allegedly using a skateboard to break windows at the mosque this month. outside the courtroom, the deputy public defender raised questions about the charges. >> there was no ethnic or religious an mouse and i think at this point -- not i think, at this point we don't believe that there's any indication that there's a hate climb at all. >> reporter: gray entered a not guilty plea and assistant district attorney brooke jenkins said in part, our houses of worship are sacred spaces, and targeting them in any way will not be tolerated in san francisco. my office will make it clear that there is zero tolerance for those who commit any crimes targeting our religious spaces. >> and some hate crimes have happened where we had windows broken. we've had basically our property vandalized, windows broken inside and outside, as well as writings on wall and essentially on our sidewalk. >> reporter: earlier today outside the mosque, interfaith leaders, police, and local

officials gathered with a unified message. >> we realize that we have to do something today on behalf of the muslim community in san francisco as well as on behalf of the mosque. >> so for people to come together and, you know, show solidarity for such a matter, i think it's a step in the right direction for sure. and definitely want to thank the city for taking matters so seriously. >> reporter: police describe the most recent developments. >> so really it was the same suspect that came back three times. so on april 4th the suspect came through around 11:00 in the morning with a skateboard and broke the windows behind me here at this mosque. >> reporter: they also claim gray came back on the 10th and made his way inside. that's when police took gray into custody. >> so when i saw these constant attacks on our place of worship during the month of ramadan, i started to feel a little bit unsafe, for sure. however, when i saw just how much coverage we got just because of this incident and how much responsiveness we got from the city of san francisco and from the police department, it

made me feel reassured that there is -- people care. >> reporter: christie smith, nbc bay area news. let's switch gears a live look outside tonight. it looks super nice outside, but that rain is going to start moving in. let's bring in our meteorologist in to tell us exactly where it's going to start and really look where is it going to start. and it's going to start tonight. >> it is. and the thing is, those clouds are one of the first signals of change in the forecast. and just as we predicted, we are expecting to see the wind speeds kicking up. likely seeing the breezy winds. i want to start with the temperatures. there's quite a range on the map. san mateo's 58 but we have mid-60s in areas like livermore and the south bay. compared to the past 24 hours, look at the significant cooling that is already underway. 20 degrees cooler in concord. san jose, 13. morgan hill, 23. and even around san francisco and half moon bay about a

five-degree difference. it's only going to get cooler heading into saturday. here's the reason why. we have that system developing to our north. lightning strikes detected through parts of central california already. but for us here, the rain's going to stay pretty far north. we're talking chico area through most of our friday evening. however, by later tonight up through parts of the north bay, if you live in areas north of the golden gate bridge you'll be the first see the rain and this is expected to move in overnight into your early saturday morning forecast before becoming bit more widespread. you have a couple hours left before we see that widespread activity, but the temperatures overnight, we're going to see a dip down into the 40s and 50s once again. into tomorrow the significant drop will be more noticeable and so will the rain, but i've got you covered as far as rain totals, timing, and when the rain will move out, of course, for your weekend plans coming up in just a few minutes, jess. >> thank you. you can always track the rain on the go. download our free nbc bay area app. point your phone at the qr code

on the screen. it's going to take you straight to our website. all right, a service that aims to speed up your weight may actually be bringing things to a halt at the mexican consulate. the consulate says outside businesses are charging people up to $150 to book appointments, that are free by the way, and clogging up the phone lines. we're at the consulate with the details. >> reporter: the selling of appointments has been frustrating for the consular office in san jose. they're trying to do all they can to stop the practice. they're here to renew their mexican passports or perhaps get a birth certificate or other consular document, but for some getting here was a battle on its own. louisa says she called and called and could not get through to make an appointment. she's not alone. we're told that's become a common complaint. the mexican consulate says that's because people are going to outside entities and paying

them to book their appointments. the consulate says those companies use multiple phone lines to get through, clogging up the system for everyone else who are trying to do it for free. >> for us it's very frustrating, because they are taking advantage of a need of our community. and that's not fair. there is a lot of ways to do money, but not like this. >> reporter: plus, the consul general says clients booking through outside services could be exposing themselves to potential identity theft or other fraud. they also say there is a workaround for those struggling to get through by going online to book or even using the messaging service whatsapp. louisa says she finally got her appointment via whatsapp and not everyone is having an issue. some we spoke to today said they had no issue using the call center. another part of the issue is availability. appointments can only be made on

tuesdays and only 1,000 are available and they're for the following week. last year the consulate issued almost 50,000 documents from pass ports to id cards and other paperwork. it's always busy here, which is one more reason why the consul general says they can't afford a third outside party interfering with the process. an investigation underway tonight into an incident on the cal train tracks on the peninsula. happened this morning around 9:20 at the station in palo alto. a southbound commuter train hit a dead body, but it's not clear how that person died and ended up on the tracks. the train isn't what killed the person. they do know that. caltrain briefly shut down service at the station, offered a bus bridge to passengers. now it says all trains are back to running at maximum speed and they're boarding their usual platforms. san jose state student accused of starting fires on

campus faced a judge today. that student is a sophomore. investigators say he started fires in the martin luther king jr. library on two separate occasions. both times students and staff were in the library. an arson and bomb unit responded to the fires. after reviewing security camera footage and following other leads, police identified him as the suspect. he was formally charged today but has not entered a plea. guns, ammunition, and tools for making weapons, that's what san jose police say they seized this week. police have been investigating two men suspected of illegally selling guns. on wednesday, officers raided a home in south san jose. inside they found not only weapons and ammunition but tools to manufacture rifles. another raid on a storage unit uncovered even more gun parts. officers arrested both men at that home. anyone with more information is being urged to contact the department. vice president harris visiting arizona today after the supreme court in arizona

reinstated a 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions. as nbc's alice barr report s reports -- >> reporter: vice president kamala harris in arizona today, the new front line in the nation's battle over reproductive rights. the arizona supreme court this week ruled to reinstate an 1864 ban on all abortions, except to save the mother's life. the biden campaign releasing a series of ads blaming former president trump for seating the conservative u.s. supreme court that overturned roe v. wade. >> if donald trump gets back in power, what freedom will you lose next? >> reporter: the campaign previewing that vice president kamala harris will say, quote, donald trump is the architect of this healthcare crisis, and that's not a fact he hides. in fact, he brags about it. mr. trump saying the arizona decision went too far, calling

it an inappropriate law. >> did arizona go too far? >> yea, they did. and that'll be straightened out. >> reporter: he urged arizona lawmakers to act immediately to remedy what has happened, though earlier this week he said abortion should be left up to the states. he acknowledged democrats political advantage on abortion. >> the only issue they think they have is is on abortion. >> reporter: polls show former president trump leading president biden on the key issues of immigration and the economy. today mr. trump focused on election integrity, even as he faces charges of trying to illegally overturn the 2020 results. house speaker mike johnson travelling to mar-a-lago to meet with him. >> we're so delighted to be here with our former and future president. >> i stand with the speaker. we've had a very good relationship. >> reporter: the speaker moving to align himself more closely with the former president in a bid to appeal to far right members and hold on to his job. speaker johnson's job is in peril after the house today

renewed a foreign intelligence surveillance program against the wishes of many far right republicans who also oppose funding for ukraine that speaker johnson has said he would bring up for a vote. in washington, alice barr, nbc news. >> all right, thank you very much, alice. the impeachment of homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas is heating up, although it is facing a delay. house vote toimd peach mayorkas over his handling of the border in february. the house speaker, mike johnson, had planned to send that impeachment to the senate wednesday, but he delayed sending them to give republicans more time to make a case for a full senate trial. democrats outnumber republicans in the senate 51-49, and democrats may have the votes to dismiss the impeachment outright. however, some republican senators have threatened to block all senate business until the chamber holds a full impeachment trial. speaker johnson is now expected to bring those charges to the

senate next week. coming up, thieves rush an oakland jewelry store, clearing it out in minutes. the investigation underway and how the community is supporting that business tonight. and more legal trouble for pg&e. the lawsuit survivors of the dixie fire filed and how much the utility could end up paying. and it's been cool, a little bit cloudy, and dry for most of your friday, but that's going to change very soon leading us into the weekend. we're talking about rain, wind, and sierra snow. full forecast in

the video is startling and scary. it shows thieves rushing an oakland jewelry store. this is surveillance video. the store's owner says the robbers nearly took all their life savings in just a matter of minutes. that smash-and-grab happened wednesday at one of the oldest jewelry stores in chinatown. nbc bay area's velena jones explains how the community is now rallying behind that store. >> get down. get down. >> reporter: video shows a group of six thieves, including one with a gun, rush into a jewelry

store in chinatown and violently smash cases with hammer, grabbing everything they can. >> too many people get in here and we don't know what i do. i'm so scared. even right now my heart just feels hurt. >> reporter: it happened around 12:30 just as the store was opening as owner diane ducked for cover she yells for her husband who comes out with a gun. it was enough to scare the robbers back out the door, but not before stealing the store's most expensive inventory. >> they took the special showcase diamond right here. then gold, our 10k gold, 24-karat gold. >> they knew what they wanted, and they went after the main core items that is pretty much 85% to 90% of the value of our entire inventory. >> reporter: the group got in after diane says one man prefended to be a customer. in total, nine people were involved. she says the chaos is bringing

back trauma for the family. diane's father was shot and killed in a break-in at the same store in the '90s. >> you know, we didn't lose life, and it wasn't as brazen. there was two men. but definitely brought back. >> reporter: her son is the director of the chinatown improvement council. he explains the break-in brings an added burden because the store is no longer insured. >> insurance costs so much with jewelry, especially in oakland chinatown, a lot of businesses here, they don't even qualififul. >> reporter: a gofundme has been set up to help the 40-year-old store recover and keep its doors open. something customers say is critically important for the entire community. >> hopefully they stay. it'll be a big loss for the city and for the people like us that comes back here year in and year out, you know, to patronize these good people. >> reporter: as the family works to keep their legacy alive, they say they're committed to not letting crime drive them out of oakland. >> i think we need to be strong, you know? things happen for a reason.

our family's suffered, but we've been inundated with love and support. >> reporter: in oakland, velena jones, nbc bay area news. sit the second largest wild fyre ever in california, and forest owners claim pg&e is to blame. dixie fire happened in 2021 and burned a million acres of forest north of the bay area. calfire found the fire started when a tree fell on an electrical line owned by pg&e. now seven landowner who is run timber businesses in the forest are suing pg&e. they say the forest there was thriving and sustainable but the fire left trees virtually worthless. they're seeking more than $200 million in damages. pg&e has not commented. all right, let's talk more about the timing of this weather that again shows town weekends. >> it really does. >> the timing of this. >> today we saw the change, it started to get chillier and certainly windier. >> it did, and that's how we anticipated the initial stages of it.

but yes, we're taking rain, jess, and she's right, it's always leaning toward weekend. at least i'm here to help you plan it out. it does look like there is some timing that will have some windows, i should say, of opportunity for you to maybe go outside and enjoy the weather briefly. now, currently temperaturewise we're cool in san francisco. 58 degrees. look at the wind speeds from the south-southwest. about 18 miles per hour, and if you notice the wind speeds in oakland, 21 plus miles per hour, walnut creek about 61, and san jose 62. but of course you likely have seen the beautiful ray of clouds that have already made their entrance. but here is what's to come. we've got satellite radar. you can see right there that rotation as that system already making its approach towards cho owe, ukiah, the redding air ya, and of course, oregon. this moves in from north to south that. brings instability, cooling, and the winds will get gusty, especially for higher elevation areas. we're talking 40 plus miles per hour. i want to show you where that

rain is starting to develop. a lot of this is still offshore. it's not fully there all the way. if i move this out towards san francisco, san jose, we're just seeing cloud cover for now. but timingwise, i will help you guide, kind of show you what the hourly forecast is showing as far as the wind speeds. 22 plus miles per hour into early saturday as well, we can expect to see the rain start to make its move for parts of the north bay at around 11:00. look at santa rosa and then if i move the time stamp forward to about 5:00, it does appear that the heaviest of the pockets of rain is going to happen between midnight and about 4:00, 5:00 a.m. so this is when most folks are sleeping. you'll see some of that orange and yellow glow there. there will be enough instability throughout the afternoon to keep on and off again rain showers, but if you notice in the south bay, right around 12:00, we catch a break from the rain. don't let your guard in, because as we get closer to dinnertime, towards 6:00, we see another line of showers swoop in.

that's also going to bring some intensity with the possibility of some thunderstorm activity. we could also see some hail popping up as well, depending on how this moves across. but it is a cooler air mass. so that's also going to include some sierra snow. right now we're talking elevations about 7,000 feet. into late saturday we're going to be seeing scattered activity. so far it does look like the majority of that scattered activity will carry into sunday morning. but taper off and rain totals, model runs showing these backing off a bit. in santa cruz you'll notice the south bend, loman area a little over an inch. a higher total towards the north. and for the rest of us, this is three of this day rain totals. less than two inches, so not a big rainmaker but enough to be noticeable. and of course, we're going to watch for the possibility of some thunderstorms heading boo saturday. mainly around the coastline. i do -- oh, that was a typo, it is not going to be 570 degrees on sunday in san francisco. >> 570. the earth is ending as we see

it. >> yes, no. then some pictures, we will see this is correct. we've got 60s and then there will be 70s. and yes, we're going to bump up into the 80s heading into wednesday and thursday. and then we do have another system on friday that's going to cool us off. so we're going to get a brief break from the sunshine, which i know most of us have been enjoying, but we'll warm right back up heading into next week. oh, san francisco, don't worry, you're going to be okay on sunday. >> okay. all right, thank you. president biden canceling a lot of dollars in student debt. how much

some financial relief for

college graduates. the white house canceled more than $7 billion in student loans today. it will help more than 250,000 borrowers. most signed up for the income driven repayment plan last year. administration has now approved the cancellation of $153 billion in student debt for more than 4 million americans. the price of crude oil is rising amid fears of an attack on israel. iran has vowed retaliation for an air strike on its syrian consulate last week. it's an attack israel expects might come as soon as this weekend. sources in the iranian government says it's not a done deal. amid the worry, crude oil prices have been rising this week. today exxonmobil stock hit an all-time high ahead of the close. as crude oil prices rise, the market, though, is falling. all major indexes ended the day in the red. the s&p lost some 75 points. part of that fall due to

declining share prices in major banks. all of this as

not just any day at the

berlin zoo. they're celebrating the birthday of the world's oldest gorilla. she turned 67. now, fatu was born in 1957 and at 2 years old she was brought to the zoo in berlin, so she's german. she's had a full life. fatu is a great great-grandmother to 20 other gorillas, and she wears it well. don't forget, you can watch our newscast 24/7 on roku and other streaming platforms. rage and audrey join us now. >> it's a busy friday night, jessica. san francisco says its effort to reform its police department is working. we'll explain. plus, the search for a missing teenager in the russian river. what happened when he was last seen. and did an accused rapist get off too easy? we investigate why prosecutors offered a plea deal despite a confession and an apology. the news at 5:30 starts right now.

thanks for joining us, i'm audrey asistio. >> and i'm raj. today the department celebrated what it calls a milestone. it says police shootings and uses of force cases have dropped dramatically. this all started seven years ago. >> crit ins say the reforms are good news but there's still more to be done. here's nbc bay area's sergio quintana. >> reporter: it's a process that's taken years and in the days since it started, police chief bill scott says the department continued its commitment to reforms even in the face of a pandemic and a national reckoning after the george floyd incident. >> it would have been easy for us to say we're too busy, can't do it. we did not. we doubled down. >> reporter: the completion of 272 specific reforms being submitted to the california department of justice completes a process that started nearly eight years ago. that's when 26-year-old mario woods was shot nearly two dozen times by five sfpd officers.

it's one of a series of officer-involved shootings that prompted reforms by then police chief greg sur. he resigned, forced out over public pressure because of those shoots, and chief bill scott was brought in with a mandate to finish the job. among the accomplishment, the department says officer-involved shootings have dropped by 50%, use of force fell by 65%. this is a process that started in 2016, and while the chief of police is celebrating, submitting the final reforms to the department of justice, there are critic who is still say that the san francisco police department still has work to be done. >> the racial disparities in terms of who gets stopped, who gets searched are unacceptably high. >> reporter: he hopes additional restrictions adopted by the police commission recently will have some impact on those disparities. meanwhhr