you could see some gusty to breezy winds as well. drew is tracking this level one event on our storm impact scale. then a business owners plea for help. burglars breaking into an east bay liquor store for the third time in a few months, this time using a car to drive through the front door and a stunt gone wrong. a flying grinch ends up

getting stuck dangling for nearly an hour. we're going to tell you how he is doing this morning. oh no, i don't wish that. on the evening grinch. no well, good morning everybody. it's wednesday, december 27th. sue is here. drew is here. yeah. you covered with this rain. that's about to come. >> yeah. so dry right now. kumasi after the sun gets up here, that's when the front will move through here. we'll take a look outside right now from our sutro tower camera. the golden gate bridge, looking lovely and quiet right now. and just a few hours, we'll see those drops begin to fall across this camera. and it is a level one storm on the abc seven storm impact scale. here's live doppler seven along with satellite. that front is now moving on shore around eureka, california, and it's on its way to the bay area later today. it's a level one lake system with scattered showers, some gusty southerly winds. slick travel will be your biggest impact. so this morning at 9 a.m, the best chance of showers in the north bay for most of us, it's between noon and four. to find those raindrops where you live, those temperatures in the

upper 50s to lower 60s for daytime highs. hi, sue. >> good morning drew, and we're going to pop in and check on your bay bridge commute this morning, just as we suspected. pretty light, no metering lights yet. and probably won't have any all morning long. it's a very quiet week. a lot of folks have it off or are taking a vacation time. golden gate bridge still three lanes in the southbound and northbound direction. it'll probably stay that way as well. very light volume coming out of marin county into san francisco, though, and for grins, let's check your altamont pass. we have a little blip of slow traffic about 35 miles an hour, headed up the pass, and then once you're past that, it's back to the limit all the way into the dublin pleasanton area or vicinity. jobina i'm sorry, kumasi. it's all good. >> thank you. contra costa health officials could be back at the martinez refinery today after showing up unannounced yesterday. the surprise inspection comes after dozens of incidents at the refinery over the last year, including flaring and chemical releases. abc seven news reporter lena howland in

martinez, with the details on this. lena kumasi. >> we know this inspection is expected to last for a few days to even a few weeks, because officials say they want to do a deep dive on this refinery. health officials were joined by the bay area air quality management district for the surprise inspection. they looked at maintenance records and reviewed staff training and procedures. authorities say they're concerned about the frequency of flaring incidents and hazardous material spills at the refinery, and they also accuse the refinery of not being transparent with some of the flaring. >> we can say that the frequency of incidents at pbf is not normal. pbf has experienced multiple serious incidents that affected the surrounding community in the last three weeks, has just been crazy. >> so. and you can smell it. we smelled it all the time. it's so bad we had to close the windows. >> county health officials say the refinery has used the community warning system to

report flaring at a rate of nearly once a week throughout the year. a spokesperson for the refinery, owned and operated by pbf energy, says we have been cooperating with all agencies and investigations related to our refinery and will continue to do so. two county supervisors are expected to meet with the refinery's corporate leadership on site at the refinery tomorrow to discuss some of their concerns about how the refinery operates live in martinez. lena howland, abc seven news thank you lena. >> developing news in the south bay a woman is recovering this morning after she was stabbed in south san jose. >> it happened last night around 9 p.m. at essendon way, near tauranga court in the santa teresa neighborhood. so this was a scene san jose police say they found a woman who was stabbed at least once. they rushed her to the hospital. she is expected to survive. authorities took the accused attacker into custody. it's not clear if that person has been charged. several groups are rallying behind some south bay businesses. their stores in

los altos and a strip mall. there were damaged in a christmas morning fire. one of the small businesses impacted is the bay area dance school. this is video from the fire. a gofundme for the school is now getting donations from around the country, including $5,000 from the new york city dance alliance. many students consider the studio a safe space that they had during and after the pandemic. >> people that this place has provided me with the support the comfort, just the space to be able to express myself and do what i love. it has meant everything to me. >> they could only pick one space to go to, and for many of these kids, this was the space that they picked. and i think for a lot of them, that's still very clear in their memory. the cause of the fire is under investigation in santa clara county, deputy fire chief is saying that the building has been redtagged. >> officials say demolition. demolition could take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks. it is

sentencing day for the man convicted of holding up a free fentanyl sign within sight of a san francisco school just last week, joseph moore was convicted on a public nuisance charge. the convicted sex offender had signs reading free fentanyl for new users and meth for stolen items. his encampment was across from a catholic grade school, and his signs were visible from the school's classrooms. moore is facing up to six months in jail. tomorrow the owners of a daycare where two children drowned and another one nearly died are in court for arraignment. the mother and daughter, co-owners of happy happy daycare in san jose, have been charged with felony child endangering and on october 2nd, two one year old girls drown in the pool after the gate was left open. pool safety advocates say better state regulations are needed. police are investigating another smash and grab in oakland using a car. investigators say burglars drove through the front of a liquor store in order to

steal from it. it happened in the middle of the night sunday at eddie's liquors on college avenue near taft. oakland police officers got there within ten minutes of the alarm going off, but by that time, the thieves were gone. store owners say that the thieves were able to smash and grab everything in less than five minutes. >> a group of guys came in and broke into. they slammed the door with their van. they got inside. obviously. they grabbed a lot of liquors, cigarets. the money we have in the registers. this one is our third time in less than two months. the owner suspects the thieves are the same people who stole from the store in the past. >> the beginning of the end. today, tuesday was opening day at golden gate fields and the last opening day for the racetrack. back in july, the owners announced. the track is set to close in june of 2024. since the closure of san mateo's bay meadows in 2008, golden gate fields has been the only major thoroughbred racing venue in northern california. spectators

say the racetrack has been an east bay landmark for decades, and it will be odd to see it not there anymore. >> driving by. so i've had i've had good times there though, and our friends have had some fun, fun times. there on fun, you know, sunday activity. >> trainers say the closing of the track will hurt california's horse racing industry, and they say it likely means many horses and trainers will leave the state. still to come, the holiday surge in illnesses is here. e.r. is filling up with flu and covid patients here in california and across the country, and you're a lucky one, mr. grinch. a man escapes with no injuries after this being stuck dangling all in a grinch costume. >> 608 this morning, breaking the forecast down region by region. today it's a quiet start , but those rain chances really ramp up into the afternoon in the evening, with a level one storm, the storm impacts kingvale. we'll go

from the state that's already helped millions of people like you get and pay for health insurance. with financial health to lower the cost of health coverage, you could get a quality health plan for less than $10 a month. every plan covers preventive care, doctor visits, emergency care, and more. if you have questions, we're here to help every step of the way. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31 at coveredca.com.

machine failed and he crashed. sean hayden says he felt it sputter and realized that it was running out of fuel, so he flipped upside down and was hanging upside down for about an hour before firefighters were able to kill the power and get him down safely. now he says he's been flying for more than ten years, and he's had some close calls, but this has been the most terrifying. thankfully, he was not hurt. >> yikes. good to hear. let's take you to a live doppler seven this morning, along with satellite. you can see rain off the coast with a cold front that will bring some wet weather later on this afternoon. for a lot of us, we do have some gusty winds as well. a wind advisory

in effect for the coastline of marin and sonoma county. this until 4 p.m. this afternoon because we could see some winds gusting upwards of 50mph as the storm system moves on shore. that's something watching very closely, and especially if you have decorations out today, you really want to make sure they're strapped down this morning because the rain arrives later on by about lunchtime. here's future weather showing you those showers getting their act together as we go throughout the middle part of our day. and it's the afternoon. the evening for most of us that we will see those on and off showers, some scattered downpours as well. up to a half of an inch of rain is possible. it's a dry start to the day. those showers begin to move onshore later on this morning, and for a lot of us, the afternoon is when it's the wettest part of our day, upper 50s to lower 60s for daytime highs. we have more rain on the seven day forecast. we'll talk about that coming up in about ten minutes. kumasi thank you drew. >> still to come, the online retailer with some surprising news for its customers. now, why it's a good idea to get an aging relative a pet, especially if they're living alone. and as we head to break, let's take a live

decades of bringing events, conventions and tourists to the city. d'alessandro helped bring super bowl 50 to the bay area in 2016, and spearheaded a $500 million renovation of the moscone center in 2020. the pandemic put a stop to 11 years of record breaking tourism growth. he says the post-pandemic recovery is still happening. >> it's going to take us a few more years to get back to where we were before and what's unfortunate about that is it hurts the very businesses that we love so much as san franciscans. >> scott beck from toronto joined us of travel back in october and will soon take over as sf travel ceo. once

d'alessandro retires, flu and covid emergency room visits are going up across the country, according to the cdc. more than a dozen states, including california, are seeing high or very high levels of respirator illnesses. data shows there's a 200% increase in the flu, 60% increase in rsv cases, and more than 50% increase rate of covid 19 spreading. abc's doctor, daron sutton explains the rising numbers. >> a couple of reasons why it's colder. we move closer. that increases transmission. there's evidence that covid reduces our immune response, which can make us more susceptible to infection . you want to make sure that you have that protection, that high quality mass washing your hands, making sure you're updated on your vaccines, and always preparing for the highest risk person in the room. >> cdc data shows covid rates are up for the sixth straight week. only 18.5% of people have gotten an update in their covid vaccine. the company that is planning to build a new city in solano county has less than a year to convince voters to allow

that project to move forward, according to the chronicle. california forever is planning to unveil the ballot initiative next month. the company spent $900 million to acquire land near travis air force base, the grassroots group solano together is opposing the plan, arguing that housing should be built in existing cities where the infrastructure already exists. new this morning, much to the surprise of customers, retail company zulily is set to close. the seattle based company says a challenge business environment and financial instability is to blame for the shuttering of the business. more than 200 workers are being laid off, according to geekwire. the company has already gone through two rounds of layoffs this year. zulily is facing at least two lawsuits over alleged unpaid invoices. christmas is over, and for many, it means it's time to trash the tree.

holding on a little bit. but you know what? i don't have a real tree, so i can hold on, but for a lot of you who do have real trees, a lot of them are going to end up just like this. and wood chippers, san francisco's annual christmas tree recycling program. it starts january second. it goes for about two weeks. this is video from last year. residents just need to put the tree stripped of any decorations next to the recycling bin, and then they'll pick it up and the trees will be turned into mulch. if you are looking to ring in 2024 with some oohs and ahs, you can count on san francisco's annual waterfront fireworks show. the 15 minute show starts at midnight, but spectators are encouraged to get a spot early along the promenade to get the best view. the city is also encouraging people to visit shops and restaurants at pier 39, as well as the ferry building, before the show. you can do some shopping. there is so much to do and you don't have to drive on new year's eve. you

can get a ride for free on san francisco busses and trains at sfmta is saying complimentary service runs from 8 p.m. new year's eve to 5 a.m. new year's day, so live your life. you won't want to tag your clipper card or your muni mobile ticket during these hours, because they will charge you. also, offering free service, ac transit, vta, samtrans and caltrain. again, all of that starts at 8 p.m. now, the different times that the free service ends varies, so just be aware of that. but that's a pretty good pretty good deal. you can ring in the new year right here on abc seven. if you don't feel like being out and about. dick clark's new year's rockin eve with ryan seacrest kicks off at 8 p.m. on sunday, followed by a special edition of abc seven news at 10 p.m. and then we'll take you back to new year's rockin eve at 1030. for all the festivities leading up to the countdown and the ball drop right on. so is it going to be pretty nice out? if you're it will be because i imagine people going down pier 39, going to the ferry building.

maybe you get a nice bite to eat. you do some shopping. oh yeah. you have yourself a time. >> yes. yeah it's looking great out there. i think it's going to surprise a lot of people because saturday is pretty wet. so you're thinking like, oh no, the whole weekend is going to be a washout. but sunday is looking nice for new year's eve. we'll start the new year on a sunny note this morning we are seeing quiet conditions. here's a partly cloudy view. this is san jose, but the accuweather headlines later today. for a lot of us, it's the afternoon. we'll find scattered showers, some gusty winds on thursday. we have dangerous surf. a high surf warning will be in effect for waves up to 30ft. we'll talk more about that in one second. and then more rain is coming friday night into saturday. if you have friday night plans, it looks like it is going to be pretty wet out there later on this week. the storm impact scale level one. today it's a light system scattered showers, some gusty southerly winds, slick travel. your biggest impact look atrillionainfall totals. not a huge rain maker by any means. some of our higher totals in the north bay, closing in on half of an inch of rain. but for a lot of us around the

bay shoreline on the inland east bay, less than a quarter of an inch of rainfall the next 24 hours. so today we're starting out with cloudy conditions for most of us. the showers arrive right around lunchtime. it's the afternoon that is the wettest period today. upper 50s to the lower 60s. tonight we'll hang on to the cloud cover, but we'll lose the showers. temperatures going into the upper 40s and lower 50s. as we head into thursday. here's that high surf warning in effect on thursday for our entire coastline. we could see large breaks up to 30ft high. that is very dangerous, if not deadly, swimming conditions. you want to stay out of the ocean water tomorrow because we have a very active ocean current coming our way. more rain is likely as we finish out the week friday night. here's our next cold front. you see, it's right on top of us and that will linger into saturday as well. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. next seven days. few showers and wind later on today evening. rain on friday with those showers lingering into saturday. we're drying out for new year's eve on sunday, it looks like it is going to be a bright and dry start to the new year. >> sue and we are starting a

look at the san mateo bridge. it is holiday light. a couple of brake lights, but really no issues getting across the span. we'll take a look at your drive time in just a moment. up the high rise and over towards foster city. we'll also take a look outside. once again, this is 280 in san jose. 780 or pardon me, 1780 at the overcrossing headlights headed up towards cupertino, thatrillionide takes you about eight minutes from downtown san jose towards cupertino. and here's a look at some of your other drive times, specifically the bridges, richmond, san rafael, san mateo and dumbarton kumasi. thank you sue. >> good morning america. it's coming up at seven right here on abc. seven somara theodore has a look at what's ahead on good morning kumasi. >> it's so great to be with you. coming up, the latest on the top story you've been covering. i'll be tracking that major end of year storm, the one that brought blizzard conditions and a dangerous ice storm to the nation's heartland. and now the storm is moving east, threatening the east coast with

heavy rains, flooding and dense fog. also this morning, the new twist in the alex murder case. the court clerk, who was accused by his defense team of pushing for a fast verdict so she could write a book about the case. now admitting to plagiarism, her coauthor, speaking exclusively to abc news. and we'll switch gears here to convenient new ways to return holiday gifts, taking out almost all the hassle. all you have to do is call a taxi. plus, how to reboot your love life and the breakout stars of 2023. the beauty trends that will be hot in 2024 th's coming up right here on gma

[humming] during your pregnancy you'll take about 6 million breaths. two breaths as you get pfizer's maternal rsv vaccine, abrysvo. the only maternal vaccine given between 32 through 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect babies against rsv from birth through 6 months. 6 millions breaths to meet your baby. know you've helped protect them against rsv. abrysvo is not for everyone and may not protect all babies of vaccinated mothers. don't get abrysvo if you've had a severe allergic reaction to its ingredients. people with a weakened immune system may have a decreased response to vaccination. the most common side effects among pregnant women are headache, pain at the injection site, muscle pain and nausea. in clinical trials with abrysvo, low birth weight and jaundice were reported more frequently than placebo. every breath matters. talk to your obgyn or other healthcare provider about pfizer's

maternal rsv vaccine, abrysvo. the same front that will bring us showers later today as well. new york city also getting in on the wet weather. some heavy rain coming their way later on today, but from chicago, denver,

atlanta to dallas, we're looking a lot quieter. here's the front on live doppler seven, along with satellite approaching us this morning for a lot of us, it's right around lunchtime in the afternoon. that is the wettest period of today. level one storm with those showers scattered in nature, maybe an isolated downpour as well. those temperatures on the mild side, upper 50s to lower 60s. kumasi. >> thank you. drew, a youtuber who works on unsolved cases, helped police locate the remains of a man who'd been missing for ten years, donald erwin disappeared near ozark, missouri, in 2013. it just so happened to be near the home of amateur detective james hinkle. hinkle spent a year searching nearby areas, posting about it all on youtube, and a few days ago, his drone spotted the missing man's car in a lake. hinkle alerted authorities, who then located the man's apparent remains. the missing man's family says they are grateful for the youtubers sleuthing and hard work. a new study suggests owning a pet may prevent dementia in people over 50, and living alone. researchers in

china found owning a pet slows the decline in verbal memory and fluency. the results were seen in people who live alone, not in people who live with others, studies predict the number of people with dementia will triple by 2050, potentially reaching 150 million people. there is no cure for the disease, but new drugs have been approved to treat symptoms. next, at 630, recent antisemitic incidents causing fear to rise among the jewish community here in the bay area. then the important meeting today is the u.s. and mexico. try to solve the crisis at the southern border as we head to break. can i take a live look outside right

now at 630, high waves. just one of the things mother nature bringing to the bay area. drew. tracking some rain headed our way as well. it could wash away some of your afternoon plans. then a surprise in action underway at the martinez refinery. neighbors hoping for answers after several flaring incidents left a rotten smell in the area, and a little boy woke up 3:00 in the morning, opened all the christmas gifts, even the ones that were not his. but he had a cute reason for why he did it. did he bless his heart. good morning everybody. it is wednesday, december 27th. we'll get to that story. it's super cute in a minute, but we want to talk about this weather. >> drew. yeah. kumasi. we're tracking rain later on today. the afternoon for a lot of us, that is going to be your wettest period today. here's live doppler seven along with satellite. you can see the front is getting closer to us. that rain on radar will arrive first in the north bay after about 9 a.m, and then we'll find those

showers sinking south throughout the rest of the region. as the afternoon goes on. it is a level one on the abc seven storm impact scale. light storm that will bring scattered showers, some gusty southerly winds, slick and slower than typical travel times are the biggest impact. so at 9 a.m, the north bay the best chance of a shower for most of us. it's noon to four. that's when you find the wet weather. it is mild in the upper 50s to lower 60s. hi sue, good morning drew. >> no weather delays at this hour. 630 and taking a look at the east shore freeway. it is moving at the limit. lots of gaps between the headlights that are headed in the westbound direction. tail lights headed eastbound. and for now, we're looking at holiday light conditions popping up to san rafael. 101 tail lights southbound past the north gate mall and in fact all the way through marin county. you are moving at the limit. you might find a little bit of slowing. we had an earlier stall southbound near tiburon that was partially sticking out into a lane from the right hand shoulder that was cleared out rather rapidly, and we will take a look at the

altamont pass, which is all in the green. earlier we had a little blip of a slowdown. now it's looking pretty good. all the way into dublin. pleasanton, kumasi thank you sue. >> developing news in the east bay. health officials say a surprise inspection at the martinez refinery could go on for days or even weeks. it's coming after dozens of flaring incidents over the past year, odor complaints and thick white ash raining down on nearby neighborhoods. abc seven news reporter lena howland in martinez with more on this unannounced visit. lena kumasi contra costa county health officials say they were there to observe the operation as the reliability and the safety programs of this refinery. >> after a series of flaring incidents. they say the refinery has used the community warning system to report flaring at a rate of nearly once a week throughout the year. that's why health officials were also joined by the bay area air quality management district for the surprise inspection yesterday afternoon. they looked at maintenance records and

reviewed staff training and procedures. authorities say they're concerned about the frequency of flaring incidents and hazardous material spills at the refinery. we checked in with mark ross, who serves as both a martinez city council member and as director of the bay area air quality management district. >> they're our neighbor. we have learned to coexist with previous owners of the refinery, but they have definitely kind of crossed the line a little bit with the recent series of events in the past year, but it seems to be a pattern that is not tolerable to me or the community. >> the county's deputy health director said. this investigation is still in its very early stages, so he says it's too early to speculate on what the findings are and what the consequences may or may not be. a spokesperson for the refinery, owned and operated by pbf energy, says we have been cooperating with all agencies and investigations related to our refinery and will continue to do so. health officials say this investigation is expected to last for the next couple of

days. if not weeks, as they are hoping to do a deep dive on this refinery. live in martinez. lena howland abc seven news thank you lena anti-semitic incidents at two los altos schools this month are shining a light on an undercurrent of fear in jewish communities, prompting some to hide their heritage. >> abc seven news south bay reporter dustin dorsey shows us a new survey explaining how widespread that fear is across the bay area. hey graffiti in san francisco, oakland's largest menorah, smashed anti-semitic incidents are on the rise, and members of the jewish community do not feel safe. >> but it's not just a big city problem in los altos. >> i have never been more proud to be jewish. >> i've never been more vulnerable to be jewish, though at the same time, this jewish resident of los altos, who wished to remain anonymous, says this fear is sadly not something new for her community. >> she and her family are trying to maintain pride in their heritage, but she knows many others who are fearful as israel continues its military campaign in gaza. in retribution for the

october 7th attack by hamas militants. >> i know so many people who have taken great efforts to maybe not speak hebrew in public , taking down their mezuzah, which is a clear indication that that is a jewish household wearing jewish jewelry to identify themselves. >> similar messages have flooded los altos council member pete daley's office, including concern for the safety of children after at least two anti-semitic incidents took place at local middle schools. swastikas were drawn on lockers at one school and students yelled jews must die in another, according to daley, who we spoke with on the phone tuesday, you can just sense it when you're talking to them, how scared they are and how much they question society and leadership and values around them, and wonder whether they're in the right place, a safe place to raise their families. the struggles of the jewish community here in los altos represent a microcosm of a bigger issue. anti-semitism is felt throughout the bay area and beyond. >> we're seeing a big spike in reports jewish community relations council of the bay area ceo tyler gregory says his

organization is hearing about anti-semitic by community members daily, a recent report by the jcrc shows about 61% of bay area jewish residents feel less safe living daily lives since october 7th, and 36% say they have experienced anti-semitism personally. >> gregory says more needs to be done to educate american and stop hate before it grows. >> we want to make sure that in the same way that acts of racism and sexism and homophobia are addressed by institutions, so too should anti-jewish jewish, you know, hate be addressed in the same way from different types of leaders in the hopes that everyone can live peacefully without fear in their community in the south bay, dustin dorsey, abc seven news. >> rapper ye, formerly known as kanye west, posted a statement on instagram apology to the jewish community for his anti-semitic remarks. the post was written in hebrew, but ye wrote that he deeply regrets any pain he may have caused. ye also added that he's learning from his experience, and he's hoping to engage with greater

sensitivity and understanding. the apology comes more than a year after he posted that he would go, quote, death con three on jewish people. developing news in the middle east. experts say oil and gas prices are going up from the conflicts in the region. it's coming as president biden authorized a retaliatory strike on targets in iraq after us troops were hurt during a drone attack. abc news reporter liz landers has the details. >> this morning, the us strikes back at iranian backed militants in iraq as tensions from the israeli hamas war continue to spill into the middle east. president joe biden authorized the move after christmas day drone attack on us troops in northern iraq struck three, leaving one critically injured. here's some of the damage from the three locations hit in the u.s. retaliated. three strikes, which was condemned by the iraqi prime minister in a statement. >> this is very prevalent amongst the iranians. it's how they conduct business and it's very messy because they're using forces that sometimes don't

actually take direct orders. but ultimately it's to push back against the influence of the united states. >> there's still about 3500 us troops in iraq and syria to prevent a resurgence of isis. and the pentagon estimates more than 100 attacks against u.s. personnel in the region since the start of the israel-hamas war. in a statement, secretary of defense lloyd austin saying he and president biden, quote, will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend the united states. our troops and our interests. there is no higher priority. it comes as a key shipping route in the red sea has also been attacked for at least the 16th time, despite the recent formation of a new american led naval patrol group in the region. the u.s. blames yemen's houthi rebels backed by iran, for these continued attacks. meanwhile investors are keeping a close eye on oil and gas prices. now on the rise, as are shipping costs. oil prices are up more than 2% in the last 24 hours, and in the last week,

gas prices are up $0.06 per gallon nationwide, but up as much as $0.16 in florida. still prices at the pump are down nearly $2 over last summer's peak, according to triple a to show the extent of the problem, u.s. forces in the red sea say they shot down 17 drones and missiles fired by rebels in yemen yesterday alone in washington. liz landers abc news . >> a surprising new discovery in the north bay regarding the napa fault. the fault runs from vallejo to yountville, parallel to highway 29. geologists didn't know it existed until it generated a 6.0 magnitude earthquake nine years ago. now researchers say the fault actually extends nine miles further north past calistoga. that's further than previously thought. so it means it has the potential to generate even more powerful earthquakes. >> it is an active fault. it will have more earthquakes, but it's certainly not as big a player as the san andreas fault

or the hayward fault. us geologists say if the fault ruptures along the entire 37 mile stretch, it has the power to potentially produce a magnitude seven earthquake, researchers say it's a reminder to always know what to do before an earthquake strikes. >> get a kit, make a plan and be informed. and if you need help with any of that, check out abc seven news.com slash. prepare norcal a united states delegation will meet with mexico's president today. many are calling this an effort to get mexico to do more to curb a surge of migrants at the southern border. the president of mexico says he's willing to help, but he also wants to see progress in u.s. relations with cuba and venezuela. those are two of the top centers of migrant s this month, as many as 10,000 migrants were arrested at the u.s. border. still to come, how many california workers pizza hut will be laying off after a minimum wage increase? since then, a child trying to

save christmas but ended up opening all the presents at 3 a.m. even the ones that were not for him and seven at seven abc, seven at seven. it's on hiatus this week. we'll be back with you in 2024. on january 2nd. so come hang out with us then get that app ready. >> we'll be back on tuesday. here's live doppler seven along with saddle rain is on its way and for most of us, we'll find those showers arriving right around lunchtime and into the afternoon. we do have a wind advisory in effect for the coastline of marin and sonoma county. this until 4 p.m, where we could find gusts as this front moves onshore up to 50mph. let's break down the forecast region by region, along the coast. we'll get some early morning showers around 11 a.m, and then it's the afternoon. do you have your highest chance of finding thatrillionain? around 4 p.m? temperatures in the upper 50s to the lower 60s around the bay shoreline. it's a similar story. it's the afternoon where

those rain chances are elevated. if you're going to be out all day, take the umbrella with you. you'll need it later on as the afternoon wears on and inland, we'll find a similar story. it's the afternoon that that front will cross through and those temperatures in the upper 50s for daytime highs. unfortunately this storm is not going to be a big snow producer for tahoe. we'll get some snow for flurries late tonight with a rain. snow mix early tomorrow morning. no accumulation is expected with some isolated rain showers on friday day. we have more rain coming our way in the seven-day forecast. we'll show you that coming up in nine minutes. but for some more high temperatures where you live. sponsored by the exploratorium, discover the art of light. >> this winter at the exploratorium. luminous artworks invite you to connect and play in their glow. >> don't miss this wondrous seasonal expansion of our exhibits on light.

loving this pay bump in our allowance. wonder where mom and dad got the extra money? maybe they won the lottery? maybe they inherited a fortune? maybe buried treasure? maybe it fell off a truck? maybe they heard that xfinity customers can save hundreds when they buy one unlimted line and get one free. now i can buy that electric scooter! i'm starting a private-equity fund that specializes in midcap. you do you.

visit xfinitymobile.com today.

she and her boyfriend uh. she and her boyfriend were found dead in a car, but police have not yet confirmed the identities of the victims. savannah soto was last seen near her home on friday. she was nine months pregnant and one week past her due date. her family says she was set to be induced on saturday, but she never showed up. >> when i called her all morning, she wasn't answering. it was going straight to voicemail and we went to the hospital anyways and she was a no show and that's when i called the cops. she was so excited to have this baby. i mean, her, her, the house is already baby ready. she was so excited. she was going to be a mommy. >> police have released few details and have not confirmed how the victims died. officers

say the bodies appeared to have been inside the car for 3 to 4 days. now for your morning money report. california pizza hut franchises are set to lay off staff, delivery drivers as the minimum wage is going to be increased to $20 an hour statewide for fast food workers in 2024. the chronicle is reporting packed pizza in san ramon, which owns franchises throughout the state, will eliminate first party delivery services starting in february. another pizza hut operator in southern california says it will be laying off delivery drivers more than 1200 jobs will be cut as a result. now we're going to take a live look at the new york stock exchange as trading gets underway this morning. you can see we are up right now by about 20 points. so we know most children can't wait to open christmas presents. but a toddler in north carolina woke up at three in the morning and unwrapped every single present under the tree, saying he was trying to help santa sit on

down. drew his mom, and dad say they realized what their three year old had done after he ran in the room asking for scissors as they spoke with good morning america. >> it just didn't enter our heads as a possibility that someone would go down and open all the presents. >> you can see the presents. he didn't really care about because he ripped him open and looked at him and moved on to the next one, but literally every little tiny thing except for the stockings were unwrapped. he told us he was like, well, i just was trying to make it less confusing. >> i wanted to open them so that everyone kind of understood, like what presents were for, who ? all right. >> mean? >> well, they say they're not mad about it, but next year they are not leaving the presents out. oh you can watch the. that's what you got to do soon. i kiss these days. you got to watch the whole report on the toddler who stole christmas. are we calling him that? >> the toddler who stole christmas. christmas >> maybe interrupted. he stole

it. he stole it. >> he stole it. kids are going to be kids. >> but i think it's sweet. but yeah, every single gift. >> yeah. i mean, he just wanted to help. >> he care in there? maybe open a flap, tape it back shut. i think. >> i think maybe by the time he's four, he might learn a lesson, but maybe, i don't know, might take some time. what are you going to do? >> not put the presents out? >> gifts? i that will scar that baby boy for life. awesome >> don't open my gifts. this morning we are tracking rain, returning to the forecast. what a cute kid. here's santa cruz, we're also watching our waves over the next couple of days with a high surf warning in effect today, it's all about scattered showers coming our way for most of us around lunchtime and into the afternoon. it's also windy. a surf warning on thursday, a high surf warning for waves up to 30ft along our coastline. then friday night into saturday we are tracking more rain with another storm. here's future weather by noon you can see we have steady light

rain in the north bay. this front beginning to move into the city. parts of the east bay and then into the afternoon. you can see those showers are on and off. some isolated downpours as temperatures will go into the upper 50 to the lower 60s for daytime highs. now it's not currently raining out there, but if you will be out all day today , keep the umbrella with you. you'll need it this afternoon. we'll go to 58 in the city, 60 in oakland, 63 in san jose, 57 in napa. overnight tonight, those showers will exit as you get to early thursday morning. we'll keep the cloud cover and temperatures in the 40s and 50s. you do want to take this high surf warning very seriously tomorrow because of a very dangerous surfing and swimming conditions, breakers up to 30ft are possible. so under these conditions, you never want to turn your back to the ocean because that current can sweep your feet out and take you out. here's future weather as we head towards friday night. here's our next front that sits on top of us into early saturday with our nextrillionound of rain. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. next seven days for you. showers and windy conditions this afternoon. evening rain returns on friday

and lingers into saturday. we start to dry out for new year's eve on sunday and we'll have a bright, dry start to the new year on monday. sue. >> all right, we are experiencing pretty light conditions. holiday light. as you can see on eight 8-80 going past the coliseum, both directions moving at the limit. just a heads up if you are planning on taking the larkspur ferry into san francisco. they are running a couple of slower boats so you might want to check the schedule. uh- leaving from larkspur into san francisco. and that slower boat is about 15 minutes slower. so just a heads up. otherwise we are green all around the bay area. kumasi thank you sue. >> as 2023 winds down, we're looking back at some of the best and most memorable stories of the year. we put them all together in a special that you can stream on demand, but here's a taste of what you can expect from abc seven news reporter. luz pena. hey

one of my favorite stories of 2023 was about a group of bay area adults with disabilities who are making a difference in the robotics industry. >> this was one of my favorites because we got to highlight this community, which in many cases is forgotten. and we got to prove with this story that regard of our differences, everyone should be given a chance and it may surprise you. i hope you love it too. at 6 a.m, tim zalewski grabs his safety glasses and is ready to build. >> we're making parts of unit and of course this is the unit and you got to like use this uh- like this wrench. >> tim showed us around his new job at omron, an electronics company in pleasanton. what do you think about this place? >> i just think it's kind of awesome. >> tim got hired a month ago after excelling as an intern here. getting that call is still a bit surreal for him. >> realizing that i got hired for a full timer. >> you never thought that was a possibility? yeah why? well

because, uh, because i thought it would be really impossible since omron is a really busy company. he comes to work knowing that his role is vital to build robots. he is part of a team. >> well, it just feels like that. i'm starting a new adventure. >> and what is the adventure bringing you so far? well, becoming an adult and also working with others. >> it just sort of feels like i'm making friends. i mean, with adult friends. >> one of his friends sits right next to him. joseph carter. >> i do led lights for the top desk. >> joseph is an intern now, but he's inspired by tim's story. do you like your job? yes what do you like about it? >> working with people and friends. >> the one who saw potential both in tim and joseph is their mentor. jesse >> i gave him a set of tools he knew what they were. he knew how to handle it. we just kind of kind of grew on that curiosity. we harnessed it. >> pleasanton adult and career

education, or pace for short, is an adult school within the pleasanton school district that prepares adults with disabilities for the workforce, paying them to intern at different companies. in the last five years, about 56 adults with disabilities have learned key skills to find jobs in this community. and this is one of the 25 sites they work with, and we give them three different work experience sizes. >> we help them get as many transferable work skills as possible so that they can get a job at the end of the nine month program that matches what they want to do. >> for example, cole right now is learning to take technical orders, but his dream is a bit different. >> become an executive chef and own my own restaurant. >> his mentor understands him. >> it feels really good. i actually have two stepsons that are both autistic and in their 20s. turns out amran is one of the first factories to hire people with disabilities. >> over 50 years ago in japan. that factory has more than 50%

of the workforce are people with disabilities. and now tim is carrying on that legacy in the u.s. >> can you believe this? i can't well, believe it. it's happening . i'm so proud of you. thanks. this is so cool. >> in pleasanton, luz pena abc seven news. i love that story. >> building a better bay area. best of 2023 is streaming right now on demand. you can stream it at our website, abc seven news.com, or on our abc seven bay area apps, or on your phone or tv. it's available for roku, amazon fire, apple tv and google tv. tuesday night marked the first night of kwanzaa celebrating african american heritage. lost loved ones and ancestral roots in san francisco. the village project hosted its 17th annual kwanzaa celebration at san francisco's city hall. family and friends enjoyed a day of live blues and jazz performances, dance and speeches, spoken word similar to

the menorah and hanukkah. each night, a candle is lit on the kinara, represents one of the seven principles of the culture. the nights principal, called umoja, represents unity. up next , the seven things you need to know today and as we head to break, we're going to take a live look outside. right now it is 654. we'll be right back. this is abc 724 seven. >> in san francisco, live at levi's stadium in san jose. >> live in oakland. yeah you're watching abc seven news live anytime from anywhere. >> we are, we are, we are, we are, we are, we are. >> where you are. >> never miss a moment of the news that matters to you. download our abc seven bay area streaming app. join us and start watching

from the state that's already helped millions of people like you get and pay for health insurance. with financial health to lower the cost of health coverage, you could get a quality health plan for less than $10 a month. every plan covers preventive care, doctor visits, emergency care, and more. if you have questions, we're here to help every step of the way. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31 at coveredca.com.

no pressure for a cease fire. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said the military was deepening the fighting and number two, rain is on approach. >> here's live doppler seven along with satellite. a cold front will move through here today. kick up our winds and bring scattered showers to the region. it is a level one on the abc seven storm impact scale. with those gusty southerly winds and those showers, slick and slower, travel will be your biggest impact as we break down your day at 9 a.m, the best chance of showers will be in the north bay for most of us, it's between noon and 4 p.m. that will find the wet weather moving through our neighborhoods. >> number three sweden is a step closer to joining nato after getting approval from turkey's foreign affairs committee. now it will just need to be approved in the turkish parliament's general assembly. number four, u.s. officials will be meeting with mexico's president today to discuss border policy this month, as many as 10,000 migrants were arrested daily at

the southwest u.s. border. mexican president andres manuel lopez obrador has said. he is willing to help, but wants to see progress in u.s. relations with cuba and venezuela. two of the top senders of migrants. number five, contra costa health officials could be back at the martinez refinery today after showing up unannounced yesterday . this surprise inspection comes after dozens of incidents at the refinery over the last year, including flaring and chemical releases. >> number six, we are following your traffic today. it's very light during dead week between christmas and new year's. just a heads up if you're planning on taking the larkspur ferry into the city this week, it will be the slower boat for the morning commute. >> and number seven every day. and try a playful seal caught on video in tasmania. bouncing on the backyard trampoline. this australian fur seal was safely guided back to the water. >> just had to, you know, hang

out a little bit. this is not the famous neil the seal. this is a different one. i was going to ask. >> i know this is neil bouncing around. >> neil looks a little bigger. >> tasmania. what's going on? >> they just do what they want to do. we're happy you're hanging out with us this morning. our 7 a.m. show comes back january second. game day is next. >> good morning america. massive winter blast. blizzard conditions in five states, more than a foot of snow pounds parts of the heartland, with winds whipping up, forcing highways to shut down, conditions so icy that this man went skating on the street. heavy rains and dense fog coating the east, cutting visibility along the i 95 corridor. we're tracking it all this morning. on the move.