m., we heard some growling and roaring. so, we looked outside our window and saw two mountain lions walking down the sidewalk on wednesday night. um, we have lived here for four years and that was the first time we've seen one then. >> reporter: california fish and wildlife says the number of mountain lion sightings has been normal for this time of the year. they say wildlife may be coming into more urban places because of the drought. earlier wildfires. but also, because people are more equipped to catch videos and photos of wildlife. >> anytime you catch a glimpse of a mountain lion, i think it's natural to -- to fear a little bit um afraid. you know, what people might, you

know, kind of be filled with wonder or amazement and the probability that a mountain lion would be a danger to a human is probably pretty loi. >> there was two mountain lions on the day. >> but liz and her family aren't taking any chances. they say they are keeping a closer eye on their surroundings and limiting outdoor activities, especially when it's dark out. ginger conejero saab, nbc bay area news. okay. be careful out there. our climate in crisis coverage continues. california's snow pack in the sierra nevada could be gone in 25 years. that's what a new study at the lawrence-berkeley national lab shows. the snow in the mountains will be replaced by rain. we have already seen a change in recent decades as the snow season has been shortened by about a month. at the same time, snow levels have moved up by 1,200 feet. no snow pack means california would be without spring and summer melt-off that fills rivers and streams. the state relies heavily on that for its water supply. jeff has been talking about this

for a while now in our extensive coverage. >> yeah. and that really goes along with some new research we're seeing that we would get overall fewer storms. but when we do have those storms happening, they'd be those stronger atmospheric rivers that tend to be warmer. so hence, less snow pack. but the good news we want to remind you is new research came out this year and said if we all do our part, we contribute to lower our carbon footprint, we can mitigate and keep things from like -- like that from happening in the future. you can head to nbcbayarea.com and and click on your climate section to get more on that. okay. monday is behind us. we are all ready to go for tuesday and as you start it off, you are going to need your jacket. 47 in the peninsula and tri-valley. 43 continued 40s as well through the north bay, san francisco, and the east bay. so, this is a fairly typical end of november morning coming our way. but i know what you all are

saying, i want some rainfall. i am included in that, too. i would love to get some rainfall in here but there is no way it's going to happen with the current weather pattern we are seeing. it's this area of high pressure and any time you see high pressure, this basically helps to push the storm track off to the north. it is a weather pattern that, again, displaces the storm track. so we got some sunny, hazy conditions. also, some areas of morning fog coming back in as we head through tomorrow morning like we talked about. overall tomorrow, again, it is going to stay dry for us in the south bay. right over to the east bay, 67 in vallejo, 71 in pleasanton. and 61 in heyward. 70 in palo alto. san francisco stays cool with 59 in the marina and 62 in outer sunset. 74 in ukiah and 70 in sonoma. looking good here when it comes to the temperatures but the one thing that might bother you tomorrow is the air quality. it's starting to become moderate here throughout all the bay area so if you have any respiratory problems or allergies, you might

notice them. you might need to reach for that allergy medication. on my seven-day forecast in san francisco, 60s for highs. chilly 40s for those morning temperatures. and for the inland sliel valleys, we have some low 70s next couple days. clouds coming in next monday with a system near the coast that could bring us a few spotty showers next tuesday and wednesday. as far as widespread rainfall chances, that looks like it could be pushed back towards mid-december. i think overall, this could good to get over that turkey hang over. the weather this week. >> need to walk for about a week. that is the best way. >> and the weather is perfect for that. >> it is good. >> thanks, jeff. happening now. the co-founder of twitter, jack dorsey, stepped down as ceo today. he didn't give a specific reason for his exit. only that twitter should break away from its founders. cto takes the reigns from here. dorsey, by the way, will

stick to the bikes and treadmills. lululemon and peloton going head to head in court. today, lululemon filed a patent lawsuit against peloton saying peloton copied designs of its sports bras and leggings. suit comes just days after the -- peloton goes on to say the merch it has doesn't look like lululemon's and that lulu's designs are too obvious to even

merit patent protection. okay. gotten your christmas tree yet? prices are up. climate change and supply chain issues are being blamed from the sticker shock. unusual heat waves dried out trees in oregon and wildfires burned through some farms here in california. and then, there's that supply chain problem. the cost of trucking the trees has doubled in some places. pro tip here, just go out and get your tree early. all right. tonight, some disappointing news from the 49ers and some really good news for the warriors. we will show you what' okay. it's a fact. suddenly surging 49ers have a lot of people excited but late today, a little bit of downer from head coach kyle shanahan. >> here it is.

two big injuryings, including their razor star deebo samuel. during yesterday's big win over the vikings, deebo hurt his groin. he will miss this sunday's game against the seahawks and possibly the following week against the bengals. all pro linebacker fred warner is also out this up am kming sunday with a bad hamstring. speaking of the seahawks, monday night football in seattle. hello to russell wilson. his 33rd birthday. he almost -- almost pulls out a dramatic win less than 30 seconds remaining. seahawks trailing by eight. that's a touchdown pass right there. however, the seahawks -- watch it here -- they miss the two-point conversion. washington holds on for dear life. they beat seattle, 17-15. here's some fantastic news. this is klay thompson getting real close today a scrimmage with the santa cruz warriors.

klay thompson has been assigned to the santa cruz team. their next home game in front of people and fans is december 3rd. maybe okay. napa's going to be back to rocking it over memorial day. festival favorite bottle rock is returning to its usual holiday weekend spot. >> that's memorial day. >> yes. >> okay. we're back. bottle rock did happen this year but it was over labor day and lot more scaled down. it was the first major festival in northern california to offer live performances since the beginning of the pandemic. no word yet on who is going to perform next memorial day weekend. tickets, though, go on sale next tuesday. so, you still got to just buy your tickets if you want to get there early if you want to get all the stood good stuff. they will cost you 369 bucks for a general pass.

that is general admission but your type of seat is probably more than 69. >> just vip couches. >> i just checked the site. no word on who is performing, yet. i will let you know if i find out. >> thanks for joining us. have a great day. >> bye-bye. tonight, president biden addressing the american people on the threat from the new omicron variant. the president saying the new variant spreading rapidly around the world is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic and taking new lockdowns off the table for now. the cdc showing a new alert to all adults. get a booster shot as soon as possible but questions mounting how soon until omicron is discovered in the u.s. and can it evade the vaccine? also tonight opening statements in the sex trafficking trial of ghislaine maxwell, long-time confidant of jeffrey epstein. who is the first witness to take the stand? jury selection on the

trial of jussie smollett, the actor accused of staging a hate crime attack on himself. new video of former new york governor andrew cuomo testifying in his sexual harassment allegations. the tense exchanges and what documents reveal about news anchor chris cuomo's role in defending his brother. cyber monday is here our exclusive inside amazon for the biggest online shopping day of the year will it shatter records after a disappointing black friday and how is amazon keeping up with demand celebrating a golf legend who broke barriers and tributes pouring in after a fashion icon's tragic death. this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. good evening with the world health organization warning of a very high global risk, president biden tonight says the omicron covid variant is cause for concern and not a cause for panic. here's what we know as we come on the air tonight. the variant first