san francisco's deadliest year ever for drug overdoses and the new way to solve the crisis may be lurking in the city's wastewater. good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm dan ashley, and i'm ama daetz. >> this number of overdose deaths is a staggering number to try to process, and it's important to remember each one is a valuable life lost. tonight, city officials say it can all be tied to fentanyl. >> here's a look at the numbers. the city's original peak was hit in 2020. 726 people died from

overdoses in the city. >> this year's number totaled through november, is 752. deaths still, two weeks to go and of the fatal overdoses, the city says fentanyl played a role in more than 80% of them. >> it's an issue plaguing cities across the country, but especially impactful to the city's quality of life here at home. so tonight, we want to spend a little extra time on this topic. the fentanyl crisis as tonight's abc seven news deep dive at 11 abc seven news reporter j.r stone starts with the city's new tactic to fight it so far this year, 752 people have died from drug overdoses in san francisco. >> more than 80% of those cases is believed to have involved fentanyl, according to officials. >> we have seen record number of deaths due to overdose in san francisco in 2023 or likely to if you live here in san francisco, your wastewater is now being tested for illicit drugs, including fentanyl and

tranq. >> but don't worry, no individual tracking is being done. san francisco is specifically testing for fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine, and xylazine. >> we expect the data to help us assess trends, increases, or decrease uses as a way to predict what we might see in terms of both non-fatal overdoses and fatal overdoses. >> the wastewater surveillance program here in san francisco just started this month and is part of a federal study by the national institute of drug abuse. san francisco is one of 70 cities involved. thursday night, a vigil was held in san francisco for those unhoused individuals who lost their lives on the streets in 2023. while not all died of drug overdoses, this chart shows that nearly one third of all drug overdose deaths in san francisco this year involve those living on the streets with no home address, meaning many of the people

listed here died from drug overdoses. >> drugs, in general, are an escape for people, and so anything we can do to minimize what's happening here will make the number of people that we're remembering tonight probably shorter. >> while wastewater will be tested in these cities, the tests are limited as they won't actually tell you which illicit drugs are problematic, in which neighborhoods. and some would argue we already know these drugs are a problem in san francisco. so. but san francisco's department of health says recognizing trends can help with better drug prevention. and that is something that can save lives, allowing us to act faster when emerging substances like xylazine are increasing in the local drug supply, the wastewater testing program is scheduled to end in late august of 2024. jr stone, abc seven news. >> and of course, in california, this is not just a san francisco problem. fentanyl is wreaking

havoc in los angeles as well. it's the deadliest drug in l.a. county. fentanyl was linked to nearly 60% of overdose deaths countywide last year, surpassing meth for the first time in recent memory. the county's department of public health reports. fentanyl is disproportionately affecting underprivileged black people. the fatal overdose death rate for black angelenos was more than three times that of hispanic residents, and almost two times that of white residents. >> meanwhile, california is trying to take on the opioid epidemic with a new website. the department of public health launched the site, which is full of resources and information on the crisis. statewide, nearly 7000 people died from opioid related overdoses last year. and we want to make sure you and your loved ones have every tool available when it comes to tackling the opioid and fentanyl crisis, our own full list of local vetted resources is right on our website, abc seven news.com. >> all right, let's move along now. we're gearing up for a chance of rain later this weekend. as we look out live

from our emeryville camera tonight. but it will be a much different story in terms of the weather before then. spencer christian is planning it out for us in the 24 hour accuweather forecast. spencer. >> okay, dan and i'm happy to focus on the before then part of that because it's going to be pretty nice. here's a look at your day planner for tomorrow. 7:00 tomorrow morning. we'll have high clouds with the skies will be mainly clear, so call it bright skies. temperatures low 40s inland. pretty cool there. mid 40s around the bay, upper 40s on the coast. now by noon we'll have mainly sunny skies. temperatures will be rising up to about 6061 degrees from the bay to inland and close to 60 on the coast. 4 p.m. that pretty much the peak of our warming during the daytime hours. bright and mild, low 60s inland, mid 60s around the bay shoreline, low 60s on the coast and then after 7 p.m, of course, it will be dark by then because the sun sets early but only partly cloudy skies. temperatures only 50 degrees inland. it will be cool there, but mid 50s around the bay and on the coast. i'll have the full seven day forecast a little bit later. i'm all

right, spencer, thank you so much with the official start of winter coming soon, some in the bay area are doing everything they can now to avoid additional damage. >> after the whirlwind start of the year, places like santa cruz county were battered by the brutal storms and some neighbors are still recovering. abc seven news south bay reporter lauren martinez shows us how one resident is getting ready so this is trenched all the way down through our farm. >> sandra hunt is giving us a tour of her small farm in boulder creek. hunt and her husband own hill house farm. they started making rain preparations in september. >> i feel confident we're more prepared this year. >> last winter, the santa cruz mountains were inundated with nonstop storms. >> it literally picked up that entire work tent with weights on it and moved it like it was nothing. >> hunt lost a crop of squash and flowers to flooding, which put the farm months behind schedule. >> this part of our farm, we lost this entire bed. um this

arch wasn't here. we put that in this year. we couldn't even plant in this until about june this year. >> hunt installed more mesh tubes and wattles to redirect water. she also planted a type of radish to help break up the clay soil for water infiltration. >> a lot of the plants we have in now, so hopefully they'll be food. but but um, in reality we just wanted something in the ground to hopefully have that root structure to help hold the soil. >> from storm damage to wildfires. santa cruz county has been accused plating repair costs, public information officer jason hoffman said the county has already spent 75 million on work this last winter . one major project included repairing a massive culvert that was completely washed out in socal. 400 residents were briefly stranded sometime early next year. >> we should finish up the permanent repair so that's what i mean by these things. layering on top of each other. we're just now finishing that. we're going into another winter, so we'll

have to see what this winter holds for us. um we're crossing our fingers that it stays light, but of course, that is not what a lot of people are telling us at this moment in the south bay, lauren martinez, abc seven news the family of a man who died after officers tried to restrain him will get more than $11 million. >> the city of alameda agreed today to pay the seven year old son of mario gonzalez. $11 million and gonzalez's mother 350,000 alameda launched an independent investigation into gonzalez death, which happened in 2021, that report says he lost consciousness when he was pinned face down into officers, pressed down on his body for more than nine minutes. the report says no department policies were violated and the officers were cleared of wrongdoing. >> president biden is urging israel to be more focused with its attacks in gaza, as the civilian death toll from the war keeps rising. biden has was then asked if he wanted israel to scale back the assault, but declined to answer. national security adviser jake sullivan did meet with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to

make the request to be more careful. however, there was no commitment on that. meanwhile while u.s. aid for israel remains on hold, as congress argues over a package that includes help for ukraine and more security along our southern border, the city of pasadena is in crunch time for its annual rose bowl parade. >> hundreds of workers are racing to put the final touches on the 45 floats running on new year's day, but safety is the biggest concern this year, especially with heightened tensions overseas and protests here at home. >> we are prepared for it. we prepare for the worst, expect the best. that is the way we're going to approach it. but i am hopeful that our advanced parties and our intelligence is accurate, and that we should not have any of those types of issues to deal with. >> the american red cross is also setting up first aid stations every half mile of the parade route. law enforcement from the city, county, state and federal level are all going to be there to keep an eye on things in the south bay. >> san jose is stepping up its efforts to keep shoppers safe and protect businesses during the holiday shopping season. san

jose police reported a 25% increase in retail theft from 2021 to 2022. they've a dedicated team now that's going to be putting in extra hours for the remainder of the holiday season. officers will also lean on automated license plate readers to help try to catch suspected thieves. >> we're hoping that these patrols will assist not only in building relationships with business owners and community members who are going shopping, but also just be a visual deterrent for anybody who is committing additional crimes in that area. >> san jose patrols are supposed to be six hours an evening for days a week, and a strong start to the holiday, spending season is boosting optimism about the economy. sales rebounded in the month of november, beating out expectations on wall street. it's a welcome sign that the u.s. may beat rising inflation without having to suffer a significant recession. tonight a university campus is on edge. >> multiple suspicious reports all within the week, while within one week the fbi is now

being called in. >> plus, bart of the future. the new switch up. you may notice the next time you ride. >> how did the warriors handle their business without draymond green for an extended period of time? we got our first look tonight. that's coming up later in sports. >> first a look at what's coming up tonight on jimmy kimmel live! right after abc seven news at 11 jimmy. >> thanks dan and amna i'm coming down your chimney tonight. what are you going to do for uh- for the holidays i just like to go chill with the family man. yeah i mean i love you know maybe we can work out together over the

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the university of arizona. multiple female students say they were grabbed, followed, or groped all within one week, and all within one mile of each other. the investigation wide open at this point. now police say they do have a description of at least one suspect and are working with the fbi and us marshal service. as of tonight, the cases are being treated as attempted kidnapings each time the women describe being followed by a man in a car and one was attacked from behind before escaping. >> the tucson police department has dedicated patrol, investigative and forensic personnel who are working tirelessly to identify and arrest the suspect or suspects involved in these incidents. >> i'm not with, like at least two other people walking around at night like i won't be around by myself. >> the most recent incident happened sunday. police are working to put together a sketch and are looking for anyone with surveillance video. >> well, we all like to gather with friends and family during the holiday season, of course, but as we learn from the pandemic, getting together in close quarters can also spread

infectious disease. the holidays bring an uptick in respiratory infections as well as foodborne illnesses. a health experts say. it's best to take precautions in order to protect those who might be older or immunocompromised. that means keeping up to date with vaccinations as well. >> at this time of year, we expect to see increases in things such as influenza and covid, and we are seeing that, according to the latest data, we've also seen quite a bit of rsv in the last couple of months. and this can be concerning because having all three diseases circulating at the same time can put an extra burden on our health care system . >> well, it's obvious, but health experts say if you're feeling sick, it's best to stay home instead of meeting with other people and risking passing along your illness to loved ones. >> the first oral pill that treats the symptoms of postpartum depression is now available by prescription at select pharmacies. one out of seven mothers in the u.s. struggles with postpartum depression, which can lead to serious mental health struggles. the drug, which is called xr suv, was approved by the food

and drug administration earlier this year. the pill, however, remains controversial, with a $15,000 price tag before insurance. >> all right, if you're passing through the west oakland bart station any time soon, you'll notice something different. work started today to install bart's next generation fare gates. they're meant to prevent fare evasion, which cost the system millions. these prototypes will take about two weeks to install. bart says they're doing the work now because it's typically a low ridership time, so close to the holidays. the new gates will be up and running in the new year. so bart can test what works. >> you'll see a big difference in these. they're much taller, but they absolutely improve access for all the final versions of this will have high tech sensors that will be able to detect if someone is in a wheelchair, or perhaps using a stroller, or is carrying luggage or some other item like that through the fare gates will remain open for them. bart plans to install more than 700 of these new next generation fare gates systemwide by the end of

2025. >> about a year from now. >> well, every day here at abc seven news, we search for the stories and the people helping build a better bay area. >> we do. we love telling these stories. and tonight we share the story of a little girl in the east bay who got the ball rolling. >> that's right. her letter to santa touched the hearts of emergency crews. and what came next is a surprise worth sharing. >> it's tonight's abc seven building a better bay area breakthrough and abc seven news anchor karina nova has the story . >> alameda county first responders raced to the rescue, but this time it's for the best reason to grant one little girl's holiday wish. >> i put a pink bicycle and i put some slime. and for my little brother, some milk. >> an eight year old diana's letter to santa a simple wish for some milk for her baby brother. it caught the attention of some people who wanted to help. >> it just shows how selfless

she is already at such a young age. and, um, that's something that you can kind of teach, but you're kind of born with that soul. you know? and so it says a lot about her. >> on wednesday, the alameda county fire department, sheriff's department, and california highway patrol teamed up to become santa's holiday helpers. >> merry christmas, diana sent me that merry christmas, merry christmas for diana, that pink bike she wished for and a pink helmet to match. >> and for her baby brother omar milk and a warm snuggle with mom. >> you did a great job on your letter. >> exactly. >> thank you. it was because of your big heart that all these people remember when they were eight years old, just like you. >> and as diana tries out her new bike for the first time, i'm also. we all get a reminder that giving and thinking of others is really what the holiday season is all about. merry christmas karina nova abc, seven news and

away she goes. >> she's good on that bike. >> yeah. sweet. >> all right. diana's family also received groceries for a nice holiday meal. yeah, the food was donated by san lorenzo food bank. >> and dig deep farms, which is run by the alameda county sheriff's office. >> fantastic. let's turn back now. get the full weather forecast for the next few days. >> yeah. time to get the umbrellas ready to go, spencer. >> you got that right. you've got a couple of days, though before you need them, but have them ready. here's a look at what's going on right now. satellite radar composite image shows high clouds pushing through the bay area and high pressure is still the dominant feature, meaning we've got fair weather, dry conditions and mainly clear skies. except for the high clouds tonight and again tomorrow. so let's take a look at current temperature. reading 5252 degrees here in san francisco oakland 4950 at both hayward and san jose. san mateo 47 and 45 at half moon bay and the view from emeryville. looking along the bay bridge once again, a very clear view. it is currently 42 degrees at santa rosa and at livermore. 43

petaluma, napa, 4940 at fairfield and 45 at concord. and these are our forecast headlines tonight. we'll see more high clouds. but of course, the sky will be mainly clear. it will be mainly clear tomorrow as well. under filtered sunshine. warmer than much warmer than today was tomorrow. and saturday. in fact, we expect near record high temperatures over the next couple of days, especially on saturday and then from sunday into the middle of next week. that wet weather that i was talking about will be with us. it'll be rainy days for about four days in a row for tonight, though, dry conditions, low temperatures in some of the coolest inland areas will be in the upper 30s. places like concord and livermore, up north at santa rosa, most locations, however, will see lows drop only into the low to mid 40s and then highs tomorrow mid 60s at the coast, mid to upper 60s around the bay shoreline and mainly mid 60s inland except down in the south bay where we'll see 70 degrees at san jose and 71 at morgan hill. now the futurecast forecast animation shows saturday night storm approaching

the bay area, and by sunday we'll see that first wave of rain coming in followed by yet another wave of rain on monday. also on tuesday. finally on wednesday, it'll still be raining, but the system will be weakening a little bit and moving southward as the rain starts to taper off. but we'll be left with some pretty wet weather and rainfall totals over two inches in many burial locations. but here's how the next seven days look. let me back out of your way here. show you tomorrow and saturday. as i mentioned, it'll be nice and mild to warm with record high temperatures possible. unsettled saturday, then on sunday the rain arrives. it'll be wet and gusty and we can expect wet weather all the way through the next four days on the exclusive abc seven storm impact scale, the storm intensity will be a level one, but this is going to be significant amount of rainfall and finally tapering off on thursday when the rst day of winter arrives. we'll

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in las vegas. of all the excitement. it will be held in santa clara, of course, in 26, allegiant stadium is hosting the big game this season, which means sin city will become the center of the football universe. tickets are on sale now for the nfl experience, which is held in every host city. former raider and current las vegas resident

rod woodson says the league has definitely made a better effort at getting fans closer to the sport. when i was a player, the fans didn't go to the combine, but now fans can go to the combine. >> the fans then go to the media day, right? but they can now. so i think the one thing they've done in recent years is to really involve the fans and everything they're thinking about doing. >> the vegas experience kicks off off february fifth. >> new details on the san francisco giants annual fan fest. normally, it would be a one day event at oracle park, but the team has decided to turn it into a four city tour. the first stop is sacramento on january 20th, then it moves to san jose on january 27th and napa on february third. it will wrap up in march at oracle park. fans will get the opportunity to meet current and former players. the tour is viewed as one way to re-energize the fan base after a couple of down seasons, but let's not focus on that. let's focus on the road ahead, glass

half full. >> yes. all right. well, the warriors hit the court tonight in l.a. without draymond. >> that's right. sports director larry beal's here with sports larry. >> dan i'm a life after draymond began tonight against the clippers. we'll show you how they did in l.a. klay went off. that's for sure. and cp3 returning to his onetime home. plus steve kerr'thoughts on the draymond suspension next in

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the sense is he's not going to be back anytime soon. coach steve kerr. he's had his share of run ins with draymond in the past, but believes this suspension could be really beneficial in the long run. >> give him an opportunity to make a change that will not only help him, help our team, um, but help him for the rest of his life. it's not just about that, you know, an outburst on the court. um, it's about his life. was sears and clippers in l.a. >> jonathan kuminga and brandon poganski, both in the starting lineup. but turnover problems continue. first half. kawhi leonard throwing it down the floor with 27 points. how about pods making his first ever nba

start. the rookie bringing some energy. he displayed an old school skyhook at one point, but key turnovers at bad times. the warriors they got down by as many as 16. kawhi ooping with authority. third quarter klay thompson heats up. we've been waiting for this for a while. klay with 16 points and route to a season high 30 overall, hit eight threes. klay thompson on fire. final seconds of the third one time clipper chris paul beats the buzzer from deep. warriors down six after three. cut it down all the way to one. but james harden had a game high 20:30 5000. career points. steph held to just 713. and the clippers win 121 113. brock purdy goes home on sunday with a 49 ers at arizona. he grew up about 20 minutes from phenix. his family is going to be at the game. brock says he's had a lot of support from friends on the road this year. >> every game i feel like there's family and friends that either come to games or are tuned in watching on tv and stuff, so nothing changes. you

know, once we line up, it's 11 on 11 football and i got to do my assignment and play quarterback and that's about it. >> thursday night football raiders and chargers mark davis apparently very big on hydrating . he's got like 100 waters. raiders got shut out last week. an abysmal three nothing loss but scored 42 in the first half. tonight most first half points in nfl history by a team that got shut out the week before. previous record held by the 1927 frankford yellow jackets. google them kids 42. nothing. chargers coach brandon staley watching his job slip away. raiders scored a franchise record 63. jack jones on the pick six that had mark davis in or 6321. raiders sports on abc seven, sponsored by river casino. we'll be right

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that we think is interesting. tonight it's a sneaky great way to save. time going through tsa for the holidays. we found out about a new travel hack. instead of having to dig through your wallet in the security line that story is one of the top things people are clicking on right now

on our website. it's up for you on the top news sidebar at abc seven news.com, and a reminder you can watch all our newscasts live and on demand through the abc seven bay area connected tv app available for apple tv, google tv, amazon fire tv and roku. >> download the app now so you can start streaming. thank you so much for watching tonight. >> i'm ama daetz and i'm dan ashley for spencer christian, larry biel, all of us. we appreciate your time right now on jimmy kimmel live! >> zac efron, have a great night, everyone. previously on "jimmy kimmel live" -- >> we're good! >> lou: from hollywood, it's "jimmy kimmel live!" tonight -- zac efron. jason mantzoukas.