Killing leah wilson back in 2018. Well, back in march, jurors were deliberating if cowell was season. The judges ruled he was coherent during the killing. Good morning, and thank you for joining us for our midday newscast. Im chris chmura. Marcus and laura are off. We are less than an hour away from new guidelines for how schools will reopen. Gavin newsom is set to make a big announcement at noon. We are on the road to recovery. Millions of california parents are eager to know how the school year is going to play out. Nbc bay areas bob redell is live in san ramon. Reporter good morning. Yes, be last night the San Ramon Valley unified school board voted to start the school year with kids learning from home in anticipation of the governors announcement that we expect just under an hour from now. In favor of the motion, say aye. Aye. Opposed, say no. Motion carries unanimously. Reporter what was interesting about last nights vote is that in previous meetings, the San Ramon Valley board had seemed poised to pass a hybrid plan with groups of kids all trained between home and on campus. But Board Members acknowledged that new information from the Contra Costa County department of Public Health and its expected announcement from governor gavin newsom prompted them to change course. So students will start the year with Distance Learning. Attendance will be taken and grades will be given. I feel so relieved. Like, trust me when i say that, all teaches want to be back in our classrooms. I desperately miss my students and i missed them all spring. But we also want to be safe. I want to know that after labor day were going to reassess the data. Lets get us back into school. We cant live our life in fear. Im not going to let fear dictate my choices for myself and my family. Reporter there you heard from one parent whos not in favor of the Distance Learning model, wants her child to return to campus five days a week. We also spoke with one teacher who admits Distance Learning is not ideal but says teachers have learned lots of lessens over the spring that they will help when the School Year Starts this fall. Bob, thanks very much. San jose unified will not return to campus next month. The schools begin with Distance Learning for at least the first six weeks. A survey found a majority of parents and teachers were in le the pandemic. We will bring you the governors News Conference live when it happens. You can watch it here on television. Well also stream it live through our website or you can get it via our nbc bay area app. Two bay area counties are not on the governors watchlist, but that might soon change. Leaders in San Francisco and San Mateo County are urging people to wear masks and social distance to avoid making the list. But Health Leaders say numbers show each county is on the verge, and theyre closely watching their numbers. The watch list is a big deal here. It would trigger new rollbacks for places like gyms and hair salons. Mark benioff is urging people to cover their faces. I believe like mark benioff that its more like a seatbelt. If you dont wear your seatbelt, youre fine. And the analogy is similar because were saving lives. The San Mateo County manager says the county could be added to the list at any moment but says he hasnt received any warning it will happen this week. California is among 18 states that should roll back their reopening plans. Thats the recommendation in an unpublished document prepared for the White House Coronavirus task force. Their report was obtained by the center for public integrity. All of the states are in the socalled red zone. They are seeing a spike in cases. The report encourages residents to wear a mask at all times outside the home and maintain physical distance. It also says Public Officials should close bars and gyms and limit social gatherings to ten or fewer people. New details, the kremlin is rejecting western allegations of russia trying to steal covid19 vaccine data. Britains National Cybersecurity center says hackers backed by the russian state were trying to steal vaccine and Treatment Research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions. The United States and canada have made the same allegations. Police are investigating a triple shooting in the south bay. Officers responded to the front of an apartment complex just before 1 00 a. M. In san jose. Police have not released a suspect. A description of that personmot. Crews in the east bay spent a good part of the morning mopping up a fire at the pg e station. It took firefighters about 40 minutes to put off the fire off del mar drive. A third trailer also suffered damage. All were unoccupied. No pg e Power Equipment or lines were involved in the fire. Investigators are looking into the cause. We have new video this morning showing the charred landscape from a fire southeast of livermore. The hillside is blackened right next to a home. The grass fire has burned 250 acres and is said to be 75 contained. We can give you a live look outside. Weve seen some haze in the skies around the bay area. And some of it has to do with the 16,000acre wildfire burning in fresno county. The air district has an air quality advisory in effect through today. So what abouthe there . It is looking good. Were going to have a lot of sunshine, and the temperatures are going to be a little warmer inland. But thats okay because great temperatures ahead. San francisco weve got a view you can see the clouds. We certainly have that marine layer. Now its starting to clear out a little bit. Current temperatures in san jose, 74, San Francisco in the 60s at about 67 degrees. So what can we expect as chris was mentioning we have been seeing that haze the past couple of days. Now as far as that air quality advisory, the north bay and coasts are doing good when it comes to the air quality index. But we did have those northwesterly winds that helped sort of clear out some of that smoke. Now its sort of pushed it down more towards central california. But take a look at the temperature trends this afternoon. Ill have a closer look at your the nfl team and the nations capitol back in the headlines for a second time this week. More than a dozen women who work there have come forward alleging Sexual Harassment by the teams top executives. And a toxic work culture. Nbcs Geoff Bennett reports. Reporter washingtons Pro Football Team under new scrutiny this morning just days after the team officially dropped its longtime nickname widely viewed as a racist slur against native americans. Now more than a dozen women who worked for the team alleging Sexual Harassment from top executives in an explosive report by the washington post. Among those coming forward, Emily Applegate who spent a year with the team as a marketing coordinator. Nobody deserves to be degraded and treated like that. Nodysrpected. And for any of us women that want to get into a career that is a maledominated force, we shouldnt be afraid that these are the things that are going to happen. Reporter applegate says the comments from her boss came almost daily. Any small issue that set him offset him off, like, times ten. And that would be when, you know, he would curse at me, he would use derogatory slurs towards me. Reporter 14 other women also detailed their accounts to the post but remains anonymous for fear of legal retribution, including some who say they signed nondisclosure agreements. Three of the men accused in the article have recently been fired or left the team. Including the teams longtime playbyplay announcer larry michael. He had a history of making inappropriate comments about women including an incident where he was caught talking on a hot mic about a collegeaged intern. Its not clear if he ever faced disciplinary action. The post says michael retired abruptly just hours after they asked for an interview. He released a statement, after 16 great years, my time with the organization is over. Nbc news has contacted michael for comment. Washington post reporter will hopson helped break the story. The rest of the women said there really was no functional Hr Department for them to file complaints. These people are not going to believe or care about some young woman thats making 32,000 a year when they have somebody thats the cmo of a company that they have to protect. Reporter none of the women coming forward have made accusations of Improper Conduct against the teams owner dan snyder or the former Team President bruce alan. But at least some did blame them for fostering a toxic workplace. Whats really sort of heartbreaking is for any woman to go through this. Reporter in a statement to the post, the team says it takes issues of employee conduct seriously, adding when new allegations of conduct are brought forward that are contrary to these policies, we address them promptly. Nbc news has confirmed the team has enlisted a highprofile attorney and her firm to conduct an independent review of the teams culture, policies, and the allegations. Among those looking to lead a culture change, the teams new head coach, ron rivera. Rivera also says his daughter works for the team. Coming up, confederate flags on military bases. Now the pentagon is telling commanders which flags they can fly. And a Senior Center and one of its members, they go viral when they ask for penpals. Stick around to meet ms. Hattie, an interview youve just got to see. Just in, three men accused in the deadly shooting of a black jogger are all pleading not guilty this morning. William roddy brian jr. As well as travis and Greg Mcdaniel all appeared virtually for their arraignment. The mcdaniels are accused of shooting ahmaud arbery. Brian is the man police say recorded the Fatal Shooting on his cell phone. His attorney is requesting he be released on bail and that a special District Attorney be removed from the case. A veteran of the Civil Rights Movement has died. The reverend ct vivian worked closely alongside dr. Martin luther king jr. He helped organize nashvilles first sitins and later participated in the freedom rides in mississippi. The reverend was 95 years old. New at 11 00, the pent goag is designating a new policy of banning the confederate flag. The new rules dont specifically name it as being banned though. The guidance applies to Service Members and department of defense civilian workers. Now a followup to a recent incident in martinez, some of which was caught on video. Prosecutors say joseph is now facing felony charges after driving by a black lives matter street art project shouting at activists and pulling a loaded gun. You can see some video of the police stop it. Happened on july 5th, one day after two people had painted over the martinez street mural, those people are charged with vandalism and a hate crime. We have a special race in america kerks the conversation. It was on tv last night. The pressures parents face to ensure hes safe. Were not only worried about how to raise a kid and make sure theyre happy and healthy, youre worried about how to keep this child alive. You know that my son is going to grow up to be a man one day. Just because of the color of his skin, people are going to feel threatened by him. A lot of other parents just have to worry about what school their kids are going to or, you know, learning their abcs, but thats not what its like to be a black mother today. And the conversation doesnt stop here. We invite you to weigh in with us on these topics online. Head to nbcbayarea. Com and let us know how you feel. Share your comments and your questions. Happening today, pg e crews will conduct power shutoff drills to brace for the possibility of Public Safety outages later this summer. Todays drills will include sending lowflying helicopters over parts of the east bay and the peninsula. The puc, meanwhile, has approved a new rule requiring 72 hours of backup power at cell phone towers to better ensure service during those shutoffs. Last fire season, more than a million phone customers lost service during those planned outages. Earlier this morning, our laura garcia had a hilarious conversation with a woman whos going viral for her plea for penpals. Lets watch it again. Now to something good. Two weeks ago we shared a story about a North CarolinaRetirement Center looking for penpals for its residents during the pandemic. The victorian Senior Center posted pictures to social media of seniors holding their signs displaying their interests. Well, those posts went viral, receiving thousands of likes and letters from around the world. And joining me now this morning is ms. Hattie. Shes famous for her sign she held up, her interest in men and snacks and as well as the administrator of the facility there, donna horton. Ladies, thanks for joining us this morning. Good to see you. Thank you. Thanks for having us. Tell us how this idea started. Well, about three weeks ago, a friend of mine came to me and said i saw this on facebook for penpals. What do you think . And i said lets reach out. Maybe well get a hundred, 200 letters. Well, we are at 60,000 letters right now. And that does not include what we have received from all over the world. Well, that is amazing to see. And, ms. Hattie, were taking a look at what you received right there. Talk about what people were sending to you. Oh, my goodness. Snacks, snacks, snacks. [ laughter ] and calendars. Well, it was calendars of men, all right. So, it was really unique because a lot of people put, you know, their different interests maybe in crocheting and yours kind of stood out to people saying that you love men and snacks. [ laughter ] a lot. It sounds like it. Well, how does this all make you feel . Knowing that this response was so amazing . I feel real good. Thats nice. What are you going to do with all those calendars . Well, were going to put them on the wall and give my friends one or two of them. Maybe. [ laughter ] you have your favorite one right there with you . This is one of them. Its just a little hard to make out there. Oh, well, yes, i can see. Good friday morning to you. [ laughter ] well, good for you, ms. Hattie. You enjoy those men and snacks. And, donna, thanks for joining us this morning as well and all that you do for everybody there at that facility. Keep healthy, ladies. Thank you. You all stay safe in california. Will the weather be appropriate for swimming trunks this weekend, vianey . Yes. And look out for your group text, chris. Were doing an nbc bay area calendar shoot with men in suits for her. [ laughter ] all right. So lets talk about the weather because, you know what, chris, it is going to be great this weekend for swimming, for outdoor activities. But still a little hazy. So lets look at this great shot of cupertino. This is using the pg e website. So it showcases just how beautiful the Rolling Hills are. But you can also make out that layer of haze. So San Francisco, great shot there. We still have those breezy winds definitely blowing through. And san jose, its actually looking better when it comes to the air quality today compared to eye y. We had those northwesterly winds sort of sweep out some of those winds along the surface down through central california. The 24hour temperature change, not a huge difference there. Our temperatures are going to be very similar to yesterday. But because we do still have that fire thats actively burning the mineral fire in fresno county, again that air quality advisory will remain in effect through today. So far, the sense sensors have been green. If you are a part of those sensitive groups, please be mindful of that. Keep your windows shut if you start to smell any smoke or see any haze. Peoples allergies have been acting up. I had a few viewers message me. Tree pollen will be moderate. But yesterday we had really high grass pollen. So thats potentially why you probably noticed those allergies really kicking off. 80s in san jose down through the east bay, upper 80s for concord at 87. Oakland will remain in the 70s. 75 a little breezy right now. 79 for san jose. Ukiahs still going to be really hot at about 97. So were definitely seeing the micro climates. The difference in temperatures 60s at the coast. And weve got low 90s at the coast. If youre from the bay area you are very aware of how the micro climates are. But if youre new here, just drive a few miles along saturday and sunday. 94 degrees for inland areas. Were actually going to heat up a little bit. And then by monday and tuesday we keep that High Pressure and then weve got a system that comes into play tuesday night. Thats actually going to drop our temperatures to a more comfortable 80s. Were going to be a little bit above normal this weekend. Morning fog, expect that again tonight and tomorrow morning when you wake up. So sort of a mixing into inland areas and then clearing out midmorning. So its going to be a great weekend. Chris, ill send it back to you. Coming up, the music put on hold. Napa valleys biggest Music Festival delayed again. But first happening now. The worlds surf league has canceled its 2020 championship tour due to the pandemic. The league released a Statement Today saying its top priority was the health and safety of athletes, fans, employees, and the local communities. The 2021 season will begin later this winter in hawaii. But the league is still waiting on approval from the state. Were back after the break. Today on california live, weve got an update on the courageous fight for this little cutie battling a rare brain disorder. Plus, see what the stars are getting at the emmys. Its all happening on california live this morning on nbc bay area. Were all doing our part by staying at home. That could mean an increase in energy bills. You can save by using a fan to cool off. Unplugging and turning off devices when not in use. Or closing your shades during the day. Stay well and keep it golden. We live in the mounte to wa. Im 75 years old. Im really busy in my life; im always doing something. Im not a person thats going to sit too long. In the morning, i wake up and the first thing i do is go to my art studio. A couple came up and handed me a brochure on prevagen. Ive been taking prevagen for about four years. I feel a little bit brighter and my mind just feels sharper. I would recommend it to anyone. It absolutely works. Prevagen. Healthier brain. Better life. Postponed once and now postponed for a second time like many organizations, the bottlerock Music Festival is trying to lock down a date for its event. Bottle rock was originally scheduled for may 22nd but then postponed until october 22nd. Well, now the festival is being pushed back to may 28th of 2021. And theres no guarantee that date will work. Happening tonight, the Chabot Space Center is holding a virtual presentation on its Facebook Page at 8 00 tonight. The neowise is visiting our part of the solar system is visiting for the first time in 7,000 years. Vianey, im going to cough. Back to you. Yeah, go for it. And im excited about the comet. If you guys get some great pictures of comet neowise, please share them with us so we can share them with your viewers. Especially those of you who have real telescopes. Lets get chris some water. Inland temperatures again. What did you say about those allergies, vianey . Yeah, theyre affecting me. Thanks for joining us. Be sure to tune in at afternoon for the News Conference with the governor about whats happening with schools and covid19. You want a cold drink because you are thirsty. But you also want to not spend money. Get 7 cups free with 7rewards. Big gulp drink. Free. 7 times. We might know you better than you know yourself. 7eleven. Always open. An extra 15 credit on car and motorcycle policies . Wow. Ok thats 15 on top of what geico could already save you. So what are you waiting for . Idina menzel to sing your own theme song . Tara, tara, look at her go with a fresh cup of joe. Gettin down to work early following her dreams into taxidermy oh, its. Tax attorney. I read that wrong, oh yeeaaaah geico. Save an extra 15 percent when you switch by october 7th. Give it up for tara right now on california live, dry your tears. Weve got great news on this brave little boy as cash continues his tracourageous fig. Hello, cash. How are you . Good. Then, new toys that can help your kids play with their friends at a safe distance. So it is hard to get together, but there are some things that you can do either outside in big open spaces or even across a zoom call as well. Plus, were showing you whats inside the stars goodie bags. This is going to be my inspiration for a whole year. I want to go on a