red car upset ready and the stage is set. hollywood's biggest stars will begin arriving for their biggest nights, the academy awards. thanks for joining us, i'm carolyn tyler. will be the artists, did he seven tenants or perhaps the help. as he does every year, craig is joining us live from hollywood to preview this year's oscar show. you look pretty naughty there. >> good morning. >> the show draws closer we are smack on hollywood boulevard.

red carpet rolls from here right over this way into the theater, known the last 11 years as the kodak theater because of a bankruptcy, it's known as high land center. >> even after a week's work crews are busy to get everything right for show time. for movie fans, to see hollywood boulevard look so hollywood. >> it's totally different. >> those in charge have been unusually tight-lipped about tonight's show only it should provide plenty of laughs. >> it's been reflected in our bookings. >> billy emcee will emcee. >> -- crystal will emcee. >> it's granddaddy of shows and i'm thrilled to be out there again. >> descendants is one two of

front-runners for best picture. the other is artist. it's black and white, mostly silent and favorite on the award circuit. >> i think ultimately the artist is going to sweep the major categories. >> what is not so clear best actress race, with meryl streep and viola davis leading the pack. >> despite davis' strong performance, some say streep has been overlooked for too long. >> she is long overdue to win. >> george clooney for best actor and the artist. >> that was craig reporting live. oscar coverage begins at 1:30 with on the red carpet.

award show begins at 5:00. it all wraps up with oprah within friday on jimmy kimmel live. before our oscar coverage go to oscar.com where you can get history and find everything you need to know about throwing the perfect oscar viewing party. be sure to download the oscar app for live video. plus, you can join the conversation on twitter by using hash tag oscars sf. >> they are looking for the caution of fire that heavily damaged three apartment units. when firefighters first arrived. the fire had spread to you through two apartment units. two residents were still inside those burning buildings and they were rescued by firefighters. no serious injuries. third damaged apartment unit was vacant. >> you are waking up to more

sticker shock at the pump. average price for are regular gas went up again overnight. according to aaa this morning the statewide average is $4.27 a gallon. yesterday it was 4.25. sergio reports the pain at the pump is forcing people to find cheaper ways to get around. >> with prices in the four dollar range and beyond, a billup is a growing investment. >> $125, that is a lot of money. >> in last couple of weeks, a trip to the gas station is head shaking appearance considering some to leave their vehicles at home. >> at mike's bikes in san francisco, they have been getting more people looking for alternatives. >> talking about the fact that gas prices to $4 a gallon. you can get through the city so

much quicker on a bike. >> they are selling so much now in last couple years, and san francisco is more bicycle friendly. gas prices are a glaring reason. >> i can't imagine people are spending $100 to fill up their vehicle. >> he opts for another two wheeled alternative he fills up with less than three gallons twice a month. but the buddy is a popular option. >> this set record sales. we sold 40 units, which february is the slowest month of the year. >> rated 110 miles per gallon, his scooters sip gas. he hasn't seen such a rush to snap them up since 2008. >> at the rate we have been seeing gas rise, we could surpass that rate within a month.

>> cheryl: this morning the so-called speed freak killer says he is sorry but not because he killed somebody. he told a reporter from stockton record, he is sorry he kept the location of bodies from families a secret for so long. the directed he directed a bounty hunter toward the well. 1,000 human bone fragments were found in the well. in south san francisco, police have two men in custody this morning after a shooting that led to a standoff. the standoff happened on second lane about 1:00 yesterday afternoon. police had one of the suspects hold up in his apartment but he surrendered after several hours. his apartment was right above his neighbor. >> i said something is going on. we have to hide. what if the shooting starts.

everybody had guns. i said -- oh, my gosh, they're going to start shooting. so we started hiding in the bathroom. >> second man that was arrested, when the suspect went to a former workplace. according to police, shots were fired and a baseball was used on one man. he suffered minor injuries. >> coming up next, tensions continue to escalate. latest on two american officers killed in the growing violence in afghanistan. also caught up in lin-sanity. why ben and jerry's is apologizing for one of

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renewed of calls for calm over deadly protests over the burning of a quran at military base. nato and british government recalled advisors from afghan ministries after two advisors were found shot to death. tomas ramon reports about 30 people have been killed since the quran incident came to light on tuesday. >> there doesn't seem to be safe zone in afghanistan for military troops. a person believed to be an afghan opened the door with a key bad combination.

two were shot in the head by the intruder. 200 military advisors were immediately removed from the ministry. after begins have been furious over the accidental burning of qurans last monday. >> to attack americans, would you attack me? would you attack other americans on the streets of kabul. >> we don't care about you, he says, but if you were a soldier we would tear your skin off. >> the commanders attempted to cool the anger over the quran burning with numerousments. >> we are deeply concerned about the possibility that qurans or religious materials were damaged in this incident. we will get to the bottom of what actually happened. we ask for forgiveness and seek to move on. >> that may be difficult for afghan muslims to do.

>> burning the quran is a harsh act that will distress people around the world. all muslims feel their religion has been attacked by foolish people. this morning, right hand presidential candidate rick santorum joins a long list who are fiercely critical of president obama's handling of the quran burning incident. he told this week that the president shouldn't have apologized but acknowledged that quran burning is wrong. >> i think it shows weakness. what we say is, look, what happened here was wrong, but it was not something that was deliberate. we take responsibility for it. it's unfortunate but to apologize i think lends credibility that somehow it was more than that. >> he was interviewed from michigan where a poll shows he

is neck and neck with mitt romney. a win on tuesday would position santorum as a significant threat to romney leading up to the super tuesday primary. >> lisa argen is here to give us a preview of the forecast. >> we've only got four days left of february. we're definitely going to have winter like weather. colder weather and the possibility of some rain, snow mix around the bay. emeryville, mid 40s, chilly start and we'll talk about the winter like forecast coming up. also ahead, an angel in the outfield. giants are hoping a new look outfield will fuel a higher powered offense. ♪

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9:16. this is a live look from sutro cam showing you the conditions out there right now. quick trivia for the oscars of the 20 oscar nominees, nine are first time nominees. two of them are actually previous winners. can you guess who? >> maybe one of them, no, i

can't. >> well, three. >> george clooney, supporting actor. there you go. >> we're all geared up for that. and more winter like scenario for the next several days starting really yesterday with the conditions. heavenly is clear conditions. tahoe is at 37 degrees and temperatures in the 20s this morning. back home, mount tam clear and the winds are aren't blowing like yesterday, so we were in the 20s and napa, couple of 30s around the bay. 37 in san rafael with 50 in mountain view. 48 in livermore, antioch and fairfield and concord, coming in ten degrees warmer than you were this morning. definitely temperatures bottoming out. about five to 11 degrees cooler with all of that wind.

we will be looking at two other systems to come our way. the first one, not significant in terms of the amount of precipitation, but we will have low snow levels. second one, a little more impressive. this morning, we'll continue with the chilly conditions. increasing clouds, partly cloudy skies. temperatures as much as 5-7 degrees cooler today than yesterday. here comes slight chance of showers down the coast later on tonight with a rain-snow mix in the higher elevations of santa cruz mountains. here is the low and it sits offshore. we will be looking at increasing clouds later on today. with that we're going to stay rather cool. winds are off the ocean. temperatures today will be just in the low to mid-50s. with this system, our snow levels as low as 2500 feet, could be lower than that. we will be looking at a rain-snow mix in some areas

close to the coast. for monday and tuesday, chilly air mass stays overhead and modifies a little bit on wednesday. when this arrives it will be our next rainmaker. the low scoots to the south of us in the overnight hours. cold air in place and just a little bit of precipitation. we're looking at mount hamilton, santa cruz mountains, maybe a couple of inches of wet snow. partly cloudy for the rest of monday in to tuesday. overnight and tuesday into wednesday morning, here comes our next more significant system quarter to a third of an inch of rain. some areas could pick up more than that. we're talking about a foot of snow in the sierra nevada with this second system. higher elevations, into thursday. that is good news. 48 in yosemite today with breezy winds and cool conditions along our coast. only in the mid to upper 50s

today. cooler and that breeze will be going along the coast. 53 at half moon bay. 58 in watsonville. temperatures today below what we should be feeling for the end of february. we're going to keep the trend and maybe higher el vaitd vacation snow in santa cruz mountains. increased clouds on tuesday. here comes the next rainmaker. this is what we would expect in february. >> right now, the last couple of weeks above. now lin sanity, ben and jerry's created to cash in on jeremy lin. but instead, ben and jerry are apologizing to fans after changing an ingredient. it features swirls of honey and

vanilla yogurt but customers will find krumd waffle cones instead of fortune cookies. in sports, the giants are gearing up for league action at spring training headquarters in arizona. here is colin rush with more. >> to steal a kevin baker line, a few good men, these are the facts of the case and they are undisputed. giants finished last in runs and r.b.i.s. can things improve. mike shumann reports from scottsdale. >> reporter: he is the complete package. he hay be the missing piece of puzzle, batting lead offoff on least scoring team in national league. >> i like to give them pressure

on the bases then my team has a chance to bring somebody in. only way we can win is do that. >> he also also has the speed and range to cover center field at at&t park. >> my philosophy is to play defense, that way pitching staff feels comfortable. they know they have somebody back there that can make a play for them. >> a big advantage to you, a switch hitter? >> i became a switch hitter to tack advantage of my speed. >> it's very exciting. great attitude. very good player. we're looking at him to help be a catalyst. >> carrara the other piece of the puzzle. >> he can play anywhere in the order. he just wants to be part of the team and winning team. he is very versatile that gives me a lot of flexibility.

>> there is skill on this team. the line-up is tremendous. we have speed and power. i think we're going to be all right. >> that is a bold prediction, but they will play center field and bat first and second. we have found two angels in the outfield. on saturday, first full squad workout for the a's. they lose their third baseman, scott sizemore. status for the opener in tokyo is uncertain. >> gonzaga has won their share for 12 straight years, a win by usf could end the streak. yes, he isn't happy. where is waldo? grab waldo, 10 points, 12 boards

usf by 1 at the break. here is one of his four 3's. 61-55, gales. rob jones cleaning up. st. mary's are champs. >> and stanford's season, utah 5-22 of the year. and chasing randle, cardinal by 1. chris hines a three ball. and stanford down by one, randle could have taken it. no good. 58-57 utah. >> for santa clara, valiant effort, he is slashing and dunking late. he had 11 points but broncos suffer their 17th straight loss. they finish winless in league

play. >> two shots, two goals networks mistakes, game over. those are the words of sharks coach after saturday night's game in nashville. first one came two minutes in. jordan to wilson, that type of night. to patric marleau and no more shark highlights. webber, second goal of the game, 6-2 final. >> be sure to tune in tonight at 11:00 after the oscars and jimmy kim medical. and cal in colorado and the rest of the day in sports. have a great sunday. coming up next at 9:30. local firefighters come together to get to the bottom of an alarming rate of breast cancer among their ranks. >> and countdown to 894th academy awards. a look at the favorites and

possible osc

welcome back. developing news, san francisco police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred early this morning. it happened at intersection of california and battery around 3:30 a.m. the driver of that lincoln town car was killed when another car traveling eastbound on california rammed into the driver's side of the car. police are looking for a single suspect who fled on foot. there is no description at this time. the suspect's car was left at the scene and investigators are processing right now for evidence. they are asking any witnesses to please call police. we all know that fire fight sag dangerous job but not all the challenges are as visible as the flames. there are some frightening

cancer statistics for female firefighters. >> lisa is a firefighter paramedic in san francisco's inner sunset neighborhood. she is a recent breast cancer survivor. >> yes, i do think my cancer is related to work. >> no studies have been conducted to determine a definitive link but here or the statistics. 1.4% of the general population of women 40-49 will be diagnosed with breast cancer. in the san francisco fire department, the number currently stands at 13.6%, nearly ten times greater. >> danger of firefighter, running into a building, we can talk about that. we can look at that. the less tangible the cancers we're getting, it's hard to look at. >> reporter: but they are talking, a group of female

firefighters including the chief is raising awareness and money. they presented the cancer foundation for a check of $13,000 to help fund research on the toxics they breathe while on the job. >> it's our hope with the major medical institutions we have in the bay area, somebody is going to pick up the ball and help us to start to track the women in this profession. >> a retired captain was diagnosed with a rare cancer back in 2001. in fact, he says a stunning one out of every two men who retire from the san francisco department is diagnosed with some form of the disease. now, the number of female firefighters in the department for many years is large enough to qualify as a focus group for researchers and despite the dangers known and unknown, lisa came back to work six months after surgery. >> it's what i enjoy.

it's what i am trained for. no, it's not going to stop me from doing my job. >> the san francisco firefighters cancer prevention foundation is working with ucsfto and hoping to get a grant to make a comprehensive study on toxic exposure, all the chemicals in that smoke. it is oscar sunday, just a few hours, the biggest stars in the world will be parading down the red carpet. as the presenters prepare to hand out the hardware. who might surprise everyone? shear chris connolly to. >> the french casted and crew of the artist friday night in paris

it won six honors and top film honor. they took four spirit awards. tonight -- will billy kill it. the show producer, don't bet against billy crystal. >> people that have loved billy through the years and have grown to expect certain seg frys billy are not going to be disappointed. >> what will they call the theater? picture this, kodak in bankruptcy, it no longer owns naming rights. they will call it hollywood high land center. is that a nun on the red carpet? that is delores heart who kissed elvis presley in "loving you." he is the subject -- she is the subject of a short documentary

for. will the dictator rule? >> war is over. oscar producer says he is eager for him to arrive at the ceremony as newest film character. why is oprah punching someone? she is starring in one of kimmel's late night oscar sketches. >> when oprah punches somebody in the face, that is news. >> that is violent. >> it took me a couple moments to get my rhythm. didn't you think? i was finding my rhythm. >> i think you got it pretty quickly. >> what were youers in about? >> actor coverage begins at 1:30 with on the red carpet. the show itself 5:00 and all

wraps up as you saw on jimmy kimmel live that comes after the late news. be sure to download the oscar app. plus, join the coverings twitter by using hash tag, oscars sf. after adam sandler won an award it was a razz zi. he was worst star in three movies this year. jack and jill he plays a brother and sister. he was nominated for worst actor. other nominees is new year's eve transformer, dark of the moon and breaking down, parted one. the winners of the razzswill be announced on april fool's day. we're giving away tickets away for on year. to enter the contest, all you

have to do is like on facebook. to facebook.com/abcne. as sally field said -- you like me. you really like me. >> in this is last chance of the month to get some real february like weather. cold air is in place. we have a couple weather systems that will bring snow and rain. and also woman who called caltrans. ÷s÷sçççççççççççççs (announcer) dry cracked skin?

new gold bond anti-itch lotion gives fast, lasting relief. got an itch? gold bond lotion. the quk fix for almost every itch. welcome back everyone. it's 9:38. this is a live look from our tam

cam on february 26th. the did you know it's oscars today? i know you will be tuning in and laughing about the whole sally field, you love me, you love me, whatever. it was for cases of the heart. you remember that movie? >>. no i remember the speech. >> i guess we were wrong. 1980, wow! >> we are looking at some wild likes weather, it is chilly. santa rosa and napa, we had 30s. just a little bit above freezing and concord, fairfield and upper 30s on the peninsula sutro camera, see how nice and sunny, flag flowing just a little bit. compared to yesterday, moderate to light wind out of north at

about 3-5 miles an hour. still a couple of 30s around. 37 in san rafael. elsewhere, slowly coming up to the 40s. 48 in redwood city. 50 in mountain view and los gatos. much colder than we were yesterday morning. 11 degrees colder in san rafael. 8 degrees cooling. clear and chilly with partly cloudy skies this afternoon. clouds will be on the increase ahead of a weak weather system that is going to keep that cold air in place. reinforce it and give us a quick shot of precipitation. a little of sierra snow and it will keep in it place for the next system to come our way, tuesday night into wednesday. that will promise more rain. here is the system that is tightly wound up. it doesn't have a lot of moisture associated with it. out ahead, mid-level clouds today. winds will be out of the west, continued breezy offshore and right along the shoreline.

with this system comes the low snow levels. in fact, santa clara, santa cruz mountains and also big sur, we're talking about a little bit of rain-snow mix. mount hamilton and cold air stays in place. it's not going to modify say wednesday when our next weathermaker that is going to bring more typical rain in the bay. around the bay area and that snow, perhaps over a foot of snow in the higher elevations come wednesday into thursday. so the clouds increase this afternoon. we stay dry but look what happens. the system as it slides down to the south and southeast of us. we're looking at a little bit of moisture from salinas and higher elevations and right through monday morning. you will notice it will continue southward. mountains of southern california could get wet, as well as the grapevine, wet weather there. so be careful if you are headed back from the mountains.

two inches of snow on the way with the first system. this system is coming into the bay area on wednesday. this will provide a rainy day with the umbrellas and perhaps a quarter to three-quarters of an inch and foot of snow above 7,000 feet. we'll look for about 40 in the northern sierra and more 50s back home today. that will bring us down to below normal readings, about five degrees cooler than yesterday. 54 downtown and 58 in watsonville. then the winds will blow behind the system tomorrow. a breezy and still cool day tomorrow, increasing clouds on tuesday. winter like storm and look for temperatures to modify into the first weekend of march. >> some areas could pick up three-quarters of an inch of rain.

almost once a month, on the peninsula a driver on interstate 280 collides with deer. they are deadly for the animals and costly and dangerous for the drivers. now, the state trying to do something about the problem all thanks to one woman's phone call. here is jonathan bloom with this morning's assignment 7 report. you are a wild animal, this quiet meadow is as close you will get to paradise, the giant metal boxes flying across a slab of concrete. to a deer, it's a death trap. on this 20 mile stretch of 280, some 50 deer have been hit by cars over the course of four years. most of the deer did not survive. >> it's not a very graceful way to die. >> an animal lover decided something had to be done. >> there need too bad voice for

these animals. they can't speak english or spanish, to help them out. >> so katherine did what she thought any good citizen would do. she picked up the phone and got caltrans. >> they have never seen move through the straight that quickly. >> katherine was introduced to in th man. a professor from u.c. davis. he runs the road kill observation system. >> there are people that study road kill. it's part of our understanding wildlife and how it moves in relation to roads. >> because of her phone call, they $381,000 grant to do a study that starts with a big scary gun. >> it is a tranquilizer dart gun. >> fish and game workers catch deer and put a collar on them.

>> they are right next to the freeway. >> those are likely candidates thoo to try to cross. >> they are digital hoof prints. >> this yellow has been walking along the edge of the freeway. >> what they discovered each deer lives in a relatively small area about a quarter square mile. in it they need a place to eat and sleep and good supply of clean water. kind of like your house. if your house had a freeway running through it. >> they have bedroom on one side and dining room on the other. >> but they have learned some deer are crossing the right way. >> there is a deer that has safely gone back and forth using the underpass near crystal springs road. it is safely moving across and we would have not known about that without the collar. >> now, how do you get all the deer to do that. >> we have to give them pathways. they appear at the north end of

the reservoir, doesn't know to walk down to the nice underpass. >> he has figured out they will travel up to mile outside their home range to find a safe way across. the if they don't, they will make a run for it. a possible solution, build fences along the road side 8 feet tall and then dig culverts under the road. but caltrans is willing to consider. >> if we can do something that cut down on the amount of wildlife being killed, we're happy to help out. >> katherine was made project coordinator. >> are you the deer lady? >> i don't know. the middle-class in california has dropped from 60% to less than half the population for the first time in 30 years. economists say the shrinking

middle-class drastically affects the economy. on "beyond the headlines," you will meet people that are doing something to lift people out of poverty. another program called caminos is helping latinos and young people learn how tech skills. >> our curriculum focuses on computer repair, job preparation skills and literacy skills. the idea is to help that particular gap that is undecided what they want to do after they finish high school. >> we hope you will join cheryl jennings at 10:00 for "beyond the headlines" here on abc7. >> don't go away, "7 on your side" is next. >> should the state of california regulate the price of health insurance? i'm michael finney, coming up on "7 on your side", that question is being put to you.

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an effort is under way in the state to regulate insurance rates. it's shaping up to be a huge battle. here is michael finney with the details. >> reporter: marty has a $5,000 deductible and her health insurance costs still sting. >> at that year, 2005, i was paying 291 a month. now i'm paying 651s. that is over a 300% increase in

my. >> it's a she is signing this petition that would regulate small group health policies in california. she says it's not about the money, but it's also about family. >> the reason is he still working full time is to help me pay for my health insurance for my health care. >> you eyes are tearing up? >> it's not fair. >> and initiative has been sheppard by consumer watchdog the group that passed prop 103. >> we have four insurance companies that control 71% of the health insurance market. there is no competition. consumers need new powers. what the ballot initiative does is give the insurance commissioner the power to say no on a unnecessary rate hikes.

>> i think this is going to harm my patients. >> president-elect of the california medical association dr. paul finance any, no relation is concerned that if this gets on the ballots and passes. >> i see the creation of a huge bureaucracy, in which case rate increases would generate public hearings and tremendous amount of red tape all of which would be paid for by the health industry pulling money out of health care and into the hands of the consumer attorneys who would be managing all of this work. nonsense. baloney. >> senator feinstein was the first to sign the petition. the problem she says is not with consumer attorneys but escalating rate increases for small groups. >> i am very passionate about it. this is not a new thing with me.

these big companies raise premium rates maybe twice a year some occasions more than that. there is no transparency and there is nothing that can presently be done about it. they make record profits. >> i posted links on abc7news.com to the california medical association watchdog and the insurance commissioner. >> straight ahead, technology reporter david louie with a new game from a san francisco company this that brought us farmville.

besides the oscars, your weekend plans may be playing games with friends. there is a new one with a familiar name. here is david louie with the details. >> you might call this a game

factory but zynga calls it a studio where dozens of people test social games. this is the newest. bingo to the quarter million monthly uses. they won't say how many team members worked on it but it has access to 2,000 employees and 800 more in new york and austin, texas. nicole is the executive producer. >> talent in different locations and committed to the mission and so we're on the same page and use great communication tools. >> social games like bingo let total strangers compete like they would in a casino. farmville may be the best known game. >> one in five americans has played a game online, 35% are new to this kind of play. growth potential could turn it into a 54 bye industry in the

next three years. zynga is tight-lipped about future plans but it provides a clue with the creation of zynga casino. poker is a familiar game but spawning new ways to get players to come together. >> we have a lot of people, guys or girls where they all get online and play zynga poker together. >> what is the secret to innovation. ginger is too busy to playing to tell us. >> i've got a date with oscar tonight. >> what about you? >> we're looking at a chilly day today. cooler than yesterday. but the winds won't be as gusty. 54 in san francisco. 57 in concord. fremont and san jose. then down by the monterey bay, still mid upper 50s. weak weather system slides to the south and chance of showers

and partly cloudy, cool conditions monday and tuesday. here is about half an inch of rain is possible, maybe more on wednesday. then drier and warmer after that. >> thank you lisa. our next newscast is at 11:00 tonight. i'm carolyn tyler along with the lisa argen, oscar coverage begins at 1:30 on the red carpet at oscars and all wraps up with oprah on jimmy kimmel live on late news. my predictions, best movie, upset with hugo, best actress, vio la davis and best actor for the artist. ♪

♪ ♪ don't stop doing what you do ♪ have i paid my dues just to be with you... ♪