avenue. the battalion chief says the fire started shortly after midnight in the upper unit of the four-plex. residents say a neighbor woke everybody up by knocking on doors saying his apartment was on fire. they think it was started by a dura flame log that rolled out of his fireplace into his living room. everyone got out okay. three people are staying out of their homes because of the damage. friends and family asking tough questions this morning after a san francisco woman disappeared from her hospital room. a body has been found in the same hospital more than two weeks later. live in the newsroom. >> a reliable source tells abc 7 news the body is that of 57-year-old lynne spalding, but the hospital police, even a family spokesperson won't confirm it just yet. a medical examiner called lynne's daughter, told her the body had been found but there was no positive id yet. she checked into san francisco general with an infection. shechs put on medication that made her disoriented. she vanished two days later on

september 21st, more than two weeks ago. family and friends have been desperately searching for her this whole time. yesterday a hospital worker finds a body in an exterior stairwell on the fourth floor. >> if this body is lynne spaldings's, as i said repeatedly today there are a lot of questions san francisco general will have to answer as to why that person was not found for 19 days. >> san francisco general not saying much right now. only that the situation is distressing and that finding out what happened is top priority. to that end, police are investigating, talking with staff and combing through surveillance video. also investigators have cordoned off the stairwell where the body was discovered calling it a crime scene. live in the newsroom, abc 7 news. >> thank you. this morning a stanford university professor is one of three researchers who's won this year's nobel prize in chemistry. this morning the royal swedish academy of sciences honored the work of michael levitt along

with scientists from usc and harvard for laying the foundation for computer models used to understand and predict chemical processes. the nobel committee said their research made it possible to map chemical reactions that occur at lightning speed. the prize will be presented in december. if you'd like to learn more you can, of course, go to the nobel website as you see here on our ipad. tell you more about the biographies of the winners including the fact that professor levitt there is a citizen of three countries. the u.s., britain and israel. 4:32. with the government shutdown in day nine, more americans are feeling the effects. investors are increasingly worried over hitting the debt ceiling next week. abc has the latest from washington. >> reporter: despite a ten minute phone call, president obama and house speaker john boehner remain miles apart on the shutdown. the president again said no negotiations before the debt ceiling is increased and the government is reopened. >> let's stop the excuses. let's take a vote in the house.

let's end this shutdown right now. >> if there's unconditional surrender by republicans he'll sit down and talk to us. that's not the way our government works. >> reporter: the two men are locked into their positions as the country edges closer to what economists call an economic catastrophe. in just eight days, the u.s. will run out of money to pay its bills unless congress raises the so-called debt ceiling. the markets are already shocked. the dow down 900 points over the past three weeks. there's fear interest rates on new mortgages and car loans will skyrocket. >> warren buffett likened default to a nuclear bomb. a weapon too horrible to use. >> reporter: among those being hurt by the government shutdown, america's heroes and their families. the v.a. has furloughed thousands of workers and military death benefits have been put on hold. the government sends military families a $100,000 check when a loved one dies. but since the start of the shutdown, no payments have been made. >> i say to those families, your government has let you down in a

time of your need. there's no excuse for this. >> reporter: thankfully a private foundation has stepped forward to provide the families with an advanced grant until the government funding resuming. ta mad bradley, abc news, washington. breaking news involving interstate 80 and the sig alert. key onramp closed now after a chp chase that resulted in a crash and a fatality. abc 7 news reporter. >> reporter: i'm standing on the central off ramp on westbound 80. here's why. it's closed because look at this overturned car. chp officers say they believe the driver of that car was possibly drunk. they thought he was a possible dui suspect. they started pursuing him. in the pursuit, he hit a guardrail, flipped over, landed here. and he did die in this accident. what happened was there was a construction project going on on westbound 80.

there's always chp officers there watching over the construction site. so a chp officer noticed this car was driving by without a tire. he was driving on his rim. it was making a lot of noise. the officers started to pursue him. that is when he had the accident. he hit the center divide. he crossed over all lanes of the freeway then crashed upsidedown, landing here on the central off ramp. this off ramp is closed. they haven't said how long until they'll be able to get it back open. be aware that this is not an option right now, the central off ramp. this happened at about 1:40 this morning. i'll go check in with chp officers right now to see if i can get a sense of when this will open back up. stay with us as we follow the story. amy hollyfield. 4:35. president obama will nominate janet yellen for chairman of the federal reserve today. she's a professor amerita at the

university of california berkeley. she served at ceo of bank of san francisco from 2004 to 2010. mr. obama will make the announcement at noon our time. if confirmed the 67-year-old would become the first woman to chair the federal reserve. in a few hours a san francisco man is charged in federal court charged with mast minding a notorious online black market for illegal drugs. ross olbert's attorney is expected to ask for his release on bail. olbert is also charged with using the website to hire someone to kill a former employee. at least he tried to, they say. the 29-year-old is also facing drugs and money laundering charges in new york. he was arrested in october on the 1st in a san francisco branch library while authorities say he was chatting online with a cooperating witness. a petaluma neighborhood is quieter this morning after being

swarmed by local and federal agents looking for bombs in a man's house. agents and police spent most of the day yesterday on a home in quarry road after police discovered two live bombs and two partially constructed devices. that search was finally called off around 10:00 last night. police first discovered the explosives while responding to a call about a despondent man with a gun on monday. they arrested the 30-year-old. he's been held on $1 million bail. investigators say there's no current threat to the neighborhood. oakland homeowners are planning a rally in front of city hall today to support richmond's plan to help rescue underwater mortgages. and to call on oakland leaders to adopt similar efforts. in july richmond became the first city in the nation offering to purchase more than 600 mortgages from banks and achieve principal reduction for homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are currently worth. a delegation of oakland homeowners says it's planning to call on banks to work with families trying to keep their

homes. this morning thousands of students around the bay area will be getting some physical education. even before they get to class. today is international walk and roll to school day. in san francisco, more than 12,000 students are expected to walk or ride their bikes to the city's 76 public schools instead of getting car rides from their parents. the event is trying to raise awareness about safe routes for walking and bicycling as well as that all important exercise. >> all right. we'll see how the weather is for that. we also want to be keeping our eye on that i-80 sig alert, the fatal crash. leyla, very bausy. >> more on that after the weather. >> indeed. this week is walk to school week. you want to make sure the little ones are bundled. it's going to be a chilly start. we are looking at the temperatures just going down day by day from such a beautiful weekend that we had. looks like on the horizon we have another nice warm weekend if that is what you prefer. right now we take a look at our live doppler 7 hd, how see the clouds are returning to the bay

area. it will dissipate later on in the afternoon. the sun will burn them off. still chilly. this is all due to this trough of low pressure that's coming in out of washington. you can see it's bringing those temperatures down. it's going to move quickly to the east. we originally thought it was going to bring some rain in parts of the bay air wra. it looks like it's just going to affect mt. hamilton. just a slight shower there. your day planner for the next 12 hours, with that cool start all across the bay, we will see mostly sunshine as we head into lunchtime and the afternoon hours. then more gusty, breezy conditions will greet us in the evening hours. i'll have your full accuweather seven day forecast in a bit. first, traffic where we've got a serious problem. amy hollyfield is on the scene in richmond. a sig alert due to a fatal crash that took place during a chase, a high speed chase. right now we have central avenue onramp that is shut down to westbound 80. do use 580 to get on to 80 as

your alternate. also construction northbound side of 680. as you head between 242 and -- that's where we have at least four lanes shut down. not causing any delays. not just yet. but as you head away from pleasant dale into walnut creek, in great shape there. out to berkeley to take a look at westbound 80. berkeley out of albany, looking at clear conditions there despite the sig alert as you head through richmond and towards the hoffman split. see a slight buildup of headlights as you make it towards the maze. all in all top speed, accident free in this particular vicinity. >> leyla, thank you. next, a special tribute cal trans will allow families who've lost loved ones on the old eastern span of the bay bridge to pay before it's demolished. breaking new ground. the milestone just reached to ensure the safety of our drinking water. and new details in the motorcycle road rage case. why an undercover police officer is now under arrest. first, this morning's america's money report.

>> topping america's money, the red ink continues to spill all over wall street as the u.s. approaches another debt default deadline. the dow has fallen 11 of the past 14 trading days since hitting its all time high last month. a drop of 6%. 900 points. be prepared to pay more to heat your home this winter. the energy department says heating costs are expected to reach near record highs rising about 13%. the reason? prices for natural gas, electricity and propane are all higher. the annual neiman marcus christmas book is out. s a -- the most expensive gift a $1.8 million forever mark diamond

will one day be affected by some kind of vision problem.

save your vision for the years ahead. call... or log on to seeabettertomorrow.org to learn about glaucoma and macular degeneration.

welcome back. 4:43 on this wednesday. this morning emergency crews were at the scene of a natural gas pipeline explosion in rural northwestern oklahoma. the blast happened last night in the town of roston in harper county. flames could be seen across the oklahoma panhandle and as far as 50 miles away in southern kansas. four homes within two miles of the fire have been evacuated. so far no injuries reported. officials say the fire is contained. they're going to let the fire burn itself out. but the cause of the explosion is still unknown. a new york city undercover police detective is due in court this morning for his role in a violent confrontation between motorcycle riders and an suv driver. voicheck brostok turned himself in yesterday. police say he kicked on the suv before the driver was pulled free and beaten. police say he was off duty at the time. nypd source says he lied to his superiors about his role in the attack.

four others have already been charged. police say more arrests are likely to come. a joint hearing will be held today by state public safety committees to consider the use of solitary confinement in california's maximum security prisons. assembly member tom amiato and state senator lonny hancock called for the hearing following the nearly two month hunger strike by california prison inmates. last month about 100 inmates ended the strike after bay area lawmakers agreed to hold the hearing which will look into the policy which allows prisons to keep gang members in isolation units. that's gang leaders. for long periods of time. more than 30,000 inmates began refusing meals when the strike began in early july. oakland police are investigating gunfire on an ac transit bus that left a passenger wounded. a man was hit in the leg yesterday afternoon on a bus near the intersection of fontaine street and crest avenue. the oakland tribune reports the gunshot may have been self-influkted. just over a week ago two people

were hurt when someone fired shots into an ac transit bus in oakland opinion bo oakland. both victims have recovered. some people will be saying an emotional personal farewell on the old bay bridge before it's demolished. the chp is inviting bay area families who've lost loved ones on the old eastern span to have a memorial for them on the bridge on november 9th. the officers will escort family members on to the span and allow the family time to reflect. the idea came about after a mother who lost her son in a crash on the bridge asked if she could visit the site before it's torn down. the massive project to upgrade the bay area's water supply has reached a milestone. miners connected the two ends of a tunnel being built in the east bay yesterday. the san francisco public util y utilities commission provided us with this video. this 3 1/2 mile long stretch will eventually be lined with a pipe to carry water for millions of customers who use watcher from the hetch hetchy system. record setting endurance

swimmer diana nyad is 24 hours into her 48 hour swimming marathon. a live look at nyad in the pink cap on the right in the water right now in manhattan. the 64-year-old is swimming in a 40 yard pool set up in harold square. her goal is to raise money for people still struggling after superstorm sandy. last month nyad became the first person to swim from cuba to florida without a shark cage. >> best things about that pool, no sharks, no jelly fish. >> that's right. no exposure to the elements. we'll have a look at the weather coming up. first traffic. there is that sig alert in effect in richmond. here's leyla. >> it was due to a high speed chase. the person who was being chased after, they did die of their injuries. it was a rollover accident. the central avenue onramp is currently shut down to westbound 80. you can see we're already starting to see a buildup of traffic in the area. if you're traveling along in the eastbound direction that's where you're going to find the buildup of congestion. going in the westbound direction, though, really not too bad. if you need to get on to

westbound 80 you can always use 580 instead. we also have this construction project westbound side of the bay bridge. as you make that approach out of the maze and over towards treasure island we have some road work there that's going to last until about 5:00 this morning, maybe a little longer. make sure you plan ahead. outside we go. let's see what's happening in san jose. drive along 87 past the julian off ramp, see just a scant few cars out there. really no congestion to speak of and you are moving along at top speed. let's take a look at some weather. where we thought we were going to be getting a bit of rain, but it sounds like it's all going to be to the southeast of the bay area. right now as we take a look at our live doppler 7 hd radar satellite we have clouds moving in. the low coming in from washington, it is going to bring us cooler temperatures even still. it is going to be on the chillier side. as we take a look from the financial district, 53 in san francis francisco. oakland also 53. along the coast in the north bay you are going to be experiencing

the 40s. very chilly conditions, indeed. make sure you wear a sweater and dress warmly. we do have the storm watch due to that low that's pushing in the eastbound direction. we do have at least an expectation of one to four inches in the higher elevations above 6,000 feet. that also means slippery roads. be very careful when you do head out there if you are going to be making it an early weekend. highs around the bay today, you're going to top out in the low 70s, upper 60s for the most part with some partly cloudy skies through the south bay and also the eastern bay areas. as we move up the peninsula, pretty much topping out at 71 degrees in redwood city. along the coast pretty cool there. 61 in pacifica. 67 will your high in downtown san francisco. as we head into the north bay, really in the mid-70s. lots of sunshine out there. we're not going to have any cloud cover. as we head into oakland, you've got 71 degrees as your high. moving inland, that's where we're going to be seeing the warmest temperatures.

just topping out at 74 degrees in antioch. our lows for tonight, it is going to be a chilly one. certainly bundle up. some partly cloudy skies as well. 54 degrees pretty much going to be in the upper 40s to lower 50s. here's a look at my accuweather seven day forecast. that chance of rain going to be centered around mt. hamilton later tonight with a warmup come tomorrow. a beautiful weekend ahead. apple is expected to make some ipad announcements in two weeks. the kupcupertino company is expected to unveil new versions of the ipad and ipad mini. the ipad i'm holing up, see right now they only have the ipad with retina display on the regular sized one. see that? not on the ipad mini. that is going to be changing, according to the tech blog all things considered or all things d. the new min i supposedly will feature a retina display like the ipad now.

looking at the website, you can see more on the retina display. the fifth generation ipad is also expected to feature a thinner, lighter design, a better camera and a more powerful chip. making it faster overall than the current version. 4:51. should spanking be considered child abuse? coming up, the court ruling that could change the way you raise your children. also, the outspoken ceo of starbucks wants washington to play nice and you, too. how it could score you a free cup of coffee. inches off your waist, but damage to your health. why so many women are

welcome back. starbucks is hoping lawmakers on capitol hill learn a lesson from a plan to give away free coffee. today through friday the chain is offering a free tall brewed coffee to any customer in the u.s. who buys another person a

beverage. ceo howard schultz wants to send a message to lawmakers oncoming together to resolve the political gridlock in washington. starbucks has gotten political before, asking customers to keep guns out of starbucks after mass shootings. a state appeals court in san jose ruled normal spanking does not qualify as child abuse. the panel overturned a trial judge's rules that a mother should be reported for child abuse for spanking her 12-year-old daughter so hard with a wooden spoon it left her bruised. the appeals court found the overall circumstances did not warrant a child abuse report. the ruling is designed to set a legal precedent. when it comes to the role of parents, a new study finds that moms still do most of the work. what a surprise. according to a new pew report mothers spend much more time than fathers feeding children, giving baths and teaching their kids. "the washington post" reports moms still carry much of the load because of long standing parental roles. the research also found mothers find house work, paid work and free time more meaningful than fathers. you've got to give props to

wives. they do do a lot more with the kids than we do. >> i'll take the props. >> and better. >> let's check in with leyla gulen. you're busy this morning monitoring weather and traffic. a big issue on 80. >> a sig alert on westbound 80, central avenue onramp remains shut down. no word as to when this is going to reopen. all due to an early morning chase involving the chp. the person that was being chased after, well, they rolled over their vehicle and they did die of their injuries. right now it is an ongoing investigation. amy hollyfield is out there. she'll have all the latest coming up in just a little bit. if you need to get on to 80 you can always grab 580. that will get you over to 80. as we head over to the bay bridge, we have this construction project that's going to last for at least another hour if you're heading across the eastern span just before you get to treasure island. you'll notice a couple of lanes blocked out there. as we take a live look outside, here's going to be a picture of your golden gate bridge coming into san francisco.

wide open. short nine minute commute. we also have a cooldown, you may have noticed. won't need the ac as you're driving into work this morning. you've got it all natural. let's start with our day planner. for the next 12 hours we will be waking up to cooler temperatures. that chance of rain we were expecting tonight, that's actually going to be falling over mt. hamilton. for most of the bay area the chance is going to be nil. still on the cooler side due to the tropical pressure coming in from washington. by noontime temperatures 66 inland. we'll start to peak in the lower 70s and breezy conditions come tonight. for the rest of the state, we're also experiencing cooler temperatures. for your travel plans, i'll have more on that coming up in a little bit. over to you. >> thank you so much, leyla. a trend known as kor set shaping is coming back in fashion. doctors are warning of some potentially dangerous consequences. the process involves wearing a corset like device to make the waist smaller without exercise or surgery.

the corset is worn for four hours a day to start. then it's made tighter in increments. experts say it can actually move your lower ribs, making the waist smaller by several inches. one expert says it could lead to problems like weakened muscles, constipation, even, and more. >> your joint movement is not going to be nearly as normal at it should be. lungs can't inflate as well as they should because the ribs are going to be constrained. if there's any women wearing it with heart conditions that would be a red flag. >> so the medical corsets cost about $150 and should be worn only under medical supervision. chinese researchers may have finally solved a puzzle that's plagued man kind for centuries. how to cure a hangover. this may surprise you. scientists looked at 57 beverages and concluded sprite is the soft drink best.

it speeds up an enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the body. the study is published in food and function, the journal of britain's royal society of chemistry. >> i thought you were going to mention some ancient chinese herb or root. it's sprite? >> that's right. sugar and water. >> 4:58. next at 5:00, more on our breaking news. we're following a high speed pursuit that ends with a crash and death of the suspect. live on the scene. also, shut out by the government shutdown. the families of fallen soldiers denied some meaningful benefits

people across america are experof finish quantum, shine voting it product of the year, better homes and garden's best new dishwasher detergent,

and now it has the good housekeeping seal, giving finish quantum more honors than ever before. finish quantum delivers amazing clean and shine, which cascade actionpacs just can't do. ke the fe and see what it can do for you. we'll take something tasty and healthy. ♪ ♪ if you wanna go and fly with me ♪ ♪ it's buzz the bee on your tv ♪ ♪ oh how did i get this way? ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ there's a party going on in your cereal bowl ♪ ♪ o's can help lower cholesterol ♪ ♪ oh why does it taste so great? ♪ ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ ♪ hey! must be the honey! ♪ hey! must be the honey! breaking news in the east bay. 5:00.