lunchtime here inside the ferry building. something you never see -- empty tables. >> very bad. we've never seen anything like it. we're down 40%. >> reporter: this restaurant just outside super bowl city typically has 140 team during the lunch hour. but today, only 80 had made reservations. with all the closed streets, locals are finding it impossible to make it down here. >> it's worth mentioning that this not only affects boulevard as a business but all the people that work here. hours are cut, people are used to making money from tips. >> reporter: boulevard says it will take months to recover. the city and the super bowl host city thought having thousands of fans would be good for these restaurants. >> it's a different kind of crowd. you want to put on your football jersey and eat a hot dog and play in super bowl city. >> reporter: they were packed for lunch and business is up. >> we're a little more approachable for the average

person coming in from somewhere out of town. people aren't used to california prices down here. >> reporter: and then there were those working from home. >> everybody at my house is telecommuting. me, i'm like, yeah, i get to go. >> deplorable. who is this for? millionaires and billionaires having fun over there. wiped me out for the day. >> reporter: vendors at the farmer's market say it's been a super bust. leeann melendez, "abc7 news." federal authorities are working to stop the sale of counterfeit nfl merchandise. homeland security officials showed off some of the gear they have confiscated. agents seized 440,000 items. authorities say the sale of this gear funds criminal activities and even terrorism. >> we have seen, as i say, not only directly but indirectly, that these funds end up in the

hands of people who intend to do harm to our country. >> agents also gave tips on how to make sure you're buying a legitimate super bowl ticket. the real ones have a san francisco hologram like that. and a logo with special ink that fades when heat is applied and reappears when cool. protecting fans at the big game will be a team effort and customs officer also be part of the action. this is video sent out by the tent of homeland security, showing officers already screening, scanning cars and big rigs at the levi stadium parking lot for ig that could be harmful. a big change today for the national football league, after questions from us, "abc7 news." we wanted to know whether it's legal for the nfl to use volunteers at the super bowl halftime show. now the nfl decided to pay them. the nfl recruited 500 volunteers for the halftime show, rehearsals now well under way.

the website where volunteers signed up show these pictures, saying people could be required to push, pull, and lift up to 50 pounds. but california law prohibits work that can be done by volunteers. last year's super bowl halftime show had a record 118 million viewers and was sponsored by pepsi, also sponsoring this year's show. >> it's hard to imagine how that is civic engagement. >> reporter: "abc7 news" repeatedly asked for details about the duties. the nfl never provided any and has now decided the volunteers will be paid. >> no word there the nfl on how much they are paying or whether it will include the hours worked for rehearsals, as well as on game day. for all the news about super bowl 50, download the "abc7 news" app, and enable push alerts to get instant updates.

history in the making right now. a major section of the eastern bay bridge is coming down. the middle section is being slowly lowered down to the two barges. sky 7 hd was overhead as the t setup began. laur aa anthony is live with a closer look. >> reporter: now we're learning this may continue into tomorrow. someone at caltrans told us this is going to be like watching paint dry. you can see from our vantage point this truck, the one that's closest to us, is definitely now lower than the others. soon to be taken away completely. with the concrete roadways already stripped away, the job now is to remove the trusses

that once made up the center of the span. >> this is a combination of construction environmental stewardship and history. so we're very aware of that. that's why the priority is safety, the environment, and just the appreciation for what we're doing. >> reporter: as shown in this caltrans animation, the first step will be to reinforce and strengthen the truss, to make sure it can withstand the load as it's lowered to a barge 500 feet below it. each truss weighs more than 25 tons made of steel more than 80 years old. unlike the 1930s construction process, the dismantling of the old span will be done in a way where protecting the environment is a top concern. >> we're taking down steel that is 80 years old. we're very pleased, however, to have the technology that we do so that we don't have to approach the removal in the basic way that it was actually erected. >> reporter: the plan is to get

this truss lowered as far as possible before nightfall. i'm told that's about 6:00 tonight. if it's not all the way to the bottom tonight, the work will be continued tomorrow and then it will be taken to pier 7 in oakland. we're told there will be no demolition out here on the water. the entire truss will be taken by barge to oakland and there it will be dismantled. laura anthony, "abc7 news." >> thank you very much. a chp officer stabbed in the week this week is getting better. officer andre serenko is no longer in critical condition. he's now eating soft foods, as well. police say a man stabbed the officer tuesday morning in san francisco. "abc7 news" was at superior court as the suspect went before a judge to face an attempted murder charge. 15 of the officer's colleagues were there to show support. bail is $5 million. a professor at a college

died from meningitis last month. the health department says the death is unrelated to one reported at santa clara university, because it's a different strain. the university says only a small number of students and staff had contact with that professor. a third student at santa clara university has been diagnosed with meningitis. two students are still hospitalized in fair condition. a third student was discharged in good condition. the university today began offering vaccinations. the recent stormy surf claimed another victim off the coast. now the pier leading to the tourist magnate has been closed. >> reporter: for visitors, the california central coast, a stop here is shlly on the list >> there's a few things they have to see and the cement boat

is one of them. >> reporter: but the backside of the "ss palo alto" has snapped in half and broken apart. >> we've seen very large surf with little break in between. and it's that repeated beating down by the ocean that seems to be having the biggest effect on the ship this year. >> reporter: the ship was intended to be a tanker during world war i, but never made it into service. after sitting in oakland for ten years, it was purchased and towed to sea cliff state beach in 1929 where it found life as an amusement ship before becoming a fishing pier. now it serves as an artificial reef. >> everyone is running down to check it out, because it's a significant change in the way the ship looks. that's a big chunk of concrete to have moved that far. >> reporter: there's no word on when the pier leading to the ship will reopen. but officials say it could be weeks or months. chris wen, "abc7 news."

a lot more to bring you tonight. women in the nfl. a new push straight from the top. details on that next. horsing around at super bowl city. it's almost like a parade instead of a commercial. and what a great day for the warriors. the presidential praise for steph curry and klay, too. and chicken, salmon salad. michael finney reveals whether foods are as healthy as we

we're going to make that commitment and formalize that we as a league are going to do that for women, as well, in all of our executive positions. so, again, we're going to keep

making progress here and make a difference. >> nfl commissioner roger goodell spoke today at the league's first-ever women's summit in san francisco about establishing a rooney rule for women. it's the same rule that requires nfl teams to recruit minority candidates for senior football operation jobs. he says it will apply to women seeking executive positions. some might say all of the hoopla around the super bowl is a dog and pony show today, but today it was the clydesdales. >> the stars of the budweiser commercials took over downtown. >> wayne freedman tweeted this picture of police taking a photo with these very special horses. >> wayne is live outside super bowl city with more. wayne, what a spectacle. >> reporter: it was, iconic horses and iconic dog. not long ago, they paraded right through here, accompanied by san francisco plifs. a lot of them on motorcycles,

paid for by the city and we had a very appreciative audience in the streets of san francisco. >> they're massive. >> reporter: nothing new, since in this case the attractions look familiar. how much does a clydesdale eat? >> about ten pounds of grain and 35 pounds of hay every day. >> reporter: you've seen them in super bowl commercials and today there are eight budweiser clydesdales pulling a wagon down san francisco streets. >> it's fantastic. it's the clydesdales. >> reporter: yes, the clydesdales. did you know that budweiser has three traveling teams of them or each horse is a gelding, stands at least 72 inches tall and weighs as much as 2300 pounds?

do you know their names? s is jake and r.t. >> reporter: yes, and the dalmation's name is chip. he rode shotgun for the mile and a half while some of these people tried to keep up. when is the last time you walked this far? >> disneyland. >> reporter: did she just invoke the name of our parent company? there's her disclaimer. this thursday before the super bowl, we're approaching the point where we can say we have seen it all. >> my day is done. i've seen the clydesdales, i'm done. >> reporter: in san francisco, wayne freedman, "abc7 news." el nino may be giving big waves, but the super bowl has taken the surfing contest away at least until monday. >> today is the first of four blackout days for this popular competition. resources and agencies needed are busy with super bowl 50. >> surfers say they will still be out on the water showcasing

their skills. >> larry beil has been at the nfl experience at the moscone center for the past few hours today. >> hey, larry. >> i'll tell you what, everybody is pumped up and excited here. but also patient, because the line to take a picture with the lombardi trophy winds around and around. these folks have been waiting for about an hour and 15 minutes to get a moment with the lombardi trophy, which will go to the champion of super bowl 50. some other news from the league today. the nfl announced that the honor of flipping the opening coin toss is full of bay area football legends. and the top honor, of course, goes to the icon, joe montana, who will flip the coin. he'll be joined at midfield by jerry rice and steve joining, marcus allen and others. so nice to know that we have bay

area representation from the 49ers as well as the raiders. what are the quarterbacks thinking as we're here on a thursday night and coming up to 72 hours and change before the biggest moment of their nfl career? we talked to trent dilfer, who grew up in the bay area, went to fresno state and won a super bowl with the ravens back in 2001. we asked him what's going through the minds of cam newton and peyton manning right now? >> thursday is the first day where you can tell. it's a normal day of practice. there's no extra media. your routines are pretty much set. you're acclimated to the city and you can see the end coming. you feel good about the plan. all the personnel stuff, you put that to bed, you know your opponent. thursday, i remember the thursday. okay, now i'm just playing football day. instead of dealing with all the

extracurricul extracurricular. >> you can see trent every night here on espn, on our sister network espn. coming up at 6:00, trent will talk about the legacy of peyton manning. if he loses on sunday, as great as he's been throughout a wonderful and glorious career, manning will be 1-3 in super bowls. that's not the legacy he wants. trent dilfer coming up tonight on "abc7 news" at 6:00. that's a wrap for now from here at the nfl experience at the moscone center. it's open through 10:00, lots of games and fun and photos and if you're a fan, come on down. we'll be here. >> that was such a blast. thank you very much. more people than ever are buying prepared foods from supermarkets, but how fresh is that food? >> michael finney is in the studio with some answers. >> reporter: a consumer report survey of 53 -- or 63,000 subscribers found that half their meals are prepared. the popular dishes they analyzed

and found something surprises. people have turned prepared foods into a $29 billion a year business. the consumer report says -- >> they're not required to have nutrition labels, so you might be eating more fat and sodium than you think. >> reporter: they were analyzed for calories, sodium and saturated fats. they found lots of sodium. this mini turkey meatloaf had 891 milligrams of sodium in six ounces. that's the same you get if you ate all these potato chips. one cup of this salad averaged 938 milligrams of sodium. without a nutrition label, you would never know that this fish has 19 grams of fat. other surprising ingredients, this chicken parmesan had added

sugar. and these potatoes are made with a preservative, to maintain color. not ingredients you would add if you made it at home. many supermarkets don't make all their prepared foods. >> we would estimate only about half of what we tested was prepared on site. >> reporter: and you pay a price for convenience. some of the foods cost twice the price of making them at home. consumer reports did try one great deal, rotisserie chicken. it's often far cheaper to buy it in the supermarket than to make yourself. consumers are happy with the prepared foods from costco and whole foods market. >> michael, thank you very much. gorgeous out here. >> it's only the beginning in fact.

let's go to sandhya patel who has our accuweather forecast. >> it is just the beginning and will get warmer. look at this funning shot from our east bay hills camera. the sun goes down at 5:36 p.m. those high clouds you're looking at will provide some beautiful shots. so take your picture, send them to us, #abc7now if you get some good weather pictures. no rain on the horizon. temperatures at this hour, comfortable, in the 50s, 60s. temperatures today about average or a little above normal. here's another lovely view from our emeryville camera. warming trend next week. springlike for super bowl sunday and record highs are possible as we head towards next week. high surf advisory until 7:00 a.m. it remains up. highs anywhere between 11 to 19 feet. watch out for rip currents,

large breakers, especially if you're visiting from out of town, you might not be aware of how our beaches can catch you off guard. here's a look at the temperature trend for san jose. 61 is the average high. tomorrow, 66 degrees. super bowl sunday, low 70s. record highs are possible ewith mid 70s. we definitely need the rain, as you look at san francisco's highs. we'll be above normal. next week, we have 70s showing up. super bowl city for tomorrow, nice and bright with temperatures in the 50s to start off. low 60s and then dropping down to the low 50s. so nice looking weather for san francisco tomorrow. if you are going to be watching the game, the fans there are going to be baking in the heat. warm for the big game, 73 degrees for super bowl sunday,

dropping down to 58 degrees. i'm not happy to report this, but this big pattern change means out west, it's going to be warm. back east, cool. february 10 through 14th. speaking of cool, first thing in the morning, grab that extra layer. upper 30s to 40s. a few clouds around and for the afternoon, 66 in the south bay and san jose. 65 santa cruz. high clouds and sun on the peninsula. 64 in redwood city. downtown san francisco, 62. daley city 61. napa, santa rosa, san rafael, 63. in the east day, 65 oakland, 62 concord. accuweather seven-day forecast. milder weather going into the weekend and then we have some warmth as you notice here, super bowl sunday, low 70s. heating up. next week, mid 70s and you'll forget that it's winter. kristen and dan, you can feel that chill up there on the roof.

>> cooling off a bit here but still nice. firebombs and tear gas in the streets of athens. two days until the republican debate here on abc. it's trump versus cruz already tonight. breaking news on the zika virus outbreak. a health emergency declared in parts of the u.s. the new concern tonight right here. and a gunman taking hold of a

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in athens, greece, clashes broke out between police and young people throwing firebombs and stones. thousands are protesting against planned pension reforms. clashes came as unions organized a strike, canceling flights, public transport and shutting down schools and courts. abc news announced the candidate lineup for saturday night's republican debate, and

carly fiorina remains the only candidate not invited. she met with committee leaders today asking them to urge abc to let her participate. you can watch the debate live from manchester, new hampshire saturday evening at 5:00 p.m. a lot of people are still talking about steph curry's 51 points last night, including president obama. >> he was clowning. [ laughter ] jumping up and down. >> president obama honored the nba champs today at the white house, calling the warriors one of the best teams ever. the team gave the president his own jersey. the president praised curry but gave props to klay thompson. >> it's not just steph. there's the other splash brother klay who dropped 37 in a quarter and whose jump shot is a little

prettier. >> curry sent out this tweet of him and his wife touring the white house, the caption, abe lincoln wondering who we are. and a lot more pictures coming up at 6:00. >> a fun day they had. a rare appearance from cold play today. >> how the band is choosing which four score and seven years ago, our [train horn blares]th-- ... to the continent... [claps] ... a new nation. announcer: don't wait until presidents day to get a better night's sleep.

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coming up on "abc7 news" at 6:00, a story you'll hear only on abc 7. >> i'm trying to figure out how to get my life together. my life has been in shambles since this happened. >> hear from the man stabbed by mario woods just before woods was shot and killed by police. new at 6:00, what the nfl's chief medical officer has to stay about growing concerns regarding concussions. plus, the denver bronco making his second super bowl appearance. find out what it took to get thunder the horse from colorado

to california. before cold play takes the stage during super bowl 50 halftime, they took the stage today to meet the media. >> "abc7 news" was there as the british band gave details about their halftime show. >> they say they argued a lot about what songs to play. don't expect big dance numbers. the band said they'll stick to what they do best. >> we decided we wanted to make it about togetherness and acceptance and the things we really believe in. and then we called the right guests. >> of course, beyonce will be there. but so will local bands they call superstars. the band would not say who that is. >> we'll have to wait another 72 hours before the big surprise. but lit be a great show. >> "world news tonight" is up next. i'm kristen sze. >> and i'm dan ashley. for all of us here from the roof of the broadcast center overlooking the ferry building next to super bowl city, we appreciate your time.

tonight, just two days until the big republican debate here, the new poll at this hour in new hampshire. is there a shakeup coming? donald trump, ted cruz and, tonight, we're one-on-one with marco rubio, now the target of incoming fire. also breaking, the zika virus. the health emergency in the u.s. now widening. the spraying here at home. the troubling transmission. as we ask, is the u.s. ready? chilling new details tonight. the 13-year-old girl, murdered. and this evening, the college students and their alleged plot revealed. carefully planned and why they went to walmart. the hostage drama in the parking lot. the gunman taking hold of a mother. officers forced to make a split-second decision. and, the smirk. the former drug company ceo, who raised the price of a