that breaking news involves bay bridge, sky 7 live over the bridge right now. traffic is moving once again. the span shut down in both directions for about 20 minutes this afternoon because of a sus spishus package. good afternoon, everybody, i'm larry beil. >> it's a fight we don't see too often. both upper, and lower decks of the bay bridge empty.

chp closed all lanes around 250 this afternoon. two hours after receiving word of a sus spishus package. >> officers stopped traffic westbound on the bay bridge toll plaza. abc 7 news is live in oakland right now. traffic came to a stand still, dead stop. i imagine it looks, it's moving well now. but it's going to be a slow commute for folks. >> it's getting better. calls allowed to move we want to show you earlier, the bridge was closed because of that device which is found on the eastbound off ramp. the device still unknown at this time. has been removed by san francisco police department. using a p.a.system, drivers

were told to stay in cars. you know sometimes, drivers want to take pictures to get out of the cars they were told not to do so. then, escorted by chp officers. this affected both upper and lower decks of the bridge. getting out of san francisco is difficult. and of course, when you couldn't have happened at a worse time. there is a giants game, an a's game, a concert at candle stick park. there is critical mass in san francisco and it's friday. so we're recommending at this time that you either take bart or find another way to get into san francisco. if you're leaving san francisco, it might be a tough commute. >> thank you.

getting on the bridge right now from san francisco is quite a challenge. >> yes. abc 7 news joins us on the phone right now. cornell, i understand you left the station about an hour ago and you're not on the bay bridge zblet. >> yes. whatever opposite of friday light is, this had to be it. it's not pretty out here, traffic is truly monumental. we're making a slow crawl to the bay bridge. it's not going very well. it's taken a half hour just to go three blocks from first and howard street. we're approaching the hair wri yi son street onramp where i would say a half block away. traffic is gridlocked. we're inching along here, a lot of motorists see abc 7 news logo. they've been asking whaus is going on.

and explained there was a sus spishus device and that is what is causing this. they say it's been a long time since they've seen traffic this bad. if you're trying to get out of the city, trying to make it home, if you can delay that trip that would be amazing idea or likely to take bart if you can because traffic is not pretty at all. >> we have a live shot of the bridge. it's getting there that is proving to be extreme challenge with many events in the bay area it's going to be a mess. >> this is a bad traffic location anyway. under normal circumstance was traffic snaking back, cornell if you had to estimate how much longer are do you think it's going to take?

>> it's -- half a block from where we are. it's 10 minutes before we reach the bridge. >> we'll catch you later, maybe. >> yes. we want to share a photo of the back of the plaza captured at its worst. just one car from making it on to the upper deck whit happened. our reporting continue continues right now on twitter. >> and to make things worse there are major events going on. several of them, concerts and critical mass gets underway in about two hours. giants and a's both playing at home and i just got a note about the angels because they're staying in the city. they've got to try to get to oakland for a game tonight. and they're stuck. they, right now are having a

hard time getting out of the city. >> they're going to face a challenge. take a look at this map on the screen now. you can see these events taking place. there are two major concerts. john mayer performing in mountain view. north bay drag races get underway at sonoma raceway tonight. >> collin rush was up there covering the drag races and he told me that was gridlocked try to go into either direction out of sonoma. >> that is before this? >> before anything happened with the bay bridge. >> and of course it's friday night commute which is tough. you're looking at skyway right now. you can see it's absolutely gridlocked for those drivers on the lefthand side of the screen trying to make their way east across the bay bridge. keep in mind that traffic is merging in with cars.

that is enormous. >> we can see is how far back it snakes and all the of the other streets connecting to this. but goits -- it's going to take a long time. we have another live picture for you and that mcarthur maze is rarely this clear. you can see traffic heading towards bay bridge where significant back sup going to be taking place for anyone trying to get into san francisco. >> it's a mess we'll continue to follow this for you again on twitter. right now, we want to talk about president obama. he'll ab warding medal of honor tho-to-this combat veteran. the staff sargeant is a former marine later enlisted in the army. he now calls antioch home. >> sargeant carter being honored for courageous action during a day long fire fight.

this is u.s. army animation. the army says carter killed troops rendered first aid and risked his life to save a soldier. >> sargeant carter is also a purple heart recipient. the president bestowed the medal on another survivor. >> the clock is ticking for bart and unions to end another strike. by extending their current contract they've given themselves until august 4 to come up with a new agreement or else there could be another strike. that means there is nine days left to reach a deal. some progress has been made but main sticking points are salaries and benefits. they've not been discussed. bay area transportation leaders sat down to talk about contingency plans should bart strike again.

>> ojaiy man accused of holding three women captive in his home has pleaded not guilty to 900, rather, guilty to 937 counts in a deal to avoid the death penalty. aerial castro enter that had plea in court in exchange, prosecutors recommending the 53-year-old be sentenced to life without parole plus a thousand years. he told a judge his sexual problems have taken a toll on his mind. >> i'm very good at spelling and reading but i can't comprehend my addiction to pornography and sexual problem has taken a toll on my mind. >> castro claims he was abused as a child. aprosecutor says he's making sure castro will never see the girl he fathered with one of the victims. the women he held captive released this statement, reading a a.manda, gina and michelle are relieved by the

plea and satisfied by the resolution in this case and looking forward to having these legal proceedings drawn to a close in the near future. >> a plea for peace from two oakland city leaders outraged over a killing of a beloved neighborhood set pet sitter. the council members told friends and neighbors of the 66-year-old judy solomon. they're outraged over the murder she. was shot and killed from where she lived her friends are pressing neighbors to try to do more to catch the killer. >> he was a plong fairfax arks long brookdale. have video cameras they may think they may have just an inch of information they need to turn that over to opd. >> solonom was active in trying to prevent crime in the neighborhood. the counsel member says she was trying to set up a private security guard patrol to fight crime nearby.

>> residents were forced out of their homes this morning because of a natural gas leak. sky 7 was overhead after crews hit a gas line on marina bay parkway. emergency crews alerted residents to leave their homes. others told to shelter in place. the residents were allowed back into their homes. >> news on the lighter side this, is a special year for gilroy garlic festival starting its three-day run. >> it's celebrating it's 35th anniversary. abc 7 news is enjoying the aroma of garlic. and some have been there since the beginning of this? >> that is right. i was a judge for the garlic festival pageant in 1979 through 83 years. i just talked to a winner i crowned back in 1983. we know who hasn't heard of the gilroy garlic festival?

it's famous and started with an idea 35 years ago among a group proud of the garlic and wanted to do something for the community. 35 years ago maybe 300 people turned out. now, 100,000 show frup around the us us and beyond. forever establishing gilroy as the garlic capitol of the world. >> will rogers says it's the only town in the world you can hang your stick on a clothes line that will be marinated the next day. >> he is part of a team called pyrochefs. they make the dish laced with garlic. his father was one of the founders of the festival. >> that very first period was just my father and i. we did cooking. and then, second year, third year we created about a crew

of maybe six. one stove, two stoves now up to four. eight ships going now. >> this has become a major food event. every dish reeks of garlic. over 35 years the festival has given back over $9.7 million to sports teams, troops hospitals, and food banks. just happens over and over. volunteer congregation has grown and made it successful. it's just a lot of fun. >> yes, it s you know this is a serious food show. and carla hall is going to be here on sunday f you're heading into this direction don't forget, wear a hat, bring sun screen and your appetite. coming up we're going to give you a secret history you may not know about. >> have garlic ice cream.

>> i was just thinking. it's spencer's favorite. >> i love garlic just about everything except ice cream. we've got low clouds and fog stacked up there. in fact swiling over the bay. most inland locations now are experiencing sunny skies. here is a live view from our camera. looking west, we can't see a lot there. readings 61 degrees in san francisco. 73 mountain view. 77 san jose. a cool 59 in half moon bay. another live view looking down into the bay from mount tam. more temperatures readings this hour 75 santa rosa. 82 novato. and we see blue skies now looking live downtown. this is the first forecast. spotty coastal drizzle tonight. won't be very wide spread but

areas of low clouds and fog persist. and will be mainly sunny and mild tomorrow, temperatures below average. mid-80s inland. i'll give you a look at the weekend and seven day as head. >> thank you spencer, still ahead at 4:00 caught on video. fed yechl worker tosses package nootz back of her truck. hout company is responding. >> quick thinking of a 10-year-old girl helping save of life of a month-old baby. >> an admission from san san diego mayor after a series of women accuse him of sexual misconduct. how he says he's planning to get help. >> another live look at traffic. we told but the bay bridge being shut down this afternoon. well, some lanes are moving nicely. you've got fast track lanes backed up. back with more on

oork breaking news from los angeles you're looking live at westwood and wilshire, you can see pro testors shut down this busy intersection near ucla and federal building. we know that today is a national day of action for the occupy movement. and there was a call for demonstrate dwrorz shut down roadways to protest acquittal of george zimmerman in the shooting death of trayvon martin. >> a fed yechl worker is out of a job after this video surfaced. the worker in new york city caught just chucking packages into the back of the truck like frisbees. fed yechl told abc news the

situation sun acceptable. the female driver no longer works for fed yechl. video taken two days ago. fed yechl says the man is not one of their employees. >> a 10-year-old girl being hailed as a hero for coming to the aid of her neighbors. a fire broke out in her apartment building. a woman yelled to her to catch her one-month old baby. the child landed into her arms. >> in our family we take care of our babies no matter what. if they get hurt, we take care of them. >> some units in this building were a total loss. everyone did get out thanks in large part to the 10-year-old. >> she's a true hero. >> no kidding. can you imagine? >> great job. >> let's move on to take a look at weekend forecast. >> yes. >> things looking cooler than

average but pleasant. we're not going to have down pours just clouds around. temperatures below norm. here is a look at life doppler 7. we do have clouds stacked up right now. a deepening marine layer there. you can see evidence of low clouds and fog pushing through. more low clouds, maybe spotty drizzle near the coast. cooler pattern into the week. a weak low pressure system approaching southern california coast and that is producing some sprinkles down there. so it's going to be moving onshore, soon. weather unsettled to the south. forecast animation shows deepening marine layer here. overnight into tomorrow, and as that deepens it will account for cooler than average weekend. pleasant conditions coming our way. certainly inland. overnight looking for areas of fog, low clouds and a chance of drizzle near coast. low temperatures into mid to

upper 50s overnight. then, tomorrow, after morning clouds and fog burning away we'll have sunny skies with lingering patches of fog near the coast. highs on the coast upper 50s to around 60s. upper 60s into upper 70s around the bay. inland locations will be mild to warm but not hot with highs into low to mid-80s. sheer look at the accu-weather forecast. so partly cloudy skies throughout the weekend. in fact, throughout next tuesday, inland highs only into mid-80s, upper 50s to 60 on the coast then warming up by wednesday of next week. by end of the week we'll see mid-90s inland. low 80s around the bay. a change from one end to another. >> pleasant. >> yes. >> thank you. >> up next the big day for rock icon mick jagger. the major milestone he's celebrating. >> then 7 on your side's michael finney taking a look at a dog care business that

could help you make money on the side. >> for computers out there, check out abc 7 thus.com/contests now and you can drive away new smart car. we'll announce the winner friday, august 2. so be smart, enter now. join me for live alerts monday

japan's pop culture taking center stage this weekend. >> j pop summit festival provided us with highlights this, year's taeks place tomorrow and sunday in japan town. entertainment includes several live bands. >> a special food festival will feature tastes of japan and sake testing. >> and speaking of musical acts mick jagger turns 70 today. isn't that remarkable? he's been the front man for the rolling stones for 50 years and curing that time rock and roll bad boy to rock royalty. critics and fans point out he can still captivate fans during concerts and that they

influenced generations of other fans. >> it's remarkable. >> yes. >> a massachusetts couple nearly threw away a chance at a million dollars. >> they were all smiles wednesday. that is the day they catched in their scratcher. >> yes. it almost didn't happen. they forget about the ticket until asked what happened to that thing? they found it in the trash and jackpot. $1 million. >> lesson to us all. >> yes. >> still ahead at 4:00 vandals forcing a closure of one of the famous landmarks. >> behavior i have engaged in is wrong. >> the mayor apologizes after a series of women accuse him of sexual harassment. how the women are reacting to this. >> one of the american who's

survived the spain crash -- the train that derailed describes moments after that crash. >> and later a treatment for migraine sufferers. one teenager says it got rid of her problem.

>> san diego mayor taking a leave of absence following several accusations of sexual misconduct. >> seven women have come forward to accuse him of harassment with more women considering claims going forward. he decided to get help through therapy. >> this behavior i have engaged in is wrong. >> after weeks of allegations and calls to step down, san diego mayor has decided to take a leave of absence next month. >> i will be entering a counseling clinic to begin of

process of addressing my behavior. >> when you're the mayor of san diego and have you a problem that have degree, you resign. >> laura is one of the seven women who have come forward accusing the mayor of unwanted sexual advances. >> he then patted me on the behind. >> just slobbered down my chin i was so violated and offend he'd groped me on my backside inappropriately. >> with many allegations members of the mayor's party have also called for his resignation. >> we think it's in the best interest for the mayor to step down. >> but this is just a leave of ab serngs organizers have said they won't give up until he's gone. >> i must become a better person. i apologize to the people of san diego. and most of all, apologize to the women that i have offended. >> the mayor says attending

counseling he will be briefed on city activities and hopes to be forgiven. >> the house ethics committee confirmed it will investigate how michelle bachmann financed her 2012 presidential campaign. she was referred by the office of congressional ethics. her lawyer confirmed to the investigation and said the congress woman is cooperating. fbi is looking into allegations of financial impropriety. backman acaused she's retiring at the end of the term. >> now to the latest on the deadly train derailment in spain. police will question the driver for possible recklessness. we're now hearing from one of the american who's survive that had crash. abc news reporter nick shifren talked to him about the ordeal.

>> out of the charred wreckage, some way, steven ward walked out alive. >> i remembered feeling leaving the tracks and i blacked out. >> for someone who fractured his back he's composed. his an 18-year-old mormon missionary. >> i've never been to hell but it's a pretty accurate description. i've seen a picture of myself. i look like walking dead covered in blood. it was gruesome he was in one of the last cars taking this picture after he got out that. is his car on the left. >> first time you looked around what did you see? >> i mean, lots of smoke. a lot of people screaming. a lot of people crying. there is just wreckage and blood and gore everywhere. >> the horrifying moment was caught on camera. the train racing more than 110 miles per hour.

>> the driver is being question bid police. steven wasn't supposed to be on the plane but knows he lucky to be here and that increased his >> abc news,. >> u.s. attorney general eric holder is stepping up efforts to disswayed russia saying snowden will not face the death penalty or torture if returned to the u.s. for espionage charges. >> the lincoln memorial in washington, d.c. is back open after being closed for hours today when someone splattered green paint on that monument. police discovered the paint on

the stt yut and floor of the memorial. police are now reviewing security footage. one veteran calls the vandalism disstushing. >> things like this, i bring my kids to see to take pride in history. and i don't want -- they've got to know about their past we have people that don't care about our history, it's sad this, is what i fought for. >> damage is not permanent. the memorial has been one of the popular sites on the national mall ever since it was dedicated back in 1922. >> a mother of trayvon martin says god is using her and her family to make a difference in america. she smoek spoke during an emotional speech. >> my message to you is please use my story.

please use my tragedy please use my broken heart to say to yourself, we cannot let this happen to anyone else's child. >> she told a civil rights organization she supports an investigation into whether george zimmerman could be charged under federal laws. a jury acquitted zimmerman in the shooting two weeks ago tomorrow. >> still head new rules today to ensure safer imported foods into the u.s.. >> but first unexpected adventure for new marine mammal center volunteers. >> looking west, we cannot see much because of the trancing marine layer how cool will that make the weekend weather? i'll have the forecast coming up. >> and taking a look at traffic right now this, is the san francisco skyway. you can see approach to the bay bridge.

the drivers on the lefthand side of the screen trying to get to the lower deck. they're just gridlocked. it's been a problem because of the shut down that happened just before 3:00. major traffic concerns out there.

look at this, a bear in maine had a bad itch.

you can see the bear using a pine stree as a back scratcher. >> that must have felt good. >> taking care of the problem. >> a training exercise turned into the real thing for a team based in the bay area. >> take a look. the video posted by the marine mammal center. the cruise training when they came across a sea lion under the wharf with a rubber band around his neck. >> during a 90 minute rescue they managed to pull him onto the boat. after recovery they rye leased him skpuk see he was ready to go. >> look how happy. >> yes. >> animals are relieved. >> check the forecast now. >> here is a look at live

doppler 7 we have a deepening marine layer meaning more cool weather. low clouds and fog fushing over the bay. looking at national weather picture looks showery in parts of the country. sirnlly east wrapping around the west there coming down to the gulf coast will be warm and muggy on the east coast. warm down in dallas. showers in the rockies as well. southwest hot in phoenix. it's monsoon season. now, california looks like will be dry in the northern two thirds of the state. warm with highs 91 in sacramento. 102 in fresno. 102 into palm springs desert

hear area. here in the bay area we'll start some clouds and fog will be sunny into afternoon. a mild but not very warm day. and this is a weekend of the gilroy garlic fest va. let me if you a look. low clouds in the morning. by 10:00 temperatures 63 degrees but afternoon upper 70s by late afternoon, sunny skies with low 80s. dropping off by 7:00 p.m. i love garlic. soy just may have to, well, i'm not going drive down but will think about it. >> it's nice that it's not going to be 100 degrees there. >> yes. >> still ahead at 4:00 disturbing discovery one

family made in a capri sun drink. what kraft is saying about the problem. >> and treatment for migraines one teenager said it made her problem go away. >> there are so many pets around t

a sacramento area family calling atension to a disturbing discovery in a capri sun drink pouch. it's pretty nasty. it's not a worm but may be mold according to kraft foods the company that makes the drink a boy discovered the substance stuck in a straw showing his brother's girlfriend who had seen a picture on facebook about a similar story. >> look slimey. it was whitish like pink. just like, gross. >> he posted a picture on her fatesbook page viewed nearly

250,000 times. kraft says this is a rare problem claiming mold can grow if they've been punctured because the drinks don't contain artificial preservatives. kraft says it spend $2 million to make the pouches stronger and recommending people inspect pouches before drinking. >> steps being taken by u.s. food and drug administration to make sure the food you eat is safe making sure about 15% of the food of america's food is imported. >> a new treatment is raising hope for migraine sufferers this, texas teen says she no longer experiences pain. a small battery is implanlted on the lower back just under the skin. tiny wires lead up to the

forhead delivering gentle charges to the nerves preventing pain. it's helped people like lulu. some say the $100,000 proceed jur not for everyone. >> because of the risk, and the cost, must be reserved for people who have failed the most advanced treatments beyond just medicine autos doctors say there is more to learn including the risks to long term treatment. >> san francisco animal control says there are business opportunities. >> now, how you can traffic. >> that is one of these. there is a new dog care fwhais can help you do just that.

until last year sabrina supporting through college by working at starbucks for $13 an hour but found a more lucrative way to pay the bills. she dog sits for a living. she has quickly built the business through a new web site called dog vacay. >> just play with dogs. but then, it turned into you know real money involved. >> the owner brings food and bedding for the dog. the dog vaiky works is that dog owners browse for a host in the area, read reviews check connections then schedule and book online. rates start at $15 a night. sabrina charges $40 per night,

per dog. dog vacay charges the host 15% of the booking. >> i get studying in. i get in exercise. >> before taking in dogs and accepting money it's important to check with your city and county regulations where you live. lee ellis brown is a field supervisor with san francisco animal care ask confollow trol. >> if you're boarding have you to have an inspected by animal control to obtain a personalit. >> sabrina gets around the law because in san francisco, an overnight boarding facility or dog kennel is defined by a place housing mer than three dogs older than six months. the dog site closes your veilibility once booking three dogs for any given night. professional dog walker says there are several things we want to check. >> are they cpr certified?

first aid certified? are they bonded?. >> dog vaca offers a dog concierge that will talk a dog boarder through problems that may come up it's about attitude and vibe you set up. >> like with anchors. it went into affect at beginning of july that limits commercial dog walkers to four to eight dogs. >> interesting. >> yes. >> dogs are generally more cooperative than anchors and take instrucks bet year yes, indeed. >> watch abc live stream now available. >> yes. you can enjoy this on your smart phone live on demand. >> this is a special new

benefit brought to you at no additional cost. just go to abc 7 news.com to find out how to access watch tv then enter your account information to log in. we'll yule get the watch abc live stream. >> up next, is kaiser -- kaiser putting its reputation on the line? criticism about the skyrocketing costs. >> coming up at 5:00 a 5-year-old killed. how now her mother sk charged in her death. we'll tell you why. >> and how astronauts on the international space station are doing a test run r

here is a look at tonight's prime line line up. join us for abc 7 news tonight

at 11:00. >> kaiser permanente's customers are complaining about increase in premiums. >> kaiser permanente may be starting to lose is its reputation of high quality care for low prices. at cal pers, must moly coverage at kaiser was the most affordable insurance option for workers. three years later it costs more than the plan offered by blue cross. next year, will be the most expensive plan surpassing even blue shield. >> i am surprised about that. >> the rising prices might make good consumers think twice. >> like anything you wait weigh price. you think about that.

so it's another thing to consider. >> we tracked down the former ceo in charge during price hikes it lured big employers looking for bargains but he says we have to buy his books for answer autos i recommend you get the books. they're very g they're very clear. a pro pose would force kaiser to show what the premiums are being spent on. but the hh. mo spokesman says kaiser permanente is committed to resolving employer concerns behind this bill. and meanwhile, employers feel trapped. kaiser may in the feel it needs to negotiate rates. removing kiz grer a plan may not be realistic because it's popular with workers like thelma. >> i love the care.

the pharmacy, everything. i lost care. >> and thanks for joining us for abc 7 news at 4:00. >> abc news at 5:00 begins right now. >> a traffic mess. a sus spishus device shuts down the bay brij and a bay area man awarded the nation's highest honor. what he did to get the medal of honor. >> i'm sandhya patel. change is in the air. i'll let you know what spots will cool down into the weekend straight ahead. >> lingering gridlock on highways. a bomb scare closed the bay bridge. >> it was a rare site from sky 7 hd and upper deck of the bridge is empty.

>> take a look right now. we have a picture from sky 7 hd. you can see once you're on the bridge traffic is moving smoothly but getting there through city streets in san francisco remains quite a challenge. >> yes. two hours ago, nobody was going anywhere. >> i have to sell you things are much better now. i think people tuned in and saw what's happening on abc 7 news and decided to take bart or probably stay home because right now, things are moving nicely. but this is a picture we don't see every day. bay bridge closed to traffic, both upper and lower deck not accessible for several minutes perhaps up to an hour. as a result there was

westbound. meaning coming into the city into san francisco the traffic backed up for miles as least that is what we saw. when clear they weren't going anywhere, some people turned around, at the toll plaza we don't see that every day. and headed back in another direction. now, using a p.a.system drivers were told to stay in cars. and this time chp telling people to stay in their cars. this device reported at 1:00 this afternoon found on the eastbound treasure island off ramp using a