good afternoon. i'm dan ashley. >> i'm katie marzullo. people who want to see the sony pictures film "the interview" didn't have to wait until christmas day. >> it's now available to rent on several digital platforms. >> the cia would love it if you two could take him out. >> hm? >> take him out. >> take him out. like for drinks? >> no, no, no. take him out. >> takeout. like to dinner? >> to a meal? >> take him out. >> "the interview" is available on google play, youtube videos and xbox. this is a clip of the movie we streamed at abc 7 news. >> the movie is about a fake assassination plot against kim

jong-un. hundreds of theaters around the country are now planning screenings for tomorrow. >> abc 7 news reporter emmitt miller has the story from los angeles. >> reporter: by popular demand, the controversial comedy about north korean leader kim jong-un is available today on demand. sony says it reached out to google, microsoft and other partners yesterday quote, when it became clear our initial release plans were not possible. those initial plans were thwarted after the studio pulled the film amid threats of violence. yesterday, sony reauthorized the christmas day release leading to sold-out box offices at more than 200 theaters nationwide planning to screen it. >> it's my opportunity to fight terrorism on christmas day. >> i have very little concern about an attack. i also think we are not going to be stupid about it. >> reporter: the movie stars are celebrating too. james franco writes victory. seth rogan, thanks sony for making it happen. boo-ya! this was president obama's response. >> i think they made a mistake.

>> reporter: this is the white house this morning saying the change of heart allows people to make their own choices about the film and we welcome that outcome. >> we've got "the interview." >> reporter: the fbi is encouraging the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to law enforcement. according to the former director of the national counterterrorism center -- >> there is no indication this is a credible threat at this point. >> reporter: as well as xbox, youtube and google play, the movie can be seen at seetheinterview.com. sony calls it a victory for free speech. in los angeles, emmitt miller, abc news. here's more reaction from the movie's stars on the digital release. seth rogan tweeted i need to say a comedy is best viewed in a theater full of people so if you can, i would watch it like that or call some friends over. his co-star james franco told people on facebook, if people take pictures of themselves watching the film he will like it. >> you can see the list of theaters planning to show the film on abc7news.com. the sun is out. a live look from the

exploratorium cam, where it was a gloomy christmas eve until about an hour ago. >> light rain fell this afternoon and the wind was blowing. some umbrellas flipped inside out. always an awkward moment. hate it when that happens. this is video from bay street shopping center in emeryville during the last minute shopping rush. >> spencer christian is off. we have meteorologist drew tuma here with an accuweather update. >> it's never easy with gusty winds and rain to keep the umbrella but the good news, the rain is all but out of here. live doppler 7 hd will show you we have mainly dry skies. a few light showers to the south and to the east, south of san jose moving into modesto and portions to the east. we are really out of the rain for the evening so we have dry skies but temperatures are certainly cooling off in the wake of this front. rainfall generally very light across the area. it's a quick-moving system. less than a tenth of an inch across the region. picked up .07 in san

francisco, .02 in oakland and .06 in hayward. some areas are ten degrees cooler right now than they were this time yesterday. san francisco international airport, san carlos, 13 degrees cooler, santa rosa, 12 degrees cooler. emeryville camera shows you the nice sunshine is back out. temperatures are cool in the 50s across the board. another look from the exploratorium cameras shows clearing skies and most areas in the 50s. if you are out tonight for evening services, it will be cool and windy and temperatures dropping into the 40s. grab a light jacket. we are tracking some of the coldest air moving in this season in the next couple days. we will have those numbers with the full accuweather seven-day forecast in a few minutes. >> a change. all right. thanks very much. this is a live look from the camera at san francisco international airport. good news for travelers. the airport does not report any major delays. it was not as busy at sfo earlier today as it was yesterday. the board showed most flights

leaving on time. many people we talked with said they chose to fly out today specifically to escape the crowd. >> the only problem was the security line which stretched past the check-in area at terminal 3. it was busy there today. >> flights in and out of oakland international airport have been smooth most of the day. we found plenty of last minute travelers using the new air b.a.r.t. service. b.a.r.t. officials tell us ridership is up 62% compared to old oakland airport -- the old connector that was in use last year. one passenger we talked with called the new air b.a.r.t. fantastic. the traffic backed up and the road leading into muir woods overflowed again today. it's one of the more popular sites in the entire national park system. >> the situation isn't new but has been made worse by the recent storms. abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman joins us live from marin's panoramic highway. >> reporter: good afternoon. merry christmas. welcome to what they call four corners. 700 feet, actually more than 700 feet above mill valley. by the time you reach here in the car, you would think most of

the congestion is gone but not anymore. let me show you over here. this is why they call this four corners. this is one of the routes in the woods. in fact, these days it's the only route. one shared by locals and by tourists alike and it's not a happy marriage. it has earned a reputation as an urban escape. in marin county, just redwood trees, nature and people, lots of people. 5,000 of them just today. >> love it. >> reporter: in short it's a nice place to visit and theoretically, you would want to live there. >> they get almost a million tourists a year. there's a couple hundred of us. so it's a little overwhelming. >> reporter: maurice is one of many residents now approaching wit's end due to traffic congestion into and out of the hallowed woods. there were so many visitors today they overflowed into franks valley road. they even invaded clearly marked no parking areas. >> oh, no, this is nothing.

>> reporter: now the problem has worsened due to the closure of highway 1, creating a bottleneck on franks valley road which as you can see, has collapsed to one lane in places. muir beach's fire chief has been asking the county to repair this section for ten years. >> it's very frustrating for this road to have been like this for such a long time and especially at a crunch time when highway 1 is out and this is our only way over the hill. >> reporter: the county says it is aware of the congestion problem. so is the national park service. >> this popularity is hard on our neighbors but it's a challenge right now. >> reporter: more than that, says the chief. more like a hazard, especially if this second route in or out fails as well. >> the big concern for me is that fire department response from the county will take 45 minutes at best, probably an hour to reach muir beach or woods. >> reporter: by then? >> well, if it's a heart attack

it will be too late. >> reporter: just as deadly, even if it happens in a paradise also known as an urban escape. wayne freedman, abc 7 news. use the abc 7 weather app to keep an eye on what's happening. the app is free. we have more information at abc7news.com/apps. palo alto police have arrested 28-year-old neil rotrov of cupertino and 21-year-old aksha moskatar. they were involved in a fight at a bar on sunday. the victim hit his head on the street and has not regained consciousness. police say he was driving the getaway car that nearly hit officers. both are being charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon. more than a dozen people are without a home after an apartment complex went up in flames. the fire broke out just after midnight on civic center drive.

first responders rescued a man who was suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. two first responders also had to be treated for smoke inhalation. the red cross is finding temporary shelter for the 14 people who are displaced. >> that's a shame any time but certainly this time of year, especially tough. the last minute rush for that special gift is well underway and the cash registers are ringing in a way that we haven't seen for the last several years. >> it is the season. nick smith is live in emeryville. hi, nick. >> reporter: you know, i want you and dan to know i spoke with a couple customers who told me they feel really good about spending because people are working and gas prices are down. if you want to know how busy stores are on christmas eve, well, first you've got to get inside. consumers are feeling good about the economy. in fact, they are feeling better about it today than at any time in the past eight years. they are putting their money where their heart is.

>> tvs, purses, clothes for the kids. nothing for myself. >> reporter: shoppers appear to be shedding some of their anxiety about spending. employment is high and gas prices are low. >> i would say because of the gas costs falling so much, it's been like i have so much extra money i can actually buy more things. last year, not too much. >> reporter: gas prices have fallen for 88 straight days according to aaa, the lowest consecutive decline on record. freeing up money for americans to spend on other items. >> consumer confidence is a leading indicator of consumer spending. consumer confidence was up big-time early this fall. i think that it's earned its reputation as a predictor of spending habits and looks like we will have a good christmas. >> reporter: according to professor connolly, the sharp increase in sentiment suggests that consumers will keep spending in coming months, thereby pulling their wallets out of a deep freeze. >> everything frozen is hot. toys and electronics remain at the top of santa's wish list. >> all the toys, video games,

movies, costumes. >> reporter: a leader in measuring the digital world says to date, there has been a 15% increase in spending over the last year. and to think we still haven't unwrapped the gift cards. nick smith, abc 7 news. still ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, a christmas eve feast. the holiday tradition that helps feed thousands of people who might not otherwise celebrate. plus -- >> you know it must be christmas eve if lefty o'doole santa is out here collecting gifts for kids in underserved communities. i'm lyanne melendez in union square. i will have a live report. and new at 4:30, tensions are high in missouri after another police shooting. why authorities say this case is much different than what happened in ferguson. and that last minute holiday crush is on. folks trying to get the gifts before christmas day. here's a look at the san francisco skyway. the cars coming at you on the left are trying to get to the

bay bridge. stay with us.

a special treat at glide memorial in san francisco. the house of prime ribs served up a tasty prime rib luncheon for 3,000 people. that's something restaurant owner joe betts has been doing for 23 years. he says it's a way of giving back for all he has. >> things can happen to us. we're not guaranteed.

when things go bad, we have to help out a little bit. >> nice guy. the founder was at the dining hall greeting people. the house of prime rib donated 2,000 pounds of prime remember for today's lunch at glide. preparations are under way for glide's christmas dinner tomorrow when the church will provide a ham and turkey meal for 5,000 people. here's a story to bark about. representatives of muttville visited the oakland animal services shelter today to take away the older dogs so they don't have to spend christmas at the shelter. the senior dog rescue group says the number of animals turned in at shelters goes up during the holidays. mostly because people are traveling or have visitors and can't care for the dogs. muttville is finding a home for 14 dogs this christmas. this year it will rescue 750 senior dogs. >> they do good work, don't they. >> so sweet. last minute toy drives are under way, speaking of good work. like every christmas eve, lefty o'doole's in san francisco is

collecting and giving out presents for kids living in underserved communities. >> abc 7 news reporter lyanne melendez is there live with more on how you can give where you live. >> reporter: well, you know, guys, you know how busy christmas eve is for santa so we are very lucky that he decided to stop by here at lefty o'doole's and help out with the distribution, collection and distribution of gifts. now, the owner of lefty o'doole's has said that no kid in san francisco should ever wake up on christmas morning without a gift. >> merry christmas! >> reporter: the santa at lefty o'doole's has a small army of elves who volunteer every year on christmas eve. their job is to collect christmas toys from people who drive or drop by the well-known restaurant to bring gifts. >> thank you very much. merry christmas! >> reporter: the goal is 10,000. more if people are feeling generous. >> the spirit of christmas comes alive.

it's about giving. so they start giving and we start distributing. it's a big distribution center. >> reporter: after sorting them out, the gifts are put inside barrels and then on a truck to be delivered to communities in need. >> wait, wait, wait. got another toy. >> reporter: we went along with santa to drop off toys for kids at the amc church in the bayview district. there, more than 100 kids found what it means to be cared for. >> i got a football and basketball because i really like sports. >> it's good knowing that there's somebody out there that is kind of just like the love of jesus, he cares for everybody. >> i really appreciate it. i'm really blessed to have the opportunity to be here. >> this is an opportunity to say don't worry about your money, don't worry about getting into the hustle and bustle. we're here and we have an opportunity to bless you. we are so grateful to do so.

>> reporter: so far, they have collected 6,000 gifts but they are still in need of about 4,000 or so. so stop by and please help out. don't even wrap the gift. just come by and drop it off. they will be here, the elves, i should say, will be here until 11:00 this evening. live in san francisco, lyanne melendez, abc 7 news. >> busy hard-working elves. thanks very much. wonderful. spencer christian is off tonight. we have meteorologist drew tuma with today's accuweather forecast. interesting stuff out there. >> it's getting cool out there. >> this morning certainly didn't feel like christmas eve. it was mild, cloudy, we had drizzle. now a cold front has moved through. the winds have picked up in the wake of it and cooler air is rushing in. live doppler 7 hd right now going to show you a much quieter scene this evening than we had this morning. a lot of rain was to our north. it moved through rather quickly and now we are left with just very light scattered showers to our south and east. the rain is over for christmas eve.

however, when you go to the higher elevation in the sierra, they are getting some snow around south lake tahoe, kirkwood and bear valley. so the areas shaded in purple have a winter weather advisory in effect until 8:00 p.m. tonight, anywhere above 4,000 feet generally expecting three to about six inches of snow. but the winds are picking up. that means the blowing snow will create poor visibility. there are travel delays and chain requirements especially on i-80 if you are headed in that direction. we also have a beach hazard along the coast until 6:00. especially along the west-facing beaches for increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents. let's go outside. live look on the exploratorium camera showing a beautiful shot. the sunshine is back out but the winds are keeping it cool across the region. the forecast calls for a cool and breezy christmas day on the way. much colder nights ahead, some of the coldest air we have seen this season, and a drier pattern is ushering in the new year. temperature-wise, it's cool. temperatures are dropping this evening, 57 in oakland. 54 san jose. 55, san francisco.

napa currently at 55 degrees. satellite and radar, here's the cold front quickly moved through at midday. now we are seeing high pressure build in and the high pressure is dragging in a north wind, a cool wind, and that wind is going to be with us the next 24 hours. that high pressure is not moving much. we have a dry pattern into the new year. take a look at the wind gusts, though. anywhere from say 22 to about 31 miles per hour. that continues overnight into the early morning hours on christmas morning. but the winds will taper by christmas afternoon. generally falling to about less than 15 miles per hour. so some good news there. but watch these morning lows. the coolest air this season, especially in santa rosa, saturday morning getting near the freezing mark. so likely some patchy frost will be developing over the next couple days, especially in the north bay. now, live doppler 7 hd tracks a lot of things but this time of year, especially, it's important to track santa's sleigh. as of 4:20 p.m., the big guy

over london, england delivering presents. his next stop is going to be south america. he will be crossing the atlantic over the next couple of hours. back in the bay area, overnight lows, 30s in the north bay, 40s elsewhere. a cool and chilly night under clear skies. christmas day, wall-to-wall sunshine and seasonably cool temperatures, in the 50s across the board. the accuweather seven-day forecast shows you a bright christmas tomorrow. it's breezy, a chilly morning on friday but tons of sunshine by the afternoon. frosty saturday. a cold start on sunday and guys, this pattern not changing all that much. monday, tuesday and wednesday, looks like the proverbial storm door is closed for the time being with dry conditions, seasonably cool temperatures and plenty of sunshine the next seven days. >> excellent, drew. thank you. i'm getting a bike for christmas. i just know it. >> next seven days going to be great. >> i want to be able to ride it. >> you must have been good this year. >> i don't know about that. coming up next, drew is tracking santa as he makes his deliveries around the world this christmas eve. how you can keep tabs on him tonight. new after 4:30, hungry for a

new eating experience? it's being called the ai

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a bay area special olympian is headed to the tournament of roses parade next week. stephanie ching of cupertino has been involved with the special olympics for 25 years. she has participated and won medals in every sport the special olympics offers. she has also been honored by the san jose sports hall of fame. stephanie will ride on the special olympics float in pasadena on new year's day. good for her. >> that's awesome. norad is spending the day answering calls from kids who can't wait for santa. >> how may i help you? >> 1300 norad volunteers are answering phones right now, taking questions from your children through the end of the night. >> the volunteers expect to take 200,000 calls. the commander of norad says this is one of his team's favorite times of year.

>> it's our opportunity to give back, to live a christmas well like charles dickens said. >> one little boy said the thing he wanted most for christmas was all of his family together. >> that is the best gift. let's check out where santa is right now on the norad tracker. you can see the reindeer and all making good progress heading for cape verde, portugal. get this, already he's delivered more than four billion presents. >> wow. >> the ticker just keeps ticking. you can see it in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen there. very cool. if you want to track santa, we have a link on abc7news.com. >> how does he do it? >> amazing. abc 7 wants to see how you are celebrating the holidays. share your photos with us on twitter using hash tag where you live so we can find your pictures. you can also e-mail photos or video to us. we would love to see your

holiday traditions. a new group joins the protests against police brutality. next, why lgbt protesters in san francisco wanted to get involved by blocking traffic this morning. new tensions mounting in missouri. the new police shootings sparking violence and what the city's mayor is saying about it. later, how a treatment for children with autism could help th

more controversy tonight in missouri. another deadly shooting involving a black man and a white police officer. this happened in a suburb near ferguson, missouri. >> it happened hours before protesters in san francisco took to the streets with the message black lives matter. >> it is a group we have not heard from before on the police violence debate. abc 7 news reporter amy hollyfield has the story. >> reporter: it's the same message protesters have emphasized for weeks now. but a different group this time. the lgbt community in san francisco gathered on market street to take a stance together. >> it's been a call for other marginalized oppressed communities coming together and uniting on such an issue. >> transgender, queer, lgbt people are experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety because if black lives don't matter, we question do our lives matter.

>> reporter: the group blocked octavia and market streets just before 9:00 this morning, keeping people from getting on or off highway 101. they read aloud the names of minorities who have been shot and killed by police officers. and held a few moments of silence. which were interrupted by the sounds of horns being honked by frustrated drivers. >> everybody needs to go because we have work, you know. i mean, they can't go block the way. >> reporter: some drivers stuck in the standstill say they think the issue is more complicated than blocking intersections and criticizing police. >> i think many of the people who are out here would call on the police if they needed them. >> reporter: a few protesters held signs asking for patience. after 15 minutes, the group moved on. marching on market street toward castro. emphasizing the importance of keeping the momentum of the movement going. even on christmas eve regardless of the day or week or hour, people are coming out because this is an issue that we are not stopping until we see a shift in

justice and peace. >> reporter: the protest was over by 10:00 and it was peaceful. no arrests were made. there was no vandalism. amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. tensions remain high in suburban missouri following that latest shooting of a black man by a white police officer. the latest took place in the city of berkeley just a few miles from ferguson. abc news reporter susan sulney has the latest. >> reporter: another burst of violence on the streets of suburban st. louis last night, and more dischord between the community and the police. this time, in berkeley, missouri, where hundreds of protesters gathered at the spot where a white police officer fatally shot a black teenager. berkeley police say the officer was responding to a shoplifting report at a gas station when he encountered two people, one of them he say pulled a gun at the officer. police released video captured outside the gas station during the incident. you have to look carefully but it appears to show a man seen

here raising a weapon toward the officer. police say the officer fired in response and the mayor of berkeley backed up that account. >> this young man was shoplifting. when the officer came there, the video shows that he pointed a gun that had been recovered. >> reporter: officials are pleading for calm. >> this is a family right now that regardless of the decisions that this individual made are without a family member at this christmas season. this is also a tragedy for the police officer. >> reporter: the police say they are withholding the officer's name until an investigation is complete. emotions were already raw. the shooting happened just a few miles from ferguson, missouri, where michael brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, was fatally wounded by a white officer in august. but the mayor of berkeley says last night's shooting cannot be compared to the killing of michael brown. abc news, washington.

new york city police have stepped up security and made at least two arrests over threats to officers. this follows the deadly shooting of two officers last weekend. police are investigating these new threats. emergency services officers have been stationed at two brooklyn precincts. the gunman who killed the officers posted on social media that he shot them to avenge the killings of michael brown and eric garner. the gunman shot and killed himself while police chased him. the centers for disease control is monitoring a lab technician who may have accidentally been exposed to the ebola virus. cdc officials say that technician was working in a secure atlanta lab and may have come into contact with a small amount of the live virus as part of an experiment. the cdc notified additional employees but right now, none require monitoring. the united states is disputing a claim tonight made by islamic extremists that they shot down a plane over syria capturing a pilot from jordan. isis is showing these pictures

on social media showing its fighters holding this captured pilot supposedly. u.s. central command and others say isis does not have the capability to shoot down a plane. they say the aircraft crashed and confirmed the pilot was taken captive by isis. jordan is one of the arab nations taking part in u.s.-led coalition air strikes against isis. south korean prosecutors have brought charges against a popular san francisco based ride sharing service uber. prosecutors today indicted the company's ceo with violating a transportation law. south korea's capital, seoul, may ban uber on grounds it's unsafe and competes with licensed taxi services. the government will offer rewards of more than $900 to people who provide information on uber's services. uber says it will fully cooperate with the government's investigation. however, the ride sharing service says it believes its service is legal. wherever you are headed, chances are your dream of a white christmas this year is not going to come true. christmas eve across much of the country was windy, wet and warm

instead. the wind and rain is expected to cause travel headaches, especially in the great lakes and northeast. according to flightaware, at least 2500 flights across the country experienced delays today. minneapolis is the only major city in the continental u.s. that could wake up to some snow tomorrow. however, get this. in hawaii, a blizzard threatens to disrupt christmas plans. you heard correctly, a blizzard. the national weather service issued a blizzard warning to the summits. it predicts snow accumulations today of up to eight inches. the conditions could be life-threatening for anyone who tries to drive or hike to the summits. snow on the mountains is common but a blizzard? that is pretty unusual. wow. still to come on abc 7 news at 4:00, we will take you to some christmas eve celebrations around the world. first, a scared panda cub. what caused the animal to hide in a tree for more than 24 hours?

i'm abc 7 meteorologist drew tuma. the rain is out. now cold air is moving in. some of the coldest of the season. we will track the numbers with the accuweather forecast. a check of holiday traffic for you. you can see a little windy out there right now as drew has been talking about. the camera's shaking but this is a look at i-80 in berkeley. you can see a lot of cars on the road this christmas eve. really backed up eastbound. stay with us.

one of the national zoo's prized pandas remains hidden in a tree after getting a nasty shock. the zoo says the giant panda cub touched a hot wire yesterday. it's not dangerous but the wires are part of a safe warning system to keep the animals contained. this footage is from just a short time ago. the shock sent the scared panda scrambling up the tree, where she remains. her mom spent the night outdoors waiting underneath the tree and keeping watch. they say the cub is not hurt and will come down when she's ready. the panda is just one year old. her name means precious or treasure. >> poor thing. >> i know. actor john stamos plays santa for unsuspecting holiday shoppers. >> oh, my goodness! >> thank you. >> he wore a disguise so shoppers at the j.c. penney in los angeles didn't recognize him. >> a woman broke down in tears.

he sent out a tweet, deep undercover giving back to some incredible shoppers. just got jingled. that's cute. check out this picture. president obama wearing a sparkly tiara. the president got all dolled up with some girl scouts, each wearing their own crown. the girls are from a troop in tulsa. they attended the annual white house science fair. the photo was taken in may but the white house held it as a gift until today. >> that's a fun shot. >> better than the bike you're expecting? >> great shot. one last time let's talk about what will be a gorgeous forecast for christmas. >> meteorologist drew tuma is in tonight with an accuweather update. >> we are looking at clearing skies tonight so it will be cool overnight, but that sets the stage for a beautiful christmas day on the way. live doppler 7 hd will show you the rain we had for much of midday is out of here. the cold front has pushed through and now we have clear skies. in terms of travel delays, much of the nation is dealing with great weather. the only hiccup we have is in new york, around newark and jfk

airports right now having 30 to 45 minute delays due to rain moving through there right now. but tomorrow, much of the nation is very quiet. lots of sunshine all up and down the east coast and the midsection of the u.s. the only portion that is seeing some precipitation right around the four corners and north, where snow will fall. but in california, nothing but sunshine tomorrow. seasonable temperatures in the 50s and the 60s. closer to home in the bay area, expect wall-to-wall sunshine after a cool start in the 40s and 50s tomorrow morning, with a north wind. going to keep our temperatures mainly in the mid to upper 50s. the breeze will be with us throughout much of the morning hours. coming up at 5:00, meteorologist sandhya patel will talk about some of the coldest nights we have seen this season with the accuweather seven day forecast. >> thanks, drew. still ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, how an autism treatment for children can help war veterans suffering from ptsd.

plus, the young cancer patient's christmas wish comes true and her father is right by her side. also, a different type of dining. the new apps connecting strangers for a home-cooked

pope francis celebrated mass just days after taking his staff to task for a laundry list of sins. tonight's service launches a few weeks for the pontiff. in january, he travels to sri lanka and the philippines for a week. thousands of christian pilgrims gathered in bethlehem to celebrate christmas eve. the focus was on manger square, the biblical birthplace of jesus, where the faithful celebrate midnight mass. even though hotels are full, managers are complaining there are few tourists this year. traditionally bigger spenders than locals who have reserved most of the rooms. former president george h.w. bush is spending christmas eve in a houston hospital.

his spokesman said today all is well but there was no news to report. the 90-year-old bush was taken to the hospital yesterday after experiencing shortness of breath. he has had health problems since the early '90s and is confined to a wheelchair most of the time. thousands of veterans returning from iraq and afghanistan have suffered the effect of post-traumatic stress syndrome or ptsd. but now as abc 7 news anchor eric thomas discovers, a treatment developed for children with autism could offer help. >> reporter: jonathan warren left the army four years ago. the staff sergeant served two tours in iraq, earning two purple hearts. he lives in orange county now, a long way from the war but one memory continues to haunt him. >> had a traumatic brain injury, cerebral spinal fluid and blood coming out of my ears and watched my best friend burning alive. >> reporter: in 2006, he and his team were in a humvee hit by an i.e.d. blast. while his physical wounds

healed, his psyche was far more damaged. he didn't know how badly until he returned to civilian life. >> everybody was a threat. i was always sizing people up, seeing if they had a bomb. >> reporter: he was anxious, depressed, unable to sleep. the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. he tried to self-medicate using painkillers, alcohol, marijuana. he tried therapy but nothing worked. then about a year ago, somebody told him about the brain treatment center in newport beach. >> we are using very powerful magnetic fields to change literally how the brain is working, the frequencies at which the brain is running. >> reporter: it's called neuromodulation, used for children with autism to stimulate areas of the brain that aren't working as they should. doctors believe it can help veterans by restoring parts of the brain affected by war. >> my anxiety was gone and i had quieted down in my head. i was actually able to just be present with my friends and family. >> reporter: warren no longer

abuses drugs or alcohol. he now works at the center as a veteran liaison encouraging others like joseph humel to try it. humel and his autistic son began therapy a few months ago, changing their family forever. >> my wife had a 30-minute conversation with her son for the first time in 14 years. it was unbelievable. >> reporter: the center says this treatment for veterans will be in the clinical testing stage until 2015 but it's already getting support from some of the foremost neurologists in the country. >> i really think that this type of approach will have very significant impact in terms of how we treat neurologicweurolog diseases. >> reporter: the center recently received a $100,000 grant from the infinite hero foundation, an organization that funds innovative programs to help veterans. warren says the goal in all of this is to give hope to the men and women who gave so much to protect our country. >> there is no limiting factor for coming to seek treatment.

it's going to take away the ptsd, i think. >> reporter: eric thomas, abc 7 news. christmas came early for a 4-year-old girl battling pediatric cancer. you may have heard about leah still, the daughter of cincinnati bengals defensive end, devin still. all she wanted for christmas was to meet her favorite disney character, princess jazzmin. after writing a letter to santa, her wish came true. she and her dad got on a plane and flew to disney world where leah dressed up as a princess and got her big surprise, a face-to-face meeting with princess jasmine. she was so surprised, she's speechless. >> just to see the expression on my daughter's face, to see she had a chance to meet princess jasmine, it will be hard to overdo that when she opens presents tomorrow. she has been doing terrific. it's been about a month since she had any treatment. she has to let the radiation do its job for the past couple of weeks so it's given her body a

lot of time to recuperate from the radiation so she has been doing very well. >> her next step is getting a scan in january to see how much cancer remains in her body, if there is none her father says they will move forward with a stem cell transplant. there is a new food trend for anyone hungry for a new eating experience. amateur chefs across the country are turning their homes into restaurants where customers can taste new dishes and dish with new people. we have more from san francisco. >> reporter: don mayfield is hunting for the best shellfish at san francisco's famous fisherman's wharf because today only the best will do. >> we have tons of these. >> reporter: in 12 hours, eight strangers will show up at his doorstep and they will be hungry. >> load them up. get out of here. >> reporter: this isn't a restaurant and don is not a professional chef. he's among the hundreds across the country selling seats at their own dinner tables, part of a growing dining trend that's

being called the airbnb of food. like the house sharing website apps like eat with and cook app take a 15% to 20% cut to connect passionate chefs with adventurous eaters willing to dine with strangers paying less than restaurant prices. >> this is not something you ler learned in a book. >> i have no professional cooking experience. >> reporter: he is offering a san francisco themed dinner through eatwith from clam chowder with sourdough bread and local dungeoness squad complete with squid ink pasta not to mention dessert. >> the main course is half a crab steamed. >> reporter: he is charging $55 a head for a gourmet five-course meal plus wine pairing. a steal for this kind of feast. there are catches. other than the crabs. in many cities, home-based restaurants are not eligible for food service permits and run the risk of being shut down. yet, the reviews are pouring in. >> on a scale of one to five, what would you give it? >> seven. >> reporter: that seven tastes

even better served with an unexpected side of good company. abc news, san francisco. stay here. coming up on abc 7 news at 4:00, how technology is being used to improve the lives of every child on the planet. then new at 5:00 -- >> there will always be this divide in the neighborhood. >> one woman's crusade on the streets and her fight to provide a home for local teen agers. also, remembering one of the state's preeminent conservationists. we are going to go on a stroll of john muir's trail through

female announcer: even tempur-pedic mattress sets at low clearance prices. save even more on floor samples, demonstrators, and closeout inventory. the year end clearance sale is on now at sleep train. ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ great lineup on abc 7, the middle at 8:00, followed by the goldbergs, modern family and three back-to-back episodes of blackish. then join us for abc 7 news at 11:00. see you then. ebola is a deadly disease but in some african countries, it's having another effect on education. >> abc 7 news reporter jonathan bloom explains what a local nonprofit is doing to battle

ebola's effect on a generation of children. >> when he went to a school in liberia, this is what san francisco doctor lei expected to see. >> nothing in the media or what i was reading told me that the school system in liberia had been shut down since the summer. >> no parent wants to send their kid to a school where they can get a disease and frankly, teachers don't want to work in that environment either. >> reporter: david knows the problem all too well. education an unlikely casualty of ebola. a former amazon executive, his nonprofit world reader has been giving schools in africa the very ebooks and kindles he used to sell. >> there's a reason why books never made it to kids in the developing world. a lot of it is economics. a lot of it is simply that it costs a lot to ship. >> reporter: using his old connections to buy the electronic version at a deep discount, his team loads up the kindles. >> the easier you make it the

more they will read. >> reporter: not every kid has access to a kindle but they can read world reader books on something else that's awfully plentiful in the developing world. >> the kids can get access to their textbooks by reading their cell phones. >> reporter: world reader has apps that run on simpler phones found in countries like liberia. they include a feature to make the text bigger, important for kids whose families can't afford glasses. >> it takes something that's basically invisible to a child, kind of blurry text, and makes it readable. that really changes their lives. >> reporter: world readers also put a virtual booklet about ebola. the doctors say that knowledge is key as the government prepares to reopen schools in new year. >> teach a community you shouldn't send a child to school if they have a fever or any other symptoms or signs of ebola. >> reporter: he says 60,000 people have already read that booklet. education that could save lives. jonathan bloom, abc 7 news. thank you for joining us for abc 7 news at 4:00. >> abc 7 news at 5:00 begins right now.

growing concern over a deadly outbreak in caramel apples and the most a local man realized his mother might be infected. plus -- >> demonstrations in solidarity with the police protests movement. highway 101 is briefly shut down. what local officers are now demanding. and -- >> the digital effort to save a controversial movie and why google says it had to step in. i'm abc 7 news meteorologist sandhya patel. it will be a bright christmas. the details coming up. good evening. i'm katie marzullo in for cheryl jennings. >> i'm dan ashley. we are hearing for the first time now from a santa cruz county woman who died from an infection linked to caramel apples. shirley price's family is suing

safeway for selling the apples. the store has since pulled all caramel apples from its shelves. abc 7 news reporter david louie talked with the woman's family today and is live in felton where the caramel apples were purchased with the latest developments on this scary situation. >> reporter: that is so true. the caramel apples were purchased right here at the safeway store in felton. not a very far distance from where this woman lived. as you mentioned, the caramel apples have been pulled and the u.s. centers for disease control is continuing to investigate not only this case but also 28 others from across the country. 81-year-old shirley frye had fallen and was starting to recover when she took a sudden turn for the worse. doctors discovered she had a listeria infection and died. the link to caramel apples came later as similar cases surfaced in ten states. stretching from the west coast to the east. son brad heard about the outbreak in the news. >> i had never heard of listeria until my mom's death on december 2nd. i called my brother and said

that's unusual, there's this outbreak of listeria in caramel apples and he said oh, my gosh, mom brought caramel apples to the kids on halloween. >> reporter: shirley purchased them at her local safeway store in felton. safeway removed all caramel apples from sale. a lawsuit has been filed against safeway to help determine the source and how the caramel apples got contaminated with listeria. safeway said it can't comment about the suit but did tell us quote, the product was supplied to us by a third party and we are looking into this matter further. >> there are ten states involved and they are not all clustered together. all of the people infected with this particular bacteria seemed to all have the exact same strain or maybe two strains that are related to each other. >> reporter: brad frye hopes the lawsuit will provide answers about his mother's death. the family's seattle-based attorney. >> it's unclear as to whether or not we have one manufacturer, whether or not we have a tainted