yeah! give it up for anna. i had no idea that we went to the same high school. we have a lot in common. please get off my stage. okay. okay. live like a gigillionaire. who were those women? get the fastest internet with at&t fiber, now with speeds up to 5 gigs. limited availability. [ cheers and applause >> seth: i want to thank my guests cynthia nixon, annaleigh ashford, del water gap! i want to thank elena bonomo and the 8g band. stay safe, get vaccinated, get boosted. we love you. [ cheers and applause ♪ ♪ oh, my gosh, we can't go. we can't go. >> you hear a terrifying moment on a bay area bridge after this

fiery crash. semi truck up in flames. >> the flames got so high they were touching the top of the bridge. >> part of this bridge still shut down. will this impact your morning commute? we'll tell what you we learned. changed in a flash from happiest day of their lives to traumatic day. >> and i thought are they going to attack the couple or what's going on because it felt very aggressive. >> wedding photographer targeted by would-be robbers in shoot in iconic spot in the city. new information late from washington, d.c., about retirement announcement of san francisco native stephen breyer, the supreme court justice stepping down. we begin with breaking news, a fiery and unfortunately deadly crash on the richmond/san rafael bridge, big rig and car collide, trapping a person inside the

car. truck driver managed to get out and call 911. bridge closed partially for several hours. within the past 30 minutes it has started to reopen. >> alarming video. cheryl hurd from the richmond side with the latest. how did this happen tonight? >> reporter: as of 10:15, chp tells me the bridge has been deemed safe. only one lane open but at 10:40 cars starting flowing, 3 1/2 hours after this deadly crash. >> oh, my gosh, we can't go. we can't go. >> couldn't really back up. it's scary to be stuck behind a car engulfed in flames. >> reporter: so menacing that amelia got out her cell phone and posted them on social media. >> the flames got so high they were touching the top of the bridge, really, really on fire. >> reporter: happening just

before 7:00 tonight on the eastbound side of the bridge. at one point amelia and her mom felt their lives were in danger. >> there was span of ten minutes in which he was us and the truck in front of us, wasn't a fire crew, wasn't anything really there to put it out, not even a police officer yet. >> reporter: cause of the crash still unknown. cars were backed up for miles. chp opened up one lane for a short time to escort cars off the bridge. >> detours are still in place tonight, probably will be there for a little while. >> reporter: cal trans chief of public affairs says the concern now is morning commute. >> there's areas we always check for after this. will be checking the pavement to see condition it's in, see if it needs repairs. barriers, potentially involved in this, looking at that. joints are susceptible on the

bridge. >> reporter: all that has been done. again, one lane is open right now while the investigation continues. we don't know when all the lanes will be open but we're told it should not interfere with the morning commute. meanwhile as far as the deadly crash is concerned, one person was in that car and the identity of that person is unknown. reporting live on the richmond side of the san rafael bridge, i'm cheryl hurd, nbc bay area news. >> thank you, cheryl. our traffic reporter will be keeping a close eye on the bridge in the morning. he'll be monitoring for you. today in the bay tlt begins at 4:30 in the morning. tense evening in hercules, 5:30, redwood and lupine road, neighbors told to stay in homes following police activity in the area. three hours later a suspect was taken into custody, lockdown

lifted. i do -- not. wedding photographer fights off a robber as the stunned newlyweds watch in fear. accusing the mayor of being and need more cops. >> reporter: wedding day bliss turns to terror for a san francisco couple and photographer. >> two men pulled up. pay man jumped out and assaulted our photographer in an attempt to steal the camera. >> reporter: ken mendoza said he fought to keep the gear and the couple's memories. >> assailant grabbed my hand and camera at the same time, and i was able to punch my way out of it twice. >> reporter: everyone escaped and suspect took off.

couple says a witness called police reporting he had a gun. at news conference mayor london breed and police chief bill scott said there were more than robberies last year, want more funding for officers. >> when officers are present, proven time and time again, we tend to have less when officers are present. foot patrol and bike officers and engagement is so important. >> reporter: mendoza agrees. >> to have extra patrols of the iconic locations, not just for wedding photographers, this is why people come to san francisco and spend money. >> reporter: the newlyweds are considering leaving san francisco, don't feel safe. >> they're great about giving lip service to what they're doing to stop crime and prosecute offenders, it's not working. i wake up and think one of us

could have been a groom and widower on the same day. closely monitored by health officials, stealth version of omicron. there are cases in california. news comes as covid cases continue to drop nationwide, down 6% over the previous week. hospitalizations down 8% but that number, deaths are up 21%. cdc says that's because the sheer volume of cases weeks earlier. also new research on the reinfections, more people being infected for a second time. researchers in england spoke with 3,500 covid positive people this month, two-thirds reported a suspected case before. on alert after two cases of the new variant were confirmed in

the south bay. only bay area cases confirmed of ba.2 of the 14 identified thus far. how much should you worry? infectious disease experts say may be more transmissible but not more of a threat. >> if you've been infected with omicron, you're protected. they're so similar. and no signs it's more virulent. >> ba.2 cases were detected with genomic sequencing. the subvariant is nearly impossible to detect without it. moderna is testing a booster that targets omicron. phase two trial on the way. effectiveness declined slightly after six months but still noticeable. hundreds of teachers

threatening to strike unless the district addresses covid safety concerns by friday. united teachers of richmond, they want testing bumped up with positives. reached out for response, haven't heard anything back. all you need to know about covid on the nbc bay area streaming app, download on the roku, apple tv, amazon fire stick and click on covid, what to know. serving prison time for talking about wanting to kill 10,000 bay area residents may get out early. investigative unit has been following the case since 2017, when berkeley grad was indicted on terrorism charges. prosecutors said he was using social media to support isis. he pled guilty and in 2019 was

sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison. but today the ninth circuit ruled the judge in the case abused his discretion applying a terrorism enhancement to the sentence, so it was reduced to 18 months. his lawyer says it's right thing. >> he talked about campaigns of terror, atrocious things he actually said. but he didn't carry out any of them. >> alhaag ogee to be released by this summer. in a court document, prosecutors told the court the right decision was handed out in 2019 and believe that he should stay behind bars to quote help the public from further crime. announcement expected tomorrow, president biden set to make appearance with supreme

court justice stephen breyer who is announcing retirement from the court. gives the president his first opportunity to shape the future of the court. sergio quintana spoke with the justice's brother, also a judge. >> reporter: associate supreme court justice stephen breyer's retirement is welcome news for his brother. >> it's right thing to do, for a number of circumstances in his life, should step down. >> reporter: says the timing is important. brother's hope the business of the supreme court will not be interrupted by delayed vacancy on the bench. >> he wanted to make sure that the president had enough time to confirm someone to take that seat effective at end of the term, in june. >> reporter: his retirement avoids the scenario democrats faced when justice ruth bader

ginsburg passed away when a republican nominee swung the balance of the court in fair of conservatives, leaders are calling for a prompt confirmation. president made thoughts on nominee clear. >> i committed if i'm elected president have opportunity to appoint the first black woman to the court, required they have representation now, it's long overdue. >> reporter: early names, federal d.c. appeals court judge jackson, and california supreme court justice kruger. will follow a justice who sought consensus behind the scenes. first job with former senator ted kennedy. >> working on opinion, issue we were trying to hash out with other chambers, he would say go

work it out. >> reporter: breyer a son of san francisco, a graduate of lowell high school and now he's announced retirement, younger brother hopes to see him more. >> hope he spends more time in california, that's hardly a sentence. we're back in 60 seconds. hard to ignore, heated debate over digital billboards and where you could soon see them in the south bay. slithering around like a snake. but why? burglary suspect police in southern california really want to track down. i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri, this area of high pressure is going to bring more dry weather and

billboards across the bay area, there is a battle, san jose could add two more digital billboards on airport property, it's being met with backlash. ian cull. >> reporter: for 35 years san jose has banned any new billboards from going up. three years ago, city council voted to allow some new ones on public land. it's been debated ever since. now there's a proposal on the table for two digital billboards like these to be built at san

jose airport along highway 101, first ones located just north of the terminals. officials say the airport's cut of the ad revenue is half million dollars per year and could advertise 10% of the time. >> there's benefit beyond revenue from the advertisers, could promote and communicate to the community we serve. >> reporter: many vocal opponents spoke at meeting. among them, astronomers who argued it would add to the light pollution and affect their work. others argued would distract drivers. also a grassroots organization, no digital billboards in san jose, point to a survey saying 93% of residents don't want them. >> is it worth it to the

landscape in san jose, to destroy the architectural integrity and historic character of the city for 1% of the city's operating budget? >> reporter: late tonight the commission voted not go forward but city council will make the final decision scheduled for february 15th. in san jose, ian cull, nbc bay area news. tonight a break in the investigation into the killing of young pregnant mom in the east bay that was killed. happened in october. 19-year-old serenity henderson driving through south berkeley with family and 1-year-old son when gunfire at her car. she died, pregnant with second child. police arrested a man in connection with the murder. san jose passed first in nation gun law and gun rights groups are fighting back.

ordinance requires gun owners to carry liability insurance and pay annual fee to go to nonprofits aiming to reduce gun violence. advocates have filed a lawsuit to block the law. head of the national gun rights group dismissed the explanation this is about safety. >> crime is on the rise. what is the response of the san jose city council? tax and regulate its citizens just for exercising a constitutionally guaranteed right. >> also knocked the claim of the ordinance being first of its kind in the nation, describing it as america's most insane form of gun control. earlier this evening i spoke with san jose mayor sam liccardo. >> we know there have been taxes and fees on guns and bullets sold in this country since

roughly 1919. it's nothing new. might be a fee attached to gun ownership or use of guns. >> mayor says he anticipated a legal battle and his team is confident the law is constitutional. if it clears the legal hurdles could take effect in san jose in august. climate in crisis. governor newsom made a stop in palo alto promoting clean energy to fight climate change. new budget directs $10 million to accelerate transition to clean vehicles, more affordable cars, trucks, busses and even charging stations. >> as consequence breathe cleaner air, kids grow up healthier and economic will be much, much more resilient. >> the governor says this plan is not just for affluent californians, the clean cars for all program will provide rebates for low income californians and he hopes to expand the program

in the upcoming budget. encouraging news about the fire near big sur, south of carmel. highway has been fully reopened and evacuation orders lifted for the people forced to leave their homes. fire is 60% contained. firefighters say strong winds whipped up embers from a controlled burn to spark this wildfire. meteorologist jeff ranieri, when the fire broke out, you were saying, even though had rain, not lately. here we are continuing that stretch of no rain. >> we've had extreme weather, record-setting rainfall, then extended periods of drying and looks like next week might get more wind that could elevate the fire danger. that's the seven-day forecast. thursday morning, no big

problems, patchy fog, chilly temperatures, heavier jacket out. 38 through the tri-valley, south bay at 39. more over the east bay and north bay, san francisco with 43. temperatures tomorrow, no big adjustments, in a stable pattern, going to bring us back to the 60s in the south bay. cooler for a few spots in microclimate east bay, martinez in the low 60s. peninsula, afternoon sunshine, 63 in redwood city. 58 in the marina, 64 in sonoma. we'd love rainfall in here but no way with this area of high pressure that could hang out next seven to ten days. few systems will try to break through, but only bring us cloud cover by friday, no big hopes of

rainfall and it's starting to push in problems across the bay. first the air quality, it's hazy tomorrow and think will go into unhealthy for sensitive groups north bay, east bay, south bay. on top of that, lot of things are beginning to bloom, trees dropping pollen, cedar, ash, alder and elm in the high category. with more dry weather on the way, could have wind event tuesday, 15 to 25-mile-an-hour gusts, maybe higher, could elevate the fire danger tuesday. inland valleys, temperatures in 60s. so far so good on the weekend coming your way. partly cloudy skies and low 60s moving in. >> sounds good. >> we'll take it. sounds too good to be true, free tickets to the game, airfare and hotel room. contest all you 49er fans need

to hear about tonight, midnight deadline. back to in-person learning this monday for bay area universities, reverted to distance learning in omicron surge but cal, santa clara university and cal state east bay will be

okay. like what's with this? forget cat burglar, a snake burglar. man caught on security camera, slithering across the floor of a business in riverside, crawling on stomach to avoid setting off the motion detectors. apparently all that slithering, even stupid as it looks, paid off for him. owner of the gold exchange store said he got away with $15,000 worth of silver. now police are looking for the slithering snake. a spacex rocket on a collision course with the moon. falcon 9 launched feels like es on go. drifting in space, will hit the moon in march but effects will

be minor. if you plan on going to the super bowl, be prepared to pay a lot for the tickets and wear a mask. everyone who attends will get a free kn-95 mask and will be making sure everyone is wearing mask except when eating or drinking. there's official ticket packages out there for -- ready? >> i'm ready. >> $14,000. lucky for you, station is paying for you to go. >> i'm working, it's working assignment. there is a way to

all right. 49ers fever. check it out. iconic landmarks lit up in red and gold. golden gate park. the park department says will be that way as long as the 49ers keep winning. next up is los angeles. 49ers have beaten the rams six straight times, is seven too much to ask? talked to london breed, she said don't say the word super bowl, don't jinx it. get through this first. >> winner of sunday's game goes to the super bowl. first things first, practice in santa clara getting ready for team they know very well. >> we know them, playing them a third time, nothing will surprise us. lots on the line, going to play

as hard as we can. they're going to play as hard as they can, see who makes most plays, least mistakes. >> third time this season the 49ers play the rams. talking about the beanie there? >> is it a good luck beanie or something? >> chilly in santa clara. jimmy g. looks healthy, nick bosa looks healthy, question mark, trent williams, will he be 100%? but clear your calendar, kickoff, sunday, 3:30. sharks have lost four of their last five. in washington, d.c., you play the capitals, deal with future hall of famer alex ovechkin. but the sharks shut him down, controlled this game. nicholas mullash the rookie giving them the lead and they cruise to

first we have a lame story about the rams not wanting to sell tickets to 49er fans. then if you can get hands on ticket, sky high. why not go for the free one? united airlines and 49ers teaming up to give two tickets

free. you have until midnight to enter the niners' website, round trip tickets to l.a., tickets to game and hotel room for tonight. only have 26 minutes. >> you know who wins these? will our director. >> will, do it. go, will. bye- tonight, the major shake-up with the supreme court. nbc news the first to report liberal justice stephen breyer, the court's oldest member, is stepping down, giving president biden his first nomination to the bench. who is on his short list, and will he keep a campaign promise to nominate the first black woman to the court? the confirmation battle ahead also tonight, the u.s. formally rejecting russia's top security demands amid fears of an invasion in ukraine russia threatening retaliation as it steps up its war games. richard engel inside ukraine. the new subvariant of omicron to watch in the u.s. why they're calling it a stealth omicron.

it comes as cases and hospitalizations fall but deaths rise to the highest level in nearly a year. and the new study, up to two in three cases may now be reinfections what you need to know. the deep freeze in the midwest as a powerful nor'easter takes aim at parts of the east al roker tracking it all. the federal reserve signaling an interest rate hike is coming soon to tame inflation. the moves to make with your money now music legend neil young versus spotify why the popular streamer is removing his music. and more than 80 years after pearl harbor, the fallen u.s. serviceman finally laid to rest >> casket. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt good evening let's begin with the fallout and a look ahead at the political battle to come following word today of supreme court justice stephen breyer's planned requirement from the court. a formal announcement from the 83-year-old clinton-appointed