the new warriors arena in san francisco, one giant step closer to reality this morning. the ground breaking of the team's new home across the bay is about to take place. thanks for joining us today. >> the big moment is finally here after years of planning and legal challenges. >> abc 7 news reporter carolyn tyler live at the mission bay lot that will soon be the warriors' field of dreams. carolyn? >> reporter: well, you see a lot of preparation going on behind me. they have put up a big tent because they were a little worried about what the weather was going to be like today but it seems to be perfect.

the team had a major victory last night over a big rival, the cleveland cavaliers and today they had a big the opponents of the arena in the state supreme court. i'll tell you about that in just a couple of seconds but since the owners bought the team back in 2010 they envisioned moving that team to san francisco. they tried first as you know along the waterfront but there was so much opposition there they purchased this site from salesforce. it will be called chase center, that bank bought the naming rights. it will be slightly smaller than oracle, 18,000 seats. it's for more than just basketball. there will be conferences and other events. the warriors are paying for the billion dollar arena. mayor ed lee called this his legacy project. but as with many things, this new arena is not without

controversy. critics have been worried about traffic congestion and though they love the team, they say they hate the possibility that nearby ucsf hospital will have limited access for patients so the group called the mission by a alliance had sued but they lost every step of the way including this morning when the state supreme court turned down their petition. earlier today, the opponents said the legal fight is not over. that was before the state supreme court made this decision. they said in the event that they begin construction activities such as site preparation, it would be at their own risk. well, the warriors are moving forward. this is a ceremonial ground breaking that will take place today starting at noon and they are hoping that they're going to be able to move into chase

center in time for 2019/2020 season. live at the new site for the warriors, i'm carolyn tyler, abc 7 news. >> carolyn, thanks so much. the warriors lease at their current home, oracle arena, ends at the end of the season. >> and oakland city council will talk about extending the lease during a closed session. the warriors pay $7.5 million a year to use the oracle. the warriors are in talks with the coliseum's joint powers authority. if they can't broker a short term deal, golden state may have to play somewhere else, for example san jose's sap center until the chase center opens. >> the ground breaking ceremony is private by abc 7 is your ticket inside. right now we're live streaming the event leading up to the official kickoff at noon so you can follow every minute on the abc 7 news app and our web site, abc7news.com. developing news in the case of the wife of the orlando nightclub shooter.

she knew what he was up to, that is the bottom line of the indictment in her first court appearance. a relative tells abc 7 news amy hollyfield the charges just aren't true. amy is live for us in oakland. amy? >> reporter: hi, reggie. she had her back to us during the hearing but after it was over she turned around and searched the crowd for a while, clearly looking for a family member. there was one there, an uncle who was watching and listening as prosecutors talked about the possibility of life in prison. the uncle says she is innocent. all she is worried about is her young son. she had no idea what her husband was up to. >> we believe in her. when she says, i'm innocent, we know she's innocent. when she says i had no idea what that crazy guy was doing, we know that. we are the only ones right now, we know that we believe in her. she had nothing do with it. >> reporter: al salman was teary

eyed as he watched his wife, noor salman, make her first court appearance. authorities believe she aided her husband, omar mateen, in the attack on 2 orlando nightclub where he killed 49 people. but her uncle insists she was sleeping when he was killing people and had no idea the attack was happening. >> she was sleeping. her mother-in-law called her telephone early in the morning to tell her "where's omar?" she said "well, he's not here, let me call him and find out." she either called him or texted him. he responds. he said "don't you see the news?" she told him "no." he said "i love you, babe." hang up. that's all she knows. >> reporter: prosecutors say she obstructed justice with lies and misstatements claiming she knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward officers of the fort pierce police department and the fbi to hinder communication.

her uncle insists she didn't know a thing. >> i feel sorry for all those 50 people. but the right person who did this crime, he needs to pay for it. but not innocent -- don't taken a innocent person. she have no idea. >> reporter: her husband was killed in that attack by police. the uncle says omar mateen was mentally and physically abusive of her and that she was scared to leave him because she was afraid he would take her son away from her. she will be back in court tomorrow here in oakland. they're going to talk about who her attorney will be. they'll possibly arraign her and discuss moving her and this case to orlando. live in oakland, amy hollyfield, nbc 7 news. the man suspected of gunning down five people in a rampage at a florida airport is being held without bond while he awaits trial. 26-year-old esteban santiago could face the death penalty in connection with the january 6 attack at the ft. lauderdale airport. fbi agents testified this

morning the weapon used in the shooting had been seized by agents in alaska last year and later returned to him. agents said he flew to ft. lauderdale, picked up the weapon he checked in and started firing randomly at passengers in baggage claim. five people were killed. six others hurt. good news for drivers in marin county. highway 37 in novato is back open after it was closed for almost a week. the chp announced lingering floodwaters have been cleared from eastbound and westbound lanes. this video shows what water was left in that stretch of highway 37 near 101 over the weekend. caltran's crew has pumped the water out but they warn that same stretch could flood again because, as you've probably been hearing, we have another round of storms heading our way. people living along a busy street in alamo were reminded of the storm dangers overnight. this is video of a big tree that came crashing down. part of it into a yard along livorna road west of interstate

680. that road reopened around 320. again, we could see more scenes like this to come as the rain comes down in our forecast over the next few days. so let's get right to mike for what we have in store. mike? we have a lot of rain coming our way. high, everybody. look at the totals as we go through three storms starting tomorrow through monday. three to five inches, possibly a couple more inches than that in the sandra cruz mountains. here's a look at tomorrow's storm. we have light rain for the morning commute but the heavy downpours will be in the afternoon and evening hours. that's when we'll have the strong e winds that could bring down more trees and more power outages. here's a look at my concerns for wednesday's storm. we have a moderate chance of power outages, hydroplaning during the evening commute, stream and creek flooding, a low incidence of river flooding and debris flows. we'll talk about those storms and the feet of snow coming to the sierra coming up soon. >> see you in a few minutes, mike, thanks.

bart operations are back to normal after another equipment failure caused delays for commuters this morning. today's was the latest in a string of problems since the start of the new year. abc 7 news reporter lonnie rivera is live at embarcadero station with the latest. >> reporter: we're not sure if the issue here in embarcadero has been cleared up but many communitiers we spoke to say it's become the norm to expect to be late for work wherever they take bart. packed cars, 10 to 15-minute delays and limited service. this morning in west oakland, these passengers had to exit their bart train and wait on the platform for another one. so katrina wang's morning commute was better than last week. >> a train stopped at 24th street and we were stuck there for 10 or 15 minutes or so. >> reporter: katrina says her bus never made it into the office. my manage, ingr, actually, comi

from east bay, she ended up having to work from home because of the delays. >> last friday bart had major similar wide delays after a maintenance vehicle system stalled between macarthur and 19th street station at oakland. jim mcgee remembers that day. >> it took us at least a extra half hour at least to 40 minutes to get in here. i knew that would mess them up bad. >> reporter: the week before that, a cable glitch between rail cars in west oakland delayed service into san francisco. >> i feel like most of the time it's reliable unless some technical difficulties come up then it can be delayed. >> reporter: bart officials say this morning an equipment problem at a train at embarcadero caused a ten-minute delay. a delay in sfo daily city and downtown oakland directions. bart area rapid transit says money from the recently passed $3.5 billion bond will help improve service. >> i take the ferry more often

because it's more convenient for my living situation. but i totally am very in favor of bart's continuing to provide a better and better service. >> reporter: bart commented on the delays with this statement saying "what they have in common is the fact that we have so many training that it causes train congestion and backup. the good news is new trains coming and bond passage but these solutions don't happen overnight." live in san francisco, abc 7 news. >> bart leaders are going on the record about another problem that causes rider frustration, escalators that seem to always break down. bart blames the trouble on so-called escalator etiquette -- where you stand on the right if you're going up so people can pass you on the left. bart tweeted out that the practice causes uneven wear on escalator gears which leads to repairs and closures. this revelation comes as the

agency plans to repair or replace 23 escalators system wide. the presidential inauguration now just three days away. next at 11:00, we're tracking the money trail on what is stacking up to be one of the most expensive inaugurations we've seen. and when it comes to getting good health care for children, some parents could be doing more harm than go

president-elect donald trump will take office with the

dubious distinction of being the most unpopular incoming commander in chief in recent history. >> here are the numbers. according to an abc news/"washington post" poll, only 40% of americans polled approve of the way mr. trump is handling the transition. compare that to previous presidents. president obama went into office with an 80% approval rating, george w. bush 72% and 82% approved of bill clinton before he was inaugurated. mr. trump responded to the poll's finds with some familiar words. in a tweet this morning he called it "rigged." whether you voted for him or not you will be paying for part of his big day friday. but how much? with a closer look at the cost of the inauguration, let's check in with abc 7's jessica castro. >> reporter: this could be the most costly inauguration in u.s. history and according to the "new york times," the price tag could top $200 million for friday's inauguration and events leading up to it. taxpayers like you and me will foot the bill along with private

donors and taxpayers are paying because much of the bill is covered by the federal government, state, and local governments and certain government committees. but what cost the most? security is the biggest line item by far. it could easily top $100 million for about 28,000 personnel. how does it compare to past elections? mr. trump's inaugural committee raised much of the money and the "new york times" is saying it's already amassed 100 million through corporations and smaller supporters. by comparison, listen to this, that's well above the record $53 million set by the obama team back in 2009. the costs can fluctuate depending on the size of the crowds bewe expect large numbers in washington, d.c. for his swearing in -- many may be protesters. no matter how you feel about it, it's poised to be the one of the biggest money totals in history so it's one for the record books. jessica cass trow, abc 7 news.

>> abc 7 news anchor dan ashley is going to be in washington, d.c. thursday and friday with live reports on president-elect trump's inauguration. next on abc 7 news, the key to getting the best health care for your kids. we'll tell you what to steer clear of at the doctor's office. >> i have been promised by my director a beaut

i am totally blind. i lost my sight in afghanistan. if you're totally blind, you may also be struggling with non-24. calling 844-844-2424. or visit my24info.com. time to jump into this quiet weather pattern while we have it by showing you the final sunrise this week -- that we'll be able

to see, put a caveat on this one. you can see the fog rolling across a lot of our neighborhoods and the high clouds that rolled in and that's why we're seeing dimming of the sunshine and such hazy conditions out there. these two combined to bring us a partly sunny and hazy afternoon. cleaner and wetter air storm through monday with that series of three storms. if you have outdoor plans, saturday is looking the driest right now. is lett's look at live doppler 7. i have radar and clouds on top of this. you can see the clouds rolling in and a few radar return bus those will stay well to the north until this time tomorrow. here's san rafael and you can see fog in our neighborhoods. you could have poor air quality this afternoon along be inland eastbound neighborhoods. but everybody is under our fifth winter spare the air alert, that means no burning of woods today. look at the fog in livermore, 39 degrees. and where we don't have anything, same thing in half

moon bay. everybody in the 40s. here's walnut creek and you can see how stubborn that fog is. we'll still see the fog fading at 2:00 inland. hazy conditions at 4:00, and by 6:00 and 8:00 mostly cloudy conditions. low to mid-50s between 2:00 and 4:00. we don't drop much during the overnight hours with the thicker clouds and warmer air we'll wake up to mid-40s to near 50. a slight chance north of the san mateo bridge of a sprinkle before tomorrow's morning commute. there may be dampness on the roads and drizzle by 9:00 and you can see steadier rain moving in to north bay at noon and some of that moderate with yellows. the rest of us around 4:00 and it keeps pouring through 7:00 up until just about midnight. as we head towards thursday morning it tapers. rainfall in this particular system you can see from hayward northward there's wetness at 9:00 tomorrow morning at the end of the commute. we will get two to three inches in the mountains, weather the north bay or santa cruz

mountains. the rest of us three quarters of an inch to an inch and a quarter. we have the potential for damage from 1:00 tomorrow afternoon until 1:00 thursday morning so a 12-hour window of southerly winds 40 to 50 mile per hour. if you're heading to the sierra noon tomorrow through noon thursday possibly four to eight inches of snow above 4500 feet. all the passes will be snowbound and a foot to two feet above 9,000 feet. we will have ponding on the roadways, wind gusts and hydroplaning and feet of snow in the sierras. so it will be active no matter where you are tomorrow through monday. >> are you trying to exhaust us? it's working. >> it's working overhere, too. >> well, skiers keep saying thank you. >> can you imagine, another three to five feet of snow? >> amazing. >> i'm going say thank you because politeness is everything as you see from this next study. parents, a new study may make

you rethink how you talk with your child's doctor. researchers at the university of florida say being rude could lead to worse care for your kids. they found more than 40% of medical errors were the result of rudeness towards physicians. researchers conducted the study in israel where 39 medical teams found teams that dealt with rude parents didn't perform as well and could not make a diagnosis as quickly. the study appears in the journal "pediatrics." betty white is never rude. sassy but never rude. she's celebrating a big birthday today. >> up next, her secret to a happy

happy birthday, betty white. america's favorite golden girl is turning 95 today. >> friends say the hollywood icon is celebrating by having girlfriends over for a game of poker and by indulging in one vodka tonic. so what is her secret to a happy life? >> she says attitude goes a long way. so she says don't take yourself too seriously. white keeps her mind sharp by playing cross word puzzles and reading the newspaper everyday. >> i've heard that works. looks like the party is already getting started. white tweeted out this picture "no better way to kick off 95 than with a visit from my dear friend katie couric." >> and she's holding a sloth stuffed animal. i know she loves animals.

i didn't know there was a sloth thing going on. >> didn't know but she looks amazing, that's for sure. is that going to do it for right now? it is. we're having so much fun. storm coming again. >> have the umbrellas and plenty of patience, a lot of ponding on the roadways wednesday through monday. >> we have been warned. are we prepared? i don't know. >> bye-bye.

>> thanks for joining us for getaway week. today's a very special day, because our contestants are not just playing for themselves. they're playing to win an amazing vacation for someone in their life who could really, really use it. let's see if they can do it right now. from bally's las vegas, it's time to play "who wants to be a millionaire." [cheers and applause] [dramatic music] ♪ welcome to the show. it's getaway week here on "who wants to be a millionaire." [cheers and applause] today's getaway contestant has been vacationing in las vegas since the '80s, and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. from helotes, texas, please welcome cheryl garcia. [cheers and applause] how you doing? >> hi. >> bring it in. >> oh, thank you. so good to meet you. [cheers and applause] thank you. >> okay, i have been to every nook and cranny of texas. where is helotes?