>> our top story this half-hour, some big changes could soon be coming to your utility bill, but not without some pushback at the state capitol. lot of people talking about this one legislation passed and signed that year and a half ago now could transform the way people pay utility bills by calculating your income and basing how much you pay on that as our

capitol correspondent eytan wallace reports. now several lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are speaking out against the policy. >> joe peace summit or brian's dolly expressing frustrations as utility bills. keep going up for californians across the state order. speaking at the state senate committee on energy, utilities and communications, dolly and others here pointed out the average pg and e customers on their utility bill increase by an average of $34.50 after the california public utilities commission approved a 13.7 billion dollars pg and e e plan late last year to bury power lines. a plan pg and e maintains will protect california from fire risks. >> but one dolly says is too costly. i'm frustrated because >> i get the calls. from the people whose rates are going up. but beyond that rate increase, some lawmakers and members of the public alike who spoke at this hearing called out a b 205, a lot of they believe will lead to even

higher rate increases. >> passed and signed in 2022. a b 205, could change the criteria for how you may be charged on your utility bill as it stands today. utility bills in california are based on consumption. the more electricity you use, the more you pay. but a provision in a b 205, will allow utility bills to be at least partly based on your fixed income. the higher the income, the higher the utility bill feet. supporters of the legislation argue it's designed to help low-income californians struggling to make ends meet. but opponents say the policy will hurt the very californians it was intended to help californians like patricia barrett of south stockton. it's unacceptable. she came to the hearing to share her story after investing in solar and reducing her overall electricity usage. she says her utility bill down in just about $25 per month, but she believes should they be 205, take effect for relatively affordable bill today could go up something she says she would not be able to afford on a tight budget and a part-time job on the 7 year-old woman.

>> i am wrong. think think oh, my so security is under $1100 a month. every dollar increase is going to impact my life because now i have to think of how am i going to get a second or 3rd part time job? there's not that many part-time cop. so i like to think it's cut you know, because i can't afford to pay it for a b 205, the california public utilities commission or cpsc has until this summer to hammer out details. interview proposals put forth by various public utility companies about how to best implement the new income based utility charge. >> a charge the cpc president believes will save californians in the long one of the benefits of making this type of billing adjustment is it shrinks the kilowatt hours per hour. price for all customers. >> still, some are convinced the policy will do more harm. >> than good. our government have to come up with an alternative. we have to be able to say to the people. >> no more. and governor gavin newsom's office weighed in

saying he looked forward to reviewing an updated plan from the california public utilities commission in the coming months about how to best proceed reporting from the state capitol. a tom wallace kron. 4 news. >> check this out. a safeway in san ramon is limiting the number cartons. people come by to 2 due to a limited supply. a similar sign was also seen at the safeway in san francisco. we've reached out to the company to see what could be the root cause here last year. you may recall a surge in avian flu hurt the nation's poultry industry causing shortages and record high prices. >> immigrant rights groups rallied in front of a new immigration court that opened up on monday in a predominantly spanish-speaking conquered neighborhood. this new court will hear cases from several counties, immigrant rights groups that the rally say that local government did not let the community know that the court was set to open. they worry the court will instill fear in the

community. congressman mark to says that he's disappointed the court open with limited community engagement, but he appreciates the need of the office of immigration review to do its work. the justice department is hiring. 21 immigration judges for the concord court, but asylum seekers will need to find their own representation. >> the bay area air quality management secured a major victory in the lawsuits filed against the chevron and martinez refineries are first. charles clifford has the story. >> after years of legal wrangling the bay area, air quality management district and chevron have reached an agreement for the bay area. air quality management district announced on tuesday that they have reached a settlement agreement with chevron and the martinez refining company as part of the agreement, chevron has agreed to comply with air district rules 6, 5, which requires the company to reduce particulate emissions at its refinery by 70 to 80%. they're also penalties. if the company doesn't meet those obligations. chevron has also

agreed to pay 20 million in fines for past violations and to pay another 20 million to korean air quality fund to help reduce public exposure to particulate matter. the martinez refining company has agreed to comply with rule 6, 5, install air monitoring equipment at its refinery and pay half a million dollars in attorney fees. contra costa county supervisor john gioia, who also sits on the air district board says this is a win for anyone who lives near refinery today is really improving public health for residents who live near refineries everyone no matter where they live. >> deserves are has the right to breathe clean air. and that's what this announcement is about today. in a statement to kron for chevron says we are pleased to put this litigation behind us in a way that benefits our community and allows chevron richmond to remain an important energy supplier in the region. >> district said on tuesday that chevron and the martinez refining company have until 2000. 26 to comply with the

agreement. they say that the refining company is already close to meeting its obligations, but that it could take chevron 4 more years to reach compliance, mainly because the company will need to install additional equipment in san francisco. charles clifford kron, 4 news. >> the cdc may soon drop the advice that people need to stay home for 5 days after testing positive for covid. the washington post is reporting the agency is proposing that if somebody tests positive, they should you symptoms to determine when to stop isolating someone does not have a fever for at least 24 hours without medication or if their symptoms are mild, why they can leave isolation. the proposed change may be released sometime in april for feedback before being adopted by the cdc. >> our weather time here as we get a live look outside. beautiful golden gate bridge show that tuesday night rain coming tomorrow. but what about the high country? if you're a skier or snowboarder

letter, you're going to be happen, right? yeah. if you want to enjoy some of that fresh powder up there, maybe head up there for valentine's day. you've got to be careful. there's a storm coming. >> and the snow levels a little bit lower with the storm begins to move in. but out there right now, it is a quiet, but a gorgeous evening at lake tahoe. you can see overall just some high clouds up above the dry, but that soon likely going to change back some scattered snow showers around lake tahoe, specially the northern parts right now. more of that on the way as we have a cold front begin to move in. in fact, we could see some prctty significant snow. winter storm warnings are going up. some heavy snow likely maybe we get maybe one to 2 feet of snow above 6,000 feet. yeah. that's a lot of snow on the snow level. actually dropping out 5,000 people 35,000. so looks like some dangerous driving conditions from time to time. you can expect some delays if you're headed the high. could you see the area shaded in red? that is winter storm warnings along the western. so if you're traveling up there, it's probably going to be a slow go as you head in toward late tomorrow and then on thursday as well. so if you

want to get going, i get going early tomorrow morning. if you're driving up the slopes and you have less problems. winter weather advisories continue until thursday. so yeah, the forecast for that snow to begin to move in and here you go. you see it start piling up there that maybe a couple of feet of snow over the next few days here. so a nice around of snow there, but not just there. it is going to continue that snow will continue rolling in as we head into thursday. a little break on friday. but we get the weekend. watch what happens. then we get the first storm system coming through. then we get hit by an atmospheric river event. so that's going to raise the snow levels up a bit. maybe 6,007 1000 feet or snow, but expect some very heavy snow throughout the weekend and in the next week, guys. >> i learned so who haven't signed up for subscription plans end up hitting our bank account every month. we don't know signing up for the yeah. >> can be annoying and costly. well, that was the story for a guy in la except his account was with aol and his fees have

now gone way up into the thousands. david lazarus has the story. >> it takes the bread like table. >> the coming up the table because marvin braverman is 85, a former writer and performer. he's now in the los angeles nursing home dealing with assorted ailments. and for the last 18 years, aol. yeah, you've got mail that aol the company that once owned the internet and is now barely on life support for the last 18 years, aol has been digging braverman with monthly fees to the tune of $5,000. they were taking $36 and $0.99 every single month since 2019, i look to dollars bills. then since 2016 they were taking $34 a month. >> and going back far as 2006 i found they were taking $12 a month marilyn anderson met

braverman at a comedy club decades ago. they've been friends ever since. and now she has power of attorney over his legal affairs. unfortunately, i think a lot of people don't look carefully at their credit card statements are at their bank statements. this isn't a story about a company doing something illegal or unethical. this is a story about a business practice that many companies employ that put consumers at a disadvantage. oftentimes you just don't notice. >> it could be an e-mail from the company in an open world. >> braverman has had an aol account since. well, everyone i know is aol was still well. he has no idea how we got enrolled in some cyber security plan with a recurring fee. he says he never requested an additional service. it quite good. >> i would have, though, i would have tried to cancel it. >> it wasn't until anderson spotted the charges and comb through braverman is passed bills that she realized the magnitude of the problem, thousands of dollars lost. well, offered a refund 2 months of payments or about

$70. then they upped it to 6 months or about $200. then a year's worth or about $400. and that's as high as they go. so anderson, got in touch with me. >> i'm glad to say that after i contacted aol, they change their tune and now they're going to make mister braverman hole. >> the company said in a statement that it actively communicate with customers and offers clear ways to modify or discontinue their services. its goal, it says, is to ensure everyone can manage their aol plan with ease. while aol had no obligation to give braverman his $5,000 back, it's laudable that they finally did the right thing and all consumers should keep in mind. you have rights under california law businesses must receive approval to charge recurring fees and must notify you about any changes and how to cancel. you also have a right to request proof that you signed up for any service braverman. anderson say they'll do a better job going forward to stay on top of i'm

trying to help you with and you know, i to pow. wow. that's an eye opener. >> sure maryland. one of those the power of fortunately she was checking that. but who checks who checks? i'm glad they well mayhem. they did the right thing. but eventually the other eye openers, i it will still kicking up like a copy service gone. you don't that. i did. that was david lazarus reporting for us tonight. >> the federal program to guarantee cheaper high-speed internet is set to run out of money by next. i'm basil, john, reporting in washington. well, lawmakers are doing to keep the data flow.

you can make money the hard way as a bullfighter or a human cannonball... or save money the easy way, with xfinity mobile. existing customers can get a free line of our most popular unlimited plan for a year! not only will you save hundreds but you'll also be joining millions who have connected to america's most reliable 5g network. sure is a lot safer than becoming a stuntman for money. get a free line of unlimited intro for a year

when you buy one unlimited line. plus, get the new samsung galaxy s24 on us. ♪♪ when your child has moderate—to—severe eczema, it's okay for them to show off. show off their clearer skin and noticeably less itch with dupixent. because children 6 months and older with eczema have plenty of reasons to show off their skin. with dupixent, the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, they can stay ahead of their eczema. it helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your child's skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ♪♪

show off to the world. ask your child's eczema specialist about dupixent. >> the federal program to guarantee cheaper high-speed internet for lower-income americans is set to run out of money by may. more than 20 million households have saved on their internet bills through the affordable connectivity program. our washington correspondent basil john has more now on what's being done to keep millions connected. >> lawmakers on capitol hill say internet access is just as important as running water and electricity. what the acp does is really provide meaningful relief to what has become a basic utility for every business, every farmer and every family across the country. the acp or the affordable connectivity program, reduces internet

bills by $30 monthly. but new york republican congressman mark mullen arrow warns the money will dry up by late may. there will be millions who will lose access will not be able to afford access to the internet. he introduced legislation to extend the funding for the program. connecticut democratic congressman joe courtney supports the bill and says it benefits more thing. just low income americans that there's a lot of working people people serving in our military who will you know, impacted by this. the fcc estimates that nearly 50% of acp participants are from military families. >> particularly at the enlisted level, both courtney and mullah narrow fear. if the money runs out more than 75% of participants could deal with disruptions or lose their internet altogether. this is not something that we want to have happen. we know for a fact that a lot of people are going to lose internet access. >> if that happens and that's not the fcc told internet

service providers to inform households about the program's potential end. both lawmakers agree congress won't let that happen. reporting in washington. i'm basil, john. >> southern california, the city of san diego facing a class action lawsuit has flood victims claim that the city turned a blind eye to pour infrastructure. the attorneys filing on behalf of homeowners say that this was preventable. yesterday they presented pages of evidence dating back some 20 years showing residents asking city officials to fix issues with the storm water system, even highlighting what would happen if it went ignored. the group is also asking the court to file an injunction against the city asking to prioritize the storm water issue in hopes of getting the issue solved sooner rather than later. mayor todd gloria has said that the amount of water that fell on san diego would have overwhelmed any city drainage system.

>> a live look outside here as we check out san francisco. enjoy the dry weather while we have it. yeah, lawrence, what's a long range and it's almost over guys. we've had that nice break. almost a spring-like feel the past few days. we start to see some changes today by tomorrow. we're back to some rain again. but the main event really not going to kick in until this weekend and then it is going to go for quite a while. so out the door tonight, you've got some high clouds drifting up above. it is dry out across the bay area now looks like it'll stay that way for tonight. tomorrow is a different story. in fact, the clouds going to be on the increase tonight and cloudy with rain developing throughout the afternoon, starting on the north bay and spreading south in the latter part of the day and then strong storms make a return this weekend going to be wet and windy ahead this weekend and probably into next week, too. long-range forecast and looks like we are right and that bull's again, you can see of the area in green. there we go. the dark shade that is showing wetter than normal weather forecast through the 2019 through the 23rd and

we're going to get into it in a hurry here. out there right now, it is fairly dry. you can see some snow showers up over the sierra neva,a and some showers off the coastline. the main front still out there swinging off the coastline. that one's going to move in. but it's the one behind it. i think we start looking at these was developed on the backside. there's going to start to tap into some tropical moisture all the way down the hawaiian islands. and that means they're going to be rich with moisture when they come on shore. tomorrow could be more of a normal storm rolling through the bay area that bring some rain and some gusty winds by the afternoon. we'll get a little break on thursday and into friday. but then we get slammed by that next storm. i think that's going to be almost all day event on saturday. rain and wind on that day behind that. i think by sunday evening we're getting it again and you can kind of get the sense a little swirl on the back side. that's the area of low pressure with a storm system. watch what happens. you see that rain moving in. but that low doesn't really want to move too much. that means it keeps going on monday keeps rotating in on tuesday on wednesday, maybe into thursday. so you get the idea with that. he's setting up like that. if that happens, we're going to be talking

about some tremendous amounts of rainfall. all right. here's the forecast for that for storm system. maybe you'll get a half an inch, maybe an inch over some of the mountains and then we get into the weekend. then everything begins to change. we'll see those colors begin to pick up. you start to talk about 2 to 3 inches of rain, even a san francisco, some heavy rain. and then you start to really get in the summer. impressive numbers. you getting close to 9 inches of rain between now and next weekend in parts the santa cruz mountains. so you get the idea that kind of rain on what we've already had already this season. flooding going to be an issue. of course, you get the gusty winds, trees coming down tomorrow. your valentine's day looks like it is going to be a bit on the wet side thursday. we'll catch a break most of friday dry by this weekend gets very wet again and well into next week. and i think even longer range than that. still very active, very wet series of storms coming near the end of the month. to upside of that, it looks like we're going to get our numbers. yeah, we're going to do more than that. i think this year, which i think will be looking good going into the offseason. thanks, lawrence. speaking of we're seeing new satellite images showing snow

blanketing mountaintops. >> from the recent storms, images here courtesy of nasa show that sierra before and after the storm on the left. that's from january. 29th on the right february. 11th after all that snow, it's clear data showed that the snow pack. it was up to 81% normal in the northern sierra following the storm. and more snow to come. the nation's leading energy experts toward a local facility today. yeah, the goal is to promote clean energy while making the u.s. less dependent on foreign sources. kron four's ella sogomonian has that story. >> american-made greener, cleaner energy is a priority for the united states. so the department of energy awarded 100 million dollars to sealant alameda last year. the company says they produce better batteries that are made the u.s. last longer and are less damaging to the environment. >> on tuesday, representatives dog took a tour of the

facility. very exciting part of our program to bring manufacturing of key parts of the clean energy transition back to united states batteries power, many things, including electric vehicles. >> the company is removing dependency on more harmful materials like graphite, 90% of which is made in china and as instead creating what's called titan silicone. >> so it kind allows us to draw from in part materials which weakened sourced locally in the united states. and be less dependent on trade partners that may not always be reliable and soon sea-level unveil a full-scale manufacturing plant in moses lake washington >> the size of about 8 football fields. the company founded in 2011 is one of 15 across the u.s. the received part of a 2 billion dollar investment from the federal government in recent years. the dot plans to invest another 4 billion dollars in expanding american manufacturing plants this year alone reporting in alameda i'm ella sogomonian kron. 4 news. coming up, a beverly hills burglar takes an unexpected

swim well trying to escape a swim well trying to escape a house. (computer keys clicking) (mouse clicks) - shriners hospitals for children is awesome! my favorite people in shriners are the doctors and the nurses because they help people through life. wow, i was a really cute kid! (chuckles) but it's true! shriners hospitals for children is awesome! the first time i went to shriners hospitals for children, i was two months old. since then, they have helped me with over 18 operations, and thousands of rehabilitation hours. because of their care, now, i live a full independent life. i got my driver's license, and i'm going to college!

your monthly gift provides me, and so many other kids with the care we need to just be kids. when you call right now, and give just $19 a month, only 63 cents a day, we'll send you this adorable blanket as your reminder of the journey you helped me make, and the journey you're helping other kids make too. please, do me a favor, pick up the phone, and call this special number to give your monthly gift. or, go online to loveshriners.org right away to give your monthly support. it's amazing to know that there's someone looking out for me and my family. and it isn't just the doctors and nurses who have been looking out for me, it was you. when you call, or go online to give, i know you care, and are looking out for me, and all my other friends at shriners hospitals for children. - [everybody] thank you! - thank you! - thank you.

- thank you for giving! - so let's keep this amazing story going with your monthly gift right now! what do you say? all you have to do is pick up your phone, or go to loveshriners.org, and you'll be a part of something special too. thank you so much! >> beverly hills, police released this drone video will. so a burglary suspect falling off a ladder. >> and taking a tumble. into the pool. soft landing. at least officers say they set the drone up after being alerted by the property's security system that a bad guy was there. police have identified the suspect as >> a 36 year-old who was taken into custody after got out of the pool.

>> but we're getting a look at the progress being made on a wildlife refuge under construction in southern california. the bridges over the 101 in decorah hills. and it's going to allow animals to safely get from one side to the other. this project is currently in its early stages. the next stage is going to start this fall. and when it's finished, it will be the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the u.s.. well, a deal's a san francisco district attorney brooke jenkins honored a bat sporting a kansas city chiefs jersey, after losing a friendly wager with the kansas city's district attorney. they bet on their home cities winning the super bowl. and yeah, whoever lost would have to wear the opposing team's jersey. so you see there, jenkins posting this photo of her wearing mahomes jersey next saying that i am a woman of my word. got to pay up. all right. that wraps up kron 4 news at 5, but

we have a lot more ahead on kron. 4 news at 6. ken wayne is here now with a look at what we're working on busy night again. here we go. this is what we're working on. uber and lyft driver set to strike tomorrow. we're going to tell you why. and >> house expected to affect getting around ordering food on valentine's day. plus, a man accused of stealing this plane right here and crashing it on a beach in half moon bay. he was in court today. why his request to represent himself in the case was tonight.

is it possible to count on my internet like my customers count on me? it is with comcast business. keeping you up and running with 99.9% network reliability. and security that helps outsmart threats to your data. moaire dida twoo? your data, too. there's even round-the- clock customer support. so you can be there for your customers. hey billy, how you doin? with comcast business, reliability isn't just possible. thanks. it's happening. get started for $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get up to a $1000 prepaid card with a qualifying internet package. don't wait, call and switch today!

>> from the bay area's local news station.