website, nbcbayarea.com. our other top story this evening, it is right outside. light rain about to turn heavy. we'll also have strong winds. take a look atominous skies over san francisco. we are under a microclimate weather alert. rob mayeda, what are you seeing at this hour. >> you could see our cameras bouncing around from some of the winds. san jose 67 degrees. and on the coast, wind speeds approaching 30 miles per hour on half moon bay and higher in the santa cruz mountains. gusts close to 40 miles per hour. there is a view of san francisco. 64 right now. golden gate, no windshield wipers moving just yet but that is about to change within the next few minutes as you could see here is downpours off shore. the outer fringe of a very powerful storm, especially by april standards here. curling up right off the coast. look at that low, that is a 985 millie bar low and that will help to fire up the winds as it approached the coast and we could see wind

speeds begin to accelerate, as a cold front comes through from 8:00 to 11:00 and we'll begin to see the rain locally heavy at times and check out the wind speeds, hour by hour from 8:00 and look at half moon bay and livermore by 11:00, wind speeds above 40 miles per hour with some higher gusts in the hills. we're tracking this storm for you hour by hour in our full forecast. a chance of thunder and a second storm arriving now for tomorrow evening's commute. the timeline on the storm in our full forecast at 5:16. >> we'll hold fon a wild ride in the next 24 hours. as the storm moves in, track the conditions specific to your area with our bay area app. access our live doppler radar, the same ones the meteorologist use and go to detailed forecast for your neighborhood. well a swarm of activity outside of the county jail in redwood city. take a look, a high profile murder case with the record-setting bail. $70 million in total bail. tiffany li is accused of killing

her ex boyfriend. she walked out of jail with her face mostly covered. it is hard to see her. and nbc bay area rick boone joins us and what is the concern with her moving forward? >> reporter: yeah, in this case, prosecutors say if she has multi-millions of dollars to post bail, which she did today, it is likely she has the resources to skip the country. 31-year-old tiffany li out of jail for the first time in almost a year. this is after posting $35 million bail, the highest in san mateo county, the eighth largest in the nation. >> she's declared her innocence since the beginning and it is my job do to see it goes to trial. >> reporter: it is broken down between $4 million and $60 million in equity. >> the amount of money should not dictate the public interest. >> reporter: she is accused of arranging the murder of her ex

boyfriend over the custody battle of their two children. >> nothing seems right about it at all. it is very difficult time for the family. >> reporter: his body was found shot along a sonoma county road in may 2016. >> right now we are dealing with the david and goliath situation with millions of money and power. >> reporter: now that she is out, prosecutors say it is likely she'll run to china where she has family and wealth and comfort waiting for her but her attorneys disagree with that assessment saying she will not run. >> the question is whether she is uniquely any more of a flight risk than any other of the thousands of people that are released on bail in this country every day. it is our position she's not. >> reporter: and there are conditions on this bail. she will have to give up her passport and wear an ankle bracelet. she's due back in court in september. live in redwood city, rick boone, nbc bay area news. >> quite the scene.

thanks, rick. the widow of the orlando nightclub gunman is no longer in the bay area. she left the santa rita jail in dublin in the custody of u.s. marshals. we told you yesterday that she would be extradited to florida. she is cused of -- accused of aiding and abetting her husband. she came to the east bay to stay with family in rodeo after the shooting. the first break in 19 years, tonight charges have been filed in one of the biggest cold cases in monterey county history. we are live in the newsroom are late breaking developments in the murder investigation of a teenage girl. >> and the evidence points to a man that was a suspect early on, a convicted rapist and next week he will be charged with murder and kidnapping. the 13-year-old christina williams went missing back in 1998. she was out walking her dog on the sea side neighborhood and never came home. the case gained national

attention and the fbi and community searched for her for months and seven months after she went missing, they found her remains. today the d.a. announced they'll file murder charges against charles holyfield. >> in this particular case, it really touched a raw nerve in this community. and i think one of the things that we are really putting out there is that law enforcement doesn't quit. they don't quit. they keep digging. >> reporter: prosecutors say there is strong dna evidence against the man currently serving 25 years to life in another case for kidnapping. the d.a. said he will be sent from chowchilla back to mobter a and charged -- monterey and charged with kidnapping and murder for purposes of sexual assault and they will talk with the victim's family about whether they will pursue the death penalty for holyfield. nbc bay area news. >> thank you. it is a bold description for a

bold action. senate republicans used the so-called nuclear option today to clear the way for the supreme court confirmation of neil gorsuch. the historic vote jettison the 60 vote supermajority so from now on high court nominees could be confirmed with a simple majority. a move likely to further polarize the parties. before this vote, republicans and democrats continued the blame game. >> when a nominee doesn't get enough votes for confirmation, the answer is not to change the rules. it is to change the nominee. >> our position on this particular nominee is more about the man that nominated him, and the party he represents than the nominee himself. >> so the back and forth continues and that is when democrats say is exactly the same sentiments of republicans one year ago when the republicans blocked president obama's nominee judge merit garland. gorsuch's confirmation vote is

expected tomorrow. right now the president is at his mar-a-lago estate in florida to meet with china's president. however there may be some tension. during the election candidate trump was consistently vocal about his america first stance and attacked china's trade practices. after being at the center of a growing controversy for weeks, california representative devin nunes is stepping aside from the russian hacking investigation. he is accused of sharing intelligence with the media before briefing his own committee and now he is the subject of an investigation. he will stay on as chairman of the committee but mike conaway will now be in charge of the investigation with the assistance of two other republicans. the former governor arnold schwarzenegger is accusing

president trump of stealing from kids. that is the proposal to slash $9 billion in federal education spending. that would also eliminate more than $1 billion in grants for after-school programs and summer programs. >> president trump promised us that he wants to make america great again. that is not how he make america great. by taking $1.2 billion away from the children and robbing them blind. >> well the president and the former governor has already had their moments this year. but those issues have commonly centered around a tv show that schwarzenegger took over for mr. trump, the nbc celebrity apprentice. don rickles tied do-- died today at the age of 90. [ laughter ] >> for more than 50 years he made insults an artform and his victims always laughed. he visited the "tonight" show

with johnny carson over a hundred times and his final late knight night appearance with jimmy fallon in june. and they discovered him as mr. potato head in the toy story films. chris rock tweeted, rickles is, quote, funnier in death than most comics are in life. right now we are watching some stormy skies over the bay area. as you could see, rain approaching tiburonond san francisco, and there is gusty wind and thunderstorms that could roll in tonight and an hour by hour outlook when we come back. and finding out your risk for a serious disease without going to the doctor. a new offer from a silicon valley company but are the tests accurate? plus back home, after his family thought he was dead. crews find a dog days after a boating accident. where they found him and the new video of the reunion. way ck en.it s ttrsamicayrad..ue

well way back when it's t was the transamerica pyramid but the san francisco skyline has changed. we now have the tallest building west of chicago. there it is. today the final beam was installed of the new sales force tower. this is the new high-rise that reached 61 stories into the sky. providing the sweeping views of san francisco. really the entire bay area. sales force big boss and the ceo joins san francisco mayor ed lee

today to commemorate the big event. >> it seems like everywhere i am in this city or around the bay, i can see this tower. do you have that experience too? isn't that amazing. it is inspiring. >> we can see it everywhere. very true. here is the view from the 60th story. the building will eventually become the new global headquarters for sales force but you don't have to work for sales force to go to the top floor. here is the deal. and it is pretty cool. that top floor is going to be a conference room that could be used for community groups and nonprofits around the bay area. a potentially ground-breaking health test will soon be available for consumers. the fda approved the first home dna test that let people find out if they have a genetic risk for certain diseases. the 23 and me personal health risk test will provide some information about a person's risk for ten diseases, including parkinsons and late on set alzheimer's. health experts point out the tests do not diagnose diseases and they urge people to speak to

their doctors for more information. a couple stories for you right now. the walls are going up on a special tiny house. and album sales are going up for a special musician. >> a lot of special people, just a couple of updates, with good news stories in the past. we are here with those developments in today's bay area proud. >> janelle, the bay area proud series is all about sharing stories of kindness and inspiration and success, highlighting the good that is happening around us each and every day. we've been at it for more than five years and one thing we've learned over the time is that people don't stop doing good once their stories air. it is usually just the opposite. >> you need to keep each other on track. >> or first stop is in elementary school in milpitass. rita had challenged her sixth graders to design an actually build a real permanent tiny home on their school campus.

rita has yet to hear of kids so young tackles such a project anywhere, and wondered at times herself if they would be able to do it. but no more. >> so we have to put our building wrap on -- >> reporter: this past weekend the students with the help of block construction got the walls and the roof finished and up on the house. and it is well on the way to being completed. >> we follow john preston's story for a few years now. the marine turned musician from the east bay has become a national crusader and a symbol in the fight against ptsd and veteran suicide. his message continues to get a bigger and bigger audience. his latest release, superman fall, a song based on the suicide of his older brother, is included in a compilation album called battle cry, songs of american heroes which has gone as high as number 21 on the itunes rock album chart and

raising thoughts of dollars. we've also recently heard some sad and some happy news from people we've met along the way. rex bowers daughter said her dad passed away. he was the 95-year-old jazzer size regular who was an inspiration as they struggle to recover from the devastating valley fire. >> it is something that brings comfort. >> but we've also heard something wonderful. from desiree rayes. in 2015 she shared the story of the death of her five-month-old daughter jordan and what it meant to receive an angel gown. one of the burial dresses allison sews out of recycles wedding gowns. and just before the first of the year, she welcomed william, her rainbow baby, to the family. >> why do you make us cry? this is so emotional. the stories are so beautiful.

>> and i'm so thrilled and honored that people let me share them. that is one of the great stories. >> and these are our neighbors and our friends. >> but they allow me into their lives and worlds and i could share wonderful and sad updates but always inspiring. >> those are beautiful stories. thanks for sharing. turning back to our microclimate weather alert. santa clara county has issued a weather alert to people in the loma fire burn area. the concern any rain my trigger mudslides in the santa cruz mountains. we are live at the summit with a close look at the concerns. damian? >> reporter: janelle, the howling winds haven't arrived up here on the summit of the santa cruz mountains but when they do, some more down trees are a possibility. we saw plenty of those along our trip up here in the mountains and when the rains come, it could also mean for road washouts. there are countless road washouts along bear creek road in the santa cruz mountains. this one is near bolder creek.

a temporary stoplight now directs traffic around the slide, but no timetable for crews to begin repairs. >> we deal with it. fortunately i'm close enough that i could walk to work. >> reporter: the big slide is still on skyline boulevard near black road. the road gave way in mid-february. and crews haven't begun the repair work. one problem is getting heavy earth movers through the narrow roads leading up to the slide. at 3000 feet, the wind bends a tall trees and some in danger of toppling on to the eroding mountainside. some neighbors are understandably frustrated but others along neighboring roads are taking it in stride. even with the delays caused by the erosion. >> the road? yeah, you know, it happens. nothing you can do about it. >> maneuver around it. >> and then work with it. hopefully the county gets after it here shortly. >> reporter: and the county is warning the loma fire victims to keep an eye on the scorched

mountainside as well. reminding them of the dangers they face with every storm. we've had light rainfall throughout the day up here in the mountains but nothing really heavy. we're at about 1800 feet right now. when we were up here on skyline boulevard about 3000 feet, there the winds are howling and it is a lot colder. live in santa cruz mountains, i'm damian trujillo, stanbc bay area news. >> and we see him without an umbrella and a hat. >> check back in a couple of hours. we'll see the rain now reaching san francisco moving down the peninsula and that is a one-two punch once again. we're talking rain and some very strong winds. in fact, that could be the bigger impact of this storm a little bit later on tonight. and right now the rain gauges on four wheels, letting us know the windshield wipers are going and it is a wet finish to the thursday evening commute. 64 degrees across the golden gate bridge. palo alto to the south, 66. and mild and breezy, rain on

approach. san jose windy but not necessarily very wet. at least for the moment. that rain is hung up on the west side of the santa cruz mountains. you could see along highway 17, some showers there, south of mt. um annum but over to san francisco in marin county, moderate rain approaching the coast. so the main event rainfall reaching the coast. it is later on this evening through the first half of tonight, the cold front races through and you see this area of low pressure. very clearly, we don't have to drop a big l. on the map. notice the spin of the clouds off shore and the popcorn like clouds behind it. that is the cool hair that could fire up thunderstorms at times and contribute to lower snow levels tomorrow. we'll see snow levels starting out close to 6,000 feet and dropping closer to 4,000 feet in the sierra through the weekend. so watch the wind speeds. 11:00 tonight, over 40 miles per hour, near livermore and on the coast it is the hilltops where we could get gusts about 60 miles per hour and winds backing off into tomorrow morning

commute. so 50s to start the morning. and rain changes to showers. friday noon, not too bad. in between weather systems before the next round comes in after sundown tomorrow. so hour by hour, this form, 8:00 through midnight to early in the morning now, you notice how the first half of the morning commute looks like the south bay will see showers and the afternoon not too bad around the bay area and the next round arrives into 8:00 through 10:00 tomorrow night. that is storm number two. meanwhile, highest rain totals, two to three inches in the hills of the north bay and perhaps down around the santa cruz mountains we'll see the high rain totals. in the sierra, storm clouds rolling in. look out for two to four feet of snow in the sierra by saturday night. this is a big-time winter storm in the high country. quick check of your weekend forecast. saturday, showers. for the first half of the day. but it looks like we'll manage a dry finish to the weekend. notice clearing skies for your sunday plans, so between now and early saturday, pretty stormy stretch of weather for us. especially in the sierra, as you

saw two to four feet of snow falling but the second half of the weekend things calm down and could she showers in the north bay on monday and then you got it, more rain and know possibly next wednesday and thursday. >> you're going to be active for the next eight days. >> it looks that way. >> thanks, rob. >> thanks, rob. next at 5:00, refusing to unmask the president's critics an the fight between twitter and the trump administration. and a dog believed to have died in a boating accident turns up alive. the amazing story from the north bay. haeni no...==vea=wee syinon p ot

a man arrested after the discovery of a dismembered body in a season bruno neighborhood.

we are on scene talking to police and neighbors and updating on twitter. and on the twit feed, your first peek at the netflix rodney king detailing the riots premieres in three weeks. - everything we stock at grocery outlet

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opposed to president trump. twitter said the users are protected under the first amendment. it is a perk for people who live in an upscale east bay city but is the perk taking a toll on the workers who collect their trash. >> we are digging into claims that sanitation workers are getting hurt on the job in piedmont. liz wagner has the story for us. liz? >> well in many cities, garbage trucks make pickups curb side but many could have bins from backyards forcing garbag garbago do the heavy lifting. we find workers pulling and lifting trash bins up hills and downstairs. and they say the problem is the containers aren't meant to be lifted by hand. and we uncovered complaints from workers that the company failed to train them to lift the bins without getting hurt. and employees point to more than a dozen serious injuries since the company's contract with the city began in 2008. >> what adjustments can the city

make to the contract now to minimize worker injury for the next year and a half of this contract? >> we're in a contractual relationship and it is up to the company to protect their workers and to run their operation. >> reporter: the city administrator said piedmont is now making safety a priority in future deals with waste collection contractors, but coming up at 11:00, we expose where state inspectors are now agreeing with workers, finding the company failed to correct unsafe conditions on their pickup routes. janelle. >> thanks, liz. if you have a tip, give us a call at 888-996-tips and send a e-mail to nbcbayarea.com. the dog was lost at sea but not any more. the story of survival, stay with us. wconnueo tck eakg ne onhe n

tonight at 6:00, we continue to track breaking news on the peninsula. a body found dismembered in a home in san bruno. police have made an arrest. we have a reporter on scene and she'll have the latest tonight at 6:00. >> and finally here at 5:00, yoda has been found. yoda, the yellow lab, who was lost when a boat capsized in marin county. we brought the story on monday and it flipped over but yoda was

found today by two firefighters at dylan beach. >> nice reunion there. >> thanks for joining us. lester holt is next. >> bye. breaking news tonight a trump administration preparing options for a military strike in syria. is america about to weigh deeper into a bloody civil war after that horrific chemical attack. all of that amid a tense confrontation over the north korea nuclear threat. president trump, the president of china and a high-stakes showdown in florida. palace intrigue. after the sudden demotion of top trump advisor steve bannon, tonight word of a power struggle with trump's son-in-law jared kushner. home genetic testing approved by the fda for the first time. at home tests for everything from parkinson's to late-stage alzheimer's. would you want to know? remembering don rickles, a beloved comedy legend who