>> good afternoon, i'm dan ashley >> i'm carolyn johnson. more fallout from the shocking bust that snared senator leland yee. >> yee charged with gun trafficking and wire fraud his attorney announced he will no longer run for secretary of

state. >> without any political implications, it's the personal thing he wanted to to. >> despite calls for resignation yee has not made announce manies about leaving the state senate. >> those calls are getting louder today. >> yee posting bail yesterday. >> you're right. state senator leland yee has not left his home. today, food was delivered to his home. this is, it's windy but i want to show you the letter announcing he will no longer continue with the campaign. it's a short letter that says i hear by withdraw my candidacy for election of secretary of state effective immediately with best regards, leland yee, state senator.

some colleagues say that he deserves a day ares his day in court others are calling for his resignation. two other state senators ron calderon and rod wright face leave. >> we have asked that he step down. and if he does not, the president pro tem of the senate announced we'll be voting on the floor tomorrow to suspend him. so leland yee will not be on the floor of the senate, ever again. >> yee has been charged with conspireing to deal illegal firearms and faces 145 years in prison. and about the temptation to take money from special from special interest groups.

yee had a $70,000 debt from when he ran for san francisco mayoral race. we're going to give you a list of campaign contributors. now, unions are among the top contribut contributors. live in san francisco, abc7 news. san francisco mayor ed lee says he is in disbelief as he reads the charges. >> the mayor says yee has to decide whether he's going to step down. >> they're reading from some kind of a mystery novel. that strange to see but these are very serious things so you're right. it's a big distraction. i think mr. yee has to make that decision, hopefully, he's got

the public in mind. >> mayor lee said it will be difficult for yee to do his job effectively. in sacramento state senate republican leader introduced a resolution calling for yee's suspension. >> senator boxer doing the same, calling for yee to resign. saying if allegations are true, they're beyond outrageous. there is no place in public life for criminals to violate public trust. >> and coming up at 5:00 you'll hear from a retired fbi agent about the operation and what he thinks was the target of the investigation. >> now, pg&e says it believes the federal government will file charges in connection with the 2010 san bruno pipeline fire. in a filing today with sec, pg&e says charges are related to the federal pipeline safety act. in a statement the company says it believes charges are not merited. in reaction, san bruno mayor said the completion of the prosecution will hopefully help

bring closure and hold pg&e accountable, and responsible for the devastating tragedy created by gross negligence of pg&e. >> a suspected drunk driver suspected of killing a war veteran made a court appearance today he faces vehicular manslaughter charges in the death of andrew silva. abc7 news is live where the memorial continues to grow. nick. >> they have come by here to pay their respects. four miles away the man accused of killing him made a court appearance. this was the first court appearance for the 23-year-old. the man wearing a green inmate uniform waived formal reading of the charges against him and did

not enter a plea. on tuesday, yan arrested for suspicion of dui. police say he struck and killed a 23-year-old, andrew silva. investigators state the force was so strong he was thrown and killed almost immediately. word of the death spread quickly and a memorial at the site continues to grow. corporal sill have part of a unit in san jose and had been back in the bay area for less than a month. silva and his wife have a 2-year-old son named noah. members of the family have stood vigil and only now coming to terms with the loss and the long legal process ahead. >> the family left the fremont hall of justice without speaking to reporters. i have learned the president of fremont bank himself is a father

of a marine and immediately established a memorial fund in andrew silva's name. for those who would like to contribute they're starting a fund for their son, noah. i have learned services will be held next week. you can get the information on our web site abc7 news.com. >> nick, thank you. a woman who has been arrested a mum of times trying to sneak on board airplanes has been arrested again at san francisco international airport the 62-year-old arrested yesterday in the terminal three claim area for violating a restraining order. just last week arrested in one of the food courts in the international terminal. tsa says heartman lives in san francisco and says she has cancer and wants to go to hawaii where it is warm. >> san francisco planning commission debating a proposal that could allow medical

marijuana facilities to set up closer to schools and recreation areas the proposed rule change would trim that to 600 feet, what the state requires >> in livermore people tried to escape a fast-moving fire. one man did, after the fire, delaying treatment for burns. abc7 news has the story. >> everybody out. >> livermore firefighters tried to wake people up with shouts and knocks on the doors at 1:00 in the morning the apartment went up in flames >> we heard pounding of the door and you can see the flames coming from the building. >> check out this video capturing just how big the fire was. flames coming out of windows and the roof. eight units have fire damage. one man was seriously injured >> he had burns on his hands and face. and major concern was respiratory burns, which could

be very serious. >> the property manager tells us the man was suffering for a while. >> the gentleman who lives in the unit was hiding across the street and had come out an hour or two after the fire. >> he says the man had been homeless and a church just found him this apartment to live in. he had been drinking and perhaps, what occurred is that something happened to the unit that caused the fire to begin. and perhaps he was burned trying to put the fire out. but probably got scared and ran. >> firefighters do think the fire started in his unit. >> you know where it started we're going to have to interview the occupant but we do know where it started we think it's accidental. >> everyone else got out okay. >> it's scary i live by myself. i'm thankful.

>> all 11 have found a place to stay thanks to the red cross firefighters say they're still trying to figure out what started this fire. they haven't been able to talk to the victim yet. >> check this out. san francisco giants mascot lucille went to new heights today to prove his athletism. he was one of the politician who's helped 23 stories down the side of the hyatt regency. looks like he's dropping there. this happened during lunchtime. sky 7 caught up with the group. . >> i had reservations but figured only time i was going to repel. it was free for a worthy cause. >> repelling part of outward bound, a campaign to provide low income students with outdoor learning opportunities. >> that looks fun i wondered if lucille wondered if that was in her job description. >> spencer christian on the roof

with the latest. >> on a calmer day, no sightings of funnel clouds around the bay area. no thunderstorms. it's been quiet. you can see we're barely picking up traces of precipitation. just light scattered showers out beyond mount hamilton. towards central valley now. around morgan hill. no significant precipitation at this moment. so going live around the bay area. 63 in half moon bay. here is a live view from mount tam showing darker, thicker clouds moving over the area. 58 degrees in santa rosa and napa. 63 novato. low 60s in concord and livermore.

towards the bay bridge this is our first forecast. partly cloudy skies and this afternoon it's going to turn very wet and rainy and stormy tonight into saturday morning. we'll take a look at the weekend forecast later. dan? carolyn? >> thank you. >> still head on abc7 news at 4:00 los angeles international airport exposes it's baggage. two dozen workers arrested on suspicion of stealing valuables from luggage. >> a deaf couple's demand after a worker accused of leaving a message on lost luggage. >> why a magazine editor is apologizing for mocking runners. >> taking a look at traffic now you're looking at mcarthur maze. drivers trying to make their way east on 80. it's slow going out of the maze. not too much better for drivers heading into the maze or san francisco. abc7 news at 4:00 continues

right after this

dramatic video of a fire in boston the city mourns a death of two firefighters that got trapped somehow in the basement. 13 firefighters were taken to the hospital with burns and other injuries. strong winds made the fire difficult to fight as you can see from this fire. now, these are live pictures the cause is still under investigation.

you look live, from boston right now a procession of the fallen firefighters is taking place. this is boston in mourning tonight. >> searchers hoping to find anything to lead them to malaysia airlines flight 370 could resume recovery in just hours. waits another agonizing day after the search mission had to be suspended yesterday. stormy weather made it too dangerous for planes to scour waters looking for traces of the boeing 777. today, thailand says one of its satellites captured images of a possible debris field of 300 objects it's been two and a half weeks since the plane vanished after departing kuala lumpur for beijing. >> a month-long investigation into baggage thefts at los angeles international airport has ended in a number of arrests. police served 25 search warrants last night and into the morning at 25 locations including lax. officials say detectives seized jewelry, electronics, clothing

and other personal belongings believed to be stolen. >> suspects are contract employees from the airport service companies they're not employed by the los angeles international airport. >> we believe there have been a culture maybe of being able to take property that wasn't theirs. that is what we want to put a stop to. >> officials say they'll try to return items to owners. most activity was at international terminal and terminal 4. >> a deaf couple in texas wants an apology. they say an airport worker left an insensitive message on their luggage. two returning from hawaii whit got lost. it finally arrived on sunday there was a receipt attached with a note on how to contact the couple said please text deaf and dumb. the couple is deaf but dumb is considered an offensive way of

describing people who are unable to speak. their families say they want more. >> that person needs to be fired. the dumb one is the whoun wrote the note. >> the airline says it will be looking into the issue and following up with the employees and the contractor providing services >> let's talk about the weather more. it's beautiful outside. >> what is in store this weekend? >> we've got heavy rain coming our way. right now we're enjoying a dry spell. here is how dry it is around the bay area. light widely scattered showers so no measurable rainfall at the moment. here is a view live looking oh, out towards mount diablo. you can see clouds and blue skies visible as well. forecast features there is a chance of showers overnight. north bay rain

oakland storm door was one storm after another after another. taking a look at next arrival into saturday, we'll start tomorrow afternoon at about we'll see the front sweep south and getting steady sometimes heavy rain. much of the bay sunday looks dry. the rainfall totals looking

ahead to sunday morning we should be looking at rainfall totals and about three quarters to an inch and a half. we expect 6 to 12 inches and into highest peaks of course. back in the bay area overnight, we expect lots of clouds low temperatures from upper 50s to z.tomorrow, partly to mostly cloudy skies rain arriving into afternoon and evening. wet in the north bay and into evening hours. highs near 70 degrees inland and around the bay. here is the accu-weather forecast. another bout of rain moves through.

april showers tuesday. and a chance of rain again thursday we have our active winter weather arriving in spring. >> thank you. >> yes. >> coming up next 12-year-old boy combines his love for baseball with a project to honor soldiers overseas >> a 6-year-old boy never supposed to be able to do this. his story and how the family thousand wants to help people across the globe. >> and taking you outside on this thursday for a look at 680 moving nicely the commute gets under way. stay with us. we'll continue. >> abc7 news is marking a milestone. we surpassed 200,000 likes today thank you for being part of our online community. if you haven't had a chance to like us yet, you can do it now. >> very cool.

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>> hundreds of people honored ceasar cave krez today in san jose. students marched with their families to mexican heritage plaza. they celebrated the life of the co-founder of the united farm workers union. it's a state holiday on the day he was born in a film about his life opens tomorrow in theaters nationwide and in mexico starring michael

pena. it touches on several ufw's nonviolent campaigns including the grape strike that started in 1965. he also marks a directing debut of actor diego luna. >> #-year-old boy in new jersey hitting a home run with an idea to support us troops overseas oochl billy cook thought it would be cool to send baseballs signed with notes of support by friends and neighbors >> started as a project for his bar mitzvah but kept growing and growing. >> this says you're risking your life. it means a lot to me. and a lot of people. >> i have met people who are strangers to me. and become my friends because of this project and they just tell

me how great my son is. >> good kid. >> jewish members showed their appreciation displaying their baseballs on the first day of hanukkah, last year >> they are vowing to continue sending the baseballs after his bar mitzvah >> conditions for crews at the washington mudslide a survivor describes moments when the mud hit. >> also, local crews hit the beach. preparing for a wave of trouble. >> a historic meeting at the vatican. what the two leaders talked about the and the gift of president gave the pope. stay with

near hi a week after a massive landslide 90 people are still missing. the chief says he expects the number to increase substantially. now more from arlington, washington. >> reporter: search crews describe it as a swamp. a hazardous mixture of trees, propane and remains of homes. the mud so thick in areas, volunteers can't get victims out.

>> still, the local chief says every body found brings a new ground of grief. >> it gets somber and quiet. you can almost hear a pin drop. >> dave and his brother found five days searching for his sister >> she was found crushed in a car. crews called the family so summer's brothers could bring her home. >> a great sense of relief. and knowing it was my her gave relief. >> there is little relief for mack mcpherson his wife is gone. he's haunted by moment he saw

the mud caving in. >> horrendous noise. i looked over my shoulder. trees were going like this. and noise kept going louder. >> he says the scars remind him every day. now, he says he's back where he was, before he met linda. unsure of what he'll do next. >> 50 years ago today a 9.2 earthquake devastated alaska. there are massive landslides the quake claimed 131 victims the deaths and damage perfect the quake extended to hawaii and here in california. wayne freedman looks back and ahead at our ability to deal

with this event. >> as drills go it ventured on low key side. >> people don't mow what to do in the case of an alarm going out and evacuation drill. iet may explain the response this morning as red cross and sheriffs and fire departments tested times and readiness in case of an emergency like a tsunami the choice not an accident. 50 years ago a 9.2 wave killed 11 people, destroying half of the business district. it's ancient history that could repeat. three yearsing ayes a small

tsunami dissipated the santa cruz harbor. tossing boats around. tsunamis can strike at any time. all the more reason for a drill in san francisco. the emergency watch close up. >> i understand why people want to do that but we want them to go to high ground and get more information about what they should do. >> all chf might seem irrelevant vent on a spring day but only taking one quake beneath the ocean and one big wave to ruin everything. wayne freedman abc7 news. >> a taxpayer-funded report commissioned by chris christie clears him of involvement in a political retribution scandal

the report blames two allies for last september's george washington bridge scandal. and says the governor had no knowledge of it. in an interview christy calls the months the toughest period of his professional career. >> you don't sleep you don't eat. you struggle. you struggle. and you know, but i do believe that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. >> critics say the million-dollar report is biassed and full of holes you can see more of the interview coming up on world news at 5:30. >> democrat and republican lawmakers are showing they're not divided on the annexation of crimea. the votes are rare show of

solidarity with the president who announced sanctions against russian president putin ask others. lawmakers plan to get a final measure by day's end oochl president obama is in rome after meeting pope francis at the vatican. he said he's a great admirer of the pope's commitment during the nearly hour long meeting the two discussed differences over abortion, birth control and immigration reform. . >> i was moved by his insights about the importance of us all having a moral perspective and not thinking in terms of our own narrow self interests >> the president presented the pontiff with a custom made chest full of fruits and vegetables made in the white house garden.

>> reports coming out of north korea that all male college students are being required to get the same hair cut as leader kim jong-un. it was introduced in the capitol two weeks ago but visitors say they haven't seen mass changes in hair styles the report says state-approved hair cuts is been around. women allowed to choose from 18 styles the men, had ten. how absurd is that? looks like he wears that. give me the seven. >> a popular weight loss drug being removed from store shelf s. >> how one father turned his son into one. >> looking southeastward, we can see blue skies and clouds will be thickening overnight. i'll have the accu-weather forecast coming up.

>> and taking a look at the san francisco skyway. hazy skies and pretty heavy traffic for drivers to contend with. especially for those trying to make their way east. abc # news at 4:00 continues right after this. some mone deposit a check, transfer some money. so it's your uncle's turn. what? wait, wait, wait... no, no, no, wait, wait. (baby crying) so you can deposit a check... with the touch of a finger. so you can arrange a transfer in the blink of an eye. so you can help make a bond... i got it. that lasts a lifetime. the chase mobile app. so you can.

charles not having coverage stressed me out. knowing that i have an insurance card in my pocket gives me a sense of reassurance. i'm in because nobody deserves to be without health insurance. i'm in because my coverage can't be denied.

i'm in so i can protect my family and my future. i'm in because she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. i'm in. [ both ] we're in. i'm in. [ female announcer ] everyone deserves health insurance. are you in? go to 1st deadline. before the march 31st deadline. a dad turned his son into a

super hero. he created short you tube videos called action movie kid. >> you can see his son repel together ceiling and you know, shooting off blaster guns the dad says he gets into epic situations that remind him that life is truly an adventure >> that dad is upping the ante. pretty cool. >> the golfers who they'd maid this insist they used no special affects. watch. the pro golfer, the fourth and his brother showcase amazing eye-hand coordination. he says it was a way to kill time before practice sessions >> look. >> yes. >> one to another. then, he knocks it out of the park. >> that is tough to do.

>> i was thinking they might have a few tour in baseball. >> yes. >> like this. >> yes. >> hard enough to hit them on the ground >> exactly. >> let's check in now with spencer christian. >> there you go. >> taking a look at the sunny, dry afternoon. not a lot going on now. spritzels of moisture around but no measurable rain. we're going to have more rainfall coming our way ahead to april 6th. we expect heavy rain in parts of northern california. nationwide looking for showers and thunderstorms that includes

the bay area. tomorrow we'll see rain developing in the north bay into afternoon hours pushing south ward towards the end of the day and into evening. highs up to about 70 inland we'll take a look at the weekend and seven days ahead at 4:00 >> spencer, thank you. >> still ahead at 4:00 apology p a popular womens' magazine after making fun of a cancer survivor's tutu. >> and a rise in autism cases what is being done to raise awareness. >> your insurance rates could skyrocket after a traffic violation. and a safer option to texting while walking. the passat tdi clean diesell des gets up to 795 highway miles per tank. , we're th salesperson #2: actually, we're throwing in

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a san diego cancer survivor says she was stunned by a magazine using a picture of her wearing a tutu to make fun of the fashion fitness trend. monica allen running in last year's marathon.

she was going to chemotherapy at the time. "self" magazine contacted her she was excited but it was news used in a section called bs meter read in part a racing tutu epidemic has reached central park. the editor in chief apologized saying i'm mortified and had no idea she had cancer. it was an error. it was a stupid mistake. >> the cdc says one answers to what is kind the numbers >> new statistics are sobering. according to data one in 68

american kids has autism. >> sadly, this doesn't shock me. >> among boys one in 42. the definition over the years expanded. in this study suggests the developmental disorder is on the rise. a 29% increase in prevalence since the last study in 2008. a six #% increase since 2006. some groups say the figures will be underestimated. doctors provide assessment based on behavior and social intersection. symptoms appear by age two but there are unanswered questions. at the top of the list is autism becoming more common? more recognized in diagnosed? >> i'm afraid there is not going to be a simple answer to it. there is not a single explanation for this.

experts point to driving more families to ask questions there is an improvement in identifying warning signs. better guidance for developmental screenings means kids are being diagnosed at younger ages. >> it might happen but people live with it throughout their lives. >> autism advocates were pushing lawmakers to come up with a national strategy so families can get the support that they need. >> coming up at 11:00 a research team uncovers a clue. we'll explain the connection tonight at 11:00 >> glaxo smith klein recalling weight loss drug alli after receiving reports other tab blets are being found in the bottle the drug comes with a dark blue

band. glaxo smith klein says some bottles of seals that are not authentic. alli comes in bottles with a inner foil barrier. some bottles are missing labels oochl u.s. senate tackled a crisis over student debt. college graduates owe $1 trillion in loans. >> just staggering number. senators say money is handed out too easily. michael finney is here with the story. >> a lot of consumer advocates figure everyone is making fourt a bandit except for the student. now, several leaders want to put limb writs on loans millions are saddled with so much debt, many can't afford to buy a home or save money. one senator scolded officials. >> it seems to me we're just

taxing students for the privilege of borrowing money to try to get an education. i think that is obscene. >> the gao report estimates the federal government will rake in $66 billion from student loans from 2007 to 2012. it's widely known car insurance is likely to go up. a report from insurance quotes.com reveals how much more you'll pay. a study found a ticket for following too closely can increase rates 19% improperly using a carpool will use another 18% a seat belt violation likely to raise rates 5%. duis are the most expensive, rates going up 93%. reckless driving is 82%. you've heard warnings about texting while driving but there

is a new one. texting while walking. it's a big hazard. there is a system to protect you. apple insider reports a rear-facing camera projecting what is in front of you onto the background of your phone so yule you'd see while you're texting. do you get the concept of this? >> yes. >> right there? >> don't do it is what you need to do. >> come on. >> wow. >> thank you. >> sure. >> abc7 reporter david louie tweeted this picture of a friend he made today. >> the 6-year-old's survival story, and how he's helping other children. >> i'm cheryl jennings. coming up at 5:00 remembering a renowned california stuntman who

died doing what he loved best. plus a man to cut down trees on hold. how east bay communities stopped it. why the price could mean millions in lottery. [doorbell rings] hey. hey. what's this? it's u-verse live tv. with at&t u-verse... you can watch live tv from your device. hey. hey. anywhere in your home. [doorbell rings] hey. hey. so you won't miss a minute of ncaa march madness. call now to get a u-verse bundle for the same great price for 2 years. guaranteed.

>> one of the toughest medical challenges for a family is see a child suffer a traumatic brain injury but recovery can happen. david louie is live now with the story only on 7. david? >> this is a story of a child only four months old when involved in a freeway accident his body started shutting down. his brain sustained an injury. but he did survive. and now, he's giving hope to many others. >> doctors called the 6-year-old a miracle patient. at three months old he and his

mother were ejected from a vehicle in lodi. the accident killed his mother and left him with traumatic brain injury this, is video showing how challenging it was for him to crawl he didn't walk until he was four and a half. he was not able to stand or hold on to something to stand he's walking method was hopping for two years. >> physical therapy provided by california services services. his father holds down two jobs to keep up with expenses. >> what is your favorite thing in the world? >> playing with friends oochl you like your friends? you have lots of friends? >> i have 21 friends. >> his team of therapists say his pro gress is the result of determination and spunk, never giving up. >> he wanted to do everything all of the other kids were doing. he watched them. whenever he saw someone else walking he wanted to walk, too. he worked hard. >> to see him today is

inspiring. it's prompted his father and friends to create a foundation to raise money for children with similar injuries. their initial focus is sierra leon. the area was home to his parents. >> there are kids in sierra leone and around the world going through the same thing like abdul did. ask don't have the opportunity abdul has. >> to go from this, to this. doctors doesn't expect him to live is a miracle to those around abdul. >> do you want to be a channel 7 news reporter? can you say abc7 >> abc7. >> you can talk all i want. >> in san jose, abc7 news.

>> thanks for joining us for abc7 news at 4:00 the news at 5:00 begins right now. >> we're like reading it from a mystery novel. >> san francisco mayor talks about the case against state senator leland yee. tonight a former fbi agent says it reads like the godfather. the story, next >> a suspected drunk driver appearing in court for the first time. prosecutors charge him with murder in a crash that killed a marine. >> thousands of trees just saved from the chopping block. >> part of the weekend rb wet. i'll have the timing of the next storm, coming up. >> we'll be voting on the floor to suspend him. so leland yee will not be on the floor of senate ever again. >> the fallout continues a day

after he is arrested on public corruption charges. both of the u.s. senators now weighing in on the arrest. thanks for joining us. >> yee is one of 26 people caught up in an alleged scheme. there ises raymond shrimp boy chow, a former gang member and keith jackson. a former school board member in san francisco. carolyn? >> his political future is uncertain. i talked with his attorney he told me no decision has been made about the senate seat. i can tell you they're saying depth and bredth of the

accusations is astounding. big fish in the case is leland yee but the initial target was shrimp boy. he's a chinatown gangster with a crime fal history including rack tearing can drug crimes. former fbi agent beliefs the operation was tricky. >> my understanding is that there might be an induction. to do that here takes a tremendous effort. real expert ease. >> the complaint claims they expanded into drugs and gun running. agents say chow introduced him to keith jackson who brought