that there are -- >> the environmental protection agency is the front line protector of public health. >> david lewis head of save the bay says the trump administration's proposed 31% budget cut to the epa will eliminate a $5 million program for san francisco bay wetland restoration, pollution prevention and more. >> in addition, the trump budget cuts to the epa would gut the epa's ability to enforce the laws that protect our health. protect the water we drink and air we breathe. >> reporter: beyond the beauty is physical access. executive director of the development commission a california regulatory agency larry goldspend worries proposed can uts to the epa and also the department of commerce, the state won't have the resources to ensure the federal government complies with california laws,

when for example they build along a shoreline. >> without a federal government program people around the bay will have less access to the bay, they'll have less views of the bay because the federal government won't have a reason to work with the state to ensure those views. >> reporter: we were hearing mike problems at the beginning. i was mentioning a lot of this money goes to building and ensuring the safety and upkeep of beautiful bike paths and beaches like here with the chrissy field lagoon. i have spoken to a san francisco environmental attorney who tells me that she believes the state laws are robust that the loss of any federal matching dollars won't have meaningful impact on environmental enforcement. we'll dig in more at 6:00. kate larson, nbc 7 news. california officials are in washington, d.c., try igto recruit scientists. we have a picture from the

president of the california public utilities commission, michael picker. he and his colleagues spent part of the day on the steps of the epa letting scientists know they are appreciated for one, they held up posters saying fight climate change, work for california. the commission is hiring dozens of staffer jobs. a teen age girl shot and killed by police in hayward was pregnant and police arrested a robbery suspect who ran away from the deadly confrontation. investigators found a man in san francisco last night, identified as the boyfriend of 16-year-old lena mondragon. she died after being shot by fremont police when they were trying to stop a stolen car. family and friends honored the young woman they called ebi near her home in antioch last night. >> ebi meant a lot to everybody. she made everybody laugh and

everything. >> obviously very distraught. robbery suspect rammed his car into them on tuesday, mondragon was riding in the car, that vehicle had been linked to robberies in fremont. breaking news just moments ago a sentence was handed down in that vallejo kidnapping case police initially and wrongly called a hoax. federal judge sentenced matthew muller to 40 years in prison following his guilty plea to kidnapping charges. he kidnapped denise huskins and drugged her boyfriend inside their home two years ago. she was released two days later. police publicly accused the couple of making the whole thing up. muller was eventually linked to the crime months later following a home invasion robbery in dublin. we'll have reaction to the sentencing on abc 7 news at 5:00. family and friends of sierra lamar will gather to mark the fifth anniversary of the young woman's disappearance. she vanished on her way to a school bus stop near morgan hill, she was 15 years old at

the home. antonin garcia torres is on trial charged with attempting to kidnap three other morgan hill women in 2009. abc 7 news was in court. full report at 5:00. a hayward man faces charges for making harassing phone calls to police departments in 18 states. authorities say sammy sultan phoned in hundred of death threats and hostage calls. he faces five years in prison if convicted. a woman's recovering after she needed to be rescued from her mangled vehicle. this after a crash in vallejo. firefighters working to free her. this is along eastbound interstate 80 this morning, the highway patrol believes all this started when a big rig jack knifed, that truck hit three other vehicles just after 8:3024 morning. the wreckage blocked interstate 80 at tennessee street. all lanes reopened two hours later. the weather is certainly

becoming more beautiful day, and this is a live look from mt. tam camera and you can see still a little hazy but very, you know, pretty. >> thighs. little bit cool, spencer christian here with the outlook for the weekend. t it's thursday. >> i look at the weekend on monday. it's been a pleasant day, not quite so warm as earlier in the week but pleasant nonetheless. sunny skies. view sutro tower over alcatraz. 64 across the pay and oakland. you are 60s at mountain view and san jose. 74 in gilroy, and a cool 57 at half moon bay. this is the view from emeryville looking forward the golden gate. 67 in santa rosa. 70 in napa. fairfield low 70s, concord and livermore and here's a little evening planner as we look out over the bay from our rooftop camera. mstly sunny skies and until

sunset which will occur at 7:18 this evening. it will cool down a few degrees between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. as it gets darker but a pretty mild night, pretty mild overnight period as well. so what does st. patrick's day hold for us tomorrow? i'll have the accuweather forecast coming up shortly. >> thanks, spencer. a pleasanton neighborhood watched back yards tis appear, chunks falling into the creek after the recent rain and worse, they thought they'd be left with the bill for repairs. now there's finally come much needed help. abc 7 news reporter amy hollyfield has details. >> reporter: as the back yards continue to crumble, residents say they are feeling a bit of relief today, after last night's zone seven meeting, where they say officials decided to pay for an emergency fix and long-term repairs. >> i couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. i thanked the board. it was very good outcome. >> it made my heart feel better last night. >> reporter: they've lost at

least 30 feet of land back here, 13 trees have fallen into the creek, three of them huge redwoods. the land finally giving in to all the rain we have had. the residents are worried their homes will be next and they are especially concerned about next week's forecast. >> we're talking six days of rain is forecast and some of it significant and i don't, am not sure that our property itself is k survive that. >> reporter: wondering if they can get handbags or emergency stops in place before the rain arrives. the emergency work approved still needs permits, materials, a plan. >> you'd love to see equipment right now going and so the time frame is not quick enough. how's that? >> reporter: ginger doesn't know if she can stick around through next week's weather. >> hopefully we can get out, that's my, what i want to do. i can't sit here. i can't watch this. i don't want to see anything more go in that creek.

>> reporter: they say sein the y weather pieces of the back yards continue to fall into the creek, in the middle of the night noises wake them up and they feel panicked what is happening outside. that is why they feel so nervous about this upcoming rain. in pleasanton, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. somebody new will soon be living here in the chancellor's house at uc berkeley. >> the university of california regents unanimously approved the appointment of carol crist as the new chancellor at uc berkeley, the first woman in that position. abc 7 nia melendez tells us what the new chancellor faces. >> enthusiastically approve the appointment. >> reporter: it's the first time that uc berkeley has a woman at the helm, the former president of smith college had come out of retirement to return to 2015 as an administrator and now to lead the university. she first came to uc berkeley in 1970 as an assistant professor

when only 3% of the faculty were women. >> and i'd never been in a place so deeply committed to widening the doors to educational opportunity. >> reporter: yet she's quick to point out the university faces tough times ahead. among her biggest challenges is ensuring that uc berkeley remains the top public institution in the country, while dealing with a decline in state funding. crist believes it's time to reimagine the school's financial model, which relies on two bloc grants -- tuition dollars and what they get from the state. >> we certainly will be increasing on the importance of philanthropy as one of the revenue streams that we have. >> reporter: this comes as the regents are expected to approve a cap on the number of higher paying out of state students, allowing for more california students to enroll. that cap would be 20% at most ucs and 24% at cal, ucla and uc san diego.

in exchange, the uc system will receive $18.5 million from the state. >> it's a net positive for the university. >> reporter: in the meantime the 72-year-old crist will receive the same compensation as her predecessor, nearly $532,000, including housing. in san francisco, leighanne melendez, abc 7 news. you can soon shell out more money for everyday expenses. >> everything is expensive, you have to have two or three jobs just to survive. >> the proposed tax that could affect your next haircut. plus the bus driver who does more than just drive. how she saved a little boy from the freezing cold. check out this viral video, people waiting for a train get engulfed in snow. just how did that happen? >> look out. 4:10 our first check of the afternoon commute, this is 101 in san jose. the southbound lanes as they always are at this hour, all jammed up, carpool lane is moving on northbound better and

880 over the top moving nicely as well. back with more on

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a woman accused of abandoning her child at a southern california grocery store had her first appearance in court. she was charged with desertion of a child under 14 years old and endangering the health of a child. she was found because of this surveillance video where she's accused of leaving her child at a riverside food 4 less. according to a witness the child just wandered off and when a good samaritan returned her to her mother the mom said oh, just leave her, and then left the store. a wisconsin bus driver is

being called a hero after she found an unexpected passenger. the driver was pulling over for a short break at midnight, and instead saw a 5-year-old boy in summer clothing and no shoes. at midnight in milwaukee, it was below freezing outside, so she carried him onto the bus, gave him her coat, and then waited for police. >> came out of nowhere. out of nowhere. i just happened to look over and heard him crying. he was just running up center. >> turns out the boy had wandered away from his home a few blocks away, but the world needs more good samaritans like denise. >> a very lucky boy, very lucky she was there. a haircut or even a manicure could cost you more in california if a proposed tax services bill makes its way through the legislature. >> the legislation would impose a new tax on a long list of services. abc 7 news reporter lori rivera joins us with who are. >> reporter: here in almeida

alone about a dozen businesses on the street that to be impacted by the sales tax to services. we talked to owners and customers who feel blind-sided and didn't know lawmakers were considering this. studio barber lounge has a staff of barbers who work as independent contractors keeping their haircuts affordable and competitive are critical. so news of proposed legislation calling to extend a sales tax to services at california barbershops and hair salons doesn't sit well with raul lindsay. >> he's a little kid, i charged 15 for him. raise my tax i have to charge him $25. we can't afford that. >> reporter: lindsay believes it will dissuade customers from leaving a tip in a service-driven profession. >> we're cash business so anything taking out of our pockets will affect our families. >> reporter: the price for a manicure, your dry cleaning bill, a haircut and color would increase with a possible 8.5% service tax.

that means a $79 haircut could cost you nearly seven bucks more and in a state known for its high taxes, he says aren't we taxed enough already? >> everything is so expensive. you have to have like two or three jobs just to survive. >> reporter: the proposed bill could hit main street customers in the pocketbook by raising the price on things like car repairs, yoga class, even landscaping services. board of equalization vice chair george rennor is against the measure and informing california businesses about its impact. >> it would collect about $2.3 billion. that means that's $2.3 billion coming out of consumers' pockets. >> reporter: the bill's language says the money would go to in a infrastructu infrastructure, education and health care, a senate committee is set to take up the tax on services idea next week. in al lena, lonni rivera, abc 7 news. commuters on 580 through the tri valley may think the traffic is moving a little better and if so they would be correct.

14 miles of express between livermore and dublin open to traffic a year ago and the report card for that first year is in now. transportation planners say the traffic is moving faster and smoother and safer out there as well. 7.6 million trips were tracked using those express lanes, that's about 30,000 drivers a day. >> well, i think we've alleviated that parking lot for the most part. people are enjoying their commute about ten miles an hour faster in the express lane than they are in the general purpose lane. >> those lanes are open to carpoolers and drivers with a special transponder. the price for the transponder drivers is based on congestion pricing. at the height of the commute people would pay as much as $13 to make a 14-mile run. >> that adds up if it's almost daily. palo alto based tesla is raising more than $1 billion as it ramps up production of its model three sedan. it needs the money to fund a launch of the model three.

the money will come from a stock sale and debt, tesla unveiled the model three years ago this month with a $35,000 price tag. the first deliveries of the car are expected later this year. a new satellite is in orbit thanks to elon musk's other company, spacex. >> zero. liftoff. and with that, spacex successfully launched its falcon 9 rocket from the kennedy space center. the rocket was carrying a commercial communications satelli satellite. it's the second launch from the 39a launch complex. now to some wild video out of new york, this is what you should not do if you happen to be waiting for a train right after a snowstorm. passengers waiting for a train coming in on snow covered tracks. look out! it's about 85 miles outside of new york city. hits the deep snow left by the storm and the impact sent a wave

of snow flying across the platform. you could see these people being engulfed, too close to the tracks. amtrak says nobody was hurt but the video's been very popular, viewed more than 1.5 million times since it was posted on youtube and spencer christian, i believe this is why we live in california. >> exactly. i know how that feels because i used to live there and that happened to me a couple times. >> you don't stand that close to the train tracks. >> no, i jumped back because i have great reflexes. >> of course. >> and he had a chauffeur which is another story. >> and then he started anchoring. >> nice. nice. >> trying to segue here. we're getting more snow in tahoe? >> more rain and snow in tahoe. sorry, larry. >> very good. >> doppler 7, we have mostly sunny skies right now, and he was a good chauffeur, but he was driving me crazy. and we've got mild conditions but not nearly so mild as

earlier in the week. here is a view from mt. tam looking down onto the bay, under partly cloudy skies. w'll see partly cloudy to mostly clear conditions tonight with patchy morning fog, sunny and warm for st. patrick's day tomorrow, nice and warm as a matter of fact but a rainy pattern begins on saturday and that may continue through most of next beak. satellite image of the approaching mass of moisture, a huge mass of moisture, so we play see light rain over the weekend, steadier rain next week. so our chances of rain over the next seven days are fairly low over the weekend. there may be a couple of wet spots. enough rain to assign numbers and rankings to the storms next week, one on monday, a one on tuesday, a one onnence with and a two, a stronger storm or moderate storm on thursday. let me give you a forecast animation for the weekend, starting at 8:00 a.m. saturday, we'll see clouds thickening and looks like during the day and into the evening we may see some rain develop up in the north bay, it will be pretty light and it won't move much farther south

than about santa rosa before it sort of fizzles, leaving us with clouds going into sunday morning. so get ready for steadier, more widespread rain next week. back to the current time frame overnight tonight we'll have mostly clear skies, maybe a few little patches of light fog, low temperatures will be mainly in the mid to upper 40s and then tomorrow, st. patrick's day a nice and mild one, the luck of the irish will be with us. high temperatures upper 60s at the coast to lower and mid-70s around the bay, mid to upper 70s inland and the accuweather seven-day forecast. chance of some showers saturday, less of a chance on sunday actually, but we'll post a little rainy cloud there anyhow just in case a sprinkle occurs. next week will be a wet week, spring showers on monday, rainy and breezy tuesday, showers and turning cooler wednesday and a moderate storm on thursday. next week be prepared for soggy conditions. >> we're ready. thanks, spencer. >> it's not over yet. this is not over. >> never is. >> i tell you that. march madness is under way

and it's already breaking some records. >> i think we see madness right now right here. the usa women's hockey team up for a fourth consecutive championship, but they say they're not going to play.

it appears this year's march madness is crazier than ever. our sister network espn says a record 18.8 million brackets were entered in its annual ncaa tournament challenge, the most in the 20-year history of this contest and smashed last year's record of 13 million. in case you were wondering north carolina is the most popular pick to win it all, st. mary's and uc davis are the only northern california teams in the tournament. living longer may be just a state of mind. this is the conclusion of dr. mario martinez, he's the founder of the bio cognitive science institute. dr. martinez spoke today at the boomers and beyond luncheon, abc 7 news anchor jessica castro was

the mistress of ceremonies. dr. martinez interviewed centenarians for their secret to a long life. feeling old resulted in earlier death, so people who were a little bit narcissistic and who felt attractive live longer. i should be in good shape. even if they didn't follow the healthiest lifestyle habits. >> i'm penciling in your 100th birthday party now. >> thank you. we are excited to introduce a new way to watch abc 7 news stories and videos on tv whenever you want and here's how it works. abc 7 news is now available on amazon fire. >> breaking news -- >> a streaming media player that hooks directly into your television set. you can use amazon fire to connect instantly with abc 7 news any time of the day or night. >> look at the flames shooting from an apartment building. >> reporter: check out or top stories. >> this is an active rescue operation. >> reporter: yuz your remote to move video to video and find what interests you.

>> i get goose bumps thinking about the potential of programs like this. >> the goats just keep streaming down that small hillside. >> reporter: click on most recent to get videos as soon as they're posted. >> there's no place for this water to go. >> finally it came into view and my heart just about leaped out of my chest. >> reporter: the weather tab takes to you a seven-day forecast or get a more detailed up to the minute forecast from our abc 7 weather team. >> freezing inland. >> start out bright on your monday. >> reporter: if you're looking for a pick me up click on the feel good section. >> oh my gosh. >> reporter: videos to make you smile. ♪ suitable for all members of the household. ♪ >> we got a lot more like that, all there, again that app is for amazon fire tv, just one more way you can watch abc 7 news at a time that works for you. a frightening explosion at italy's mt. etna. several scientists were injured. we'll tell you how this happened. plus --

>> wait a minute, there's a lot of wiretapping being talked about. i've been seeing a lot of things. >> the president still not backing down from those wiretapping claims, and his pledge to keep fighting for his newest travel ban.

and here are the stories making headlines at 4:30.

teenage girl shot and killed by police in hayward was pregnant and police have arrested a robbery suspect who ran away from that deadly confrontation. investigators found the man in san francisco last night. family members of lena mondragon tell us he's her boyfriend. the 16-year-old died after being shot by fremont police as they were trying to stop a stolen car. today marks five years to the day sin sierra lamar disappeared. angelo garcia torres is on trial for murder even though a body has never been found. we'll have more coming up at 5:00. a bay area company on a federal list to help build president trump's proposed wall says it's receiving hate tweets. the company is actually against building the wall. abc 7 news reporter laura anthony will explain coming up at 5:00. this afternoon the president is pledging to keep fighting for his newly revised travel ban despite it being blocked in

court. maggie rulli is in new york. >> president trump continues to deal with the same issues, his tweets and that travel ban. president trump's looking forward to st. patrick's day during the irish prime minister's visit, but he still is having to look back, bringing up the initial executive order on immigration. >> i think we ought to go back to the first one and go all the way. >> reporter: after judges in hawaii and mpd md are blocking the newly revised travel ban saying it discriminates on the basis of nationality and religion but president trump calls the ruling judicial overreach and the justice department says the ruling is flawed. >> the danger is real, and the law is clear and he will continue to exercise his constitutional authority and presidential responibility to protect our nation. >> reporter: the president's also left answering to those tweets he sent accusing former president obama of wiretapping

trump tower. now on fox news, he shares where he got his information. >> i've been reading about things. i said wait a minute, there's a lot of wiretapping being talked about. i've been seeing a lot of things. >> reporter: the white house says the term "wiretap" is really a broader term for surveillance. >> the president said last night that he will be providing, there would be additional information coming forward. >> reporter: with no evidence of either, senator patrick leahy tells cnn this source doesn't cut it. >> this is the president of the united states. he has access to all the intelligence in this country. he knows it's not true. >> reporter: and now pressure is building for fbi director james comey to come out with exactly what he knows. director comey have you seen any evidence president obama wiretapped trump tower? the leading members of the senate intelligence committee did have a chance to meet with director comey. they released a joint statement today saying that based on what they've seen so far, there's no evidence of any government surveillance happening at trump tower. in new york, maggie rulli, abc 7

news. >> maggie, when can we expect to hear from director comey? >> that's the big question. so far director comey issue nod public statement on the topic but he's going to have his moment soon, larry, monday scheduled to appear before congress and lawmakers are already saying they're going to come at him with tough questions. they want to know what he knows, how he knows it and if there's going to be a criminal investigation. larry? >> mag e auto, thank you. happening now, demonstrators are gathering in front of the ninth circuit court of appeals in san francisco to celebrate a federal judge's ruling yesterday to halt the enforcement of president trump's newest travel ban. you can see we do have about a dozen people out there right now, they have their signs up and that ruling by a federal judge in hawaii led to a temporary restraining order nationwide preventing president trump's travel ban from taking effect. the white house says the trump administration is ready to appeal the rulings all the way to the supreme court. so dozens of people out there

protesting the travel ban. now to a scare on sicily's mt. etna. scientists investigating recent eruptions were injured when magma spewing from the volcano hit the snow and that caused an explosion. abc news reporter alex stone has the details. >> reporter: one of the awful wonders of the ancient world now pu bursting to modern life. mt. etna spewing scalding lava, molten rock shooting almost 200 feet into the air. at least ten people were slightly injured when the lava flow called magma ran into frozen snow, causing an explosion. fragments of rock rained down on the terrified sight seers, according to the italian news agency ansa, four people were hospitalized but their injuries are not serious. rebeck rah morell was there. >> one small explosion sending a

plume of white steam up into the air. we thought that seems strange and seconds later it was a second huge explosion, sending boiling rocks, boulders, steam up into the air and if it goes up t has to come back down again, so everyone started to run. >> reporter: mt. etna is one of the world's most active volca volcanos, been erupting since tuesday, making for one of nature's most spectacular displays as it sends ash up into the sky and lava down its slopes. that lava over 1800 degrees fahrenheit. >> because it is a spectacular sight. it's incredibly hot. people came out with cuts, bruises, some burns, a dislocated shoulder from one of the guides but we were very lucky that we were all brought back down in one piece. >> reporter: the ash cloud from mt. etna's eruption thick enough to disrupt air travel into sicily. alex stone, be abc news news lo angeles. a second child died from a fire in pennsylvania.

the fire is blamed on an exploding hoverboard. 10-year-old died from severe burns another 2-year-old child died saturday from the fire that broke out at a home in harrisburg. the deaths if definitely linked to the two-wheeled battery powered scootler be the first in the u.s. caused by a hoverboard fire. firefighter who was responding to the scene also died in a car crash. bay area congresswoman joined with one of america's most prominent attorneys today trying to stop sexual harassment in the military. this follows a scandal involving a facebook page that was used by a group called marines united. several marines are being investigated for sharing nude photos of female servicemembers. jackie spear unveiled the bill with attorney gloria allred in washington, d.c. >> they're used as revenge porn. they're used to harass the now person that you are no longer in the intimate relationship with. >> women marines will no longer accept being sexualized or

silenced. >> if passed, the bill would bar military members from sharing intimate pictures of fellow troops without that person's consent. the future of two chimpanzees are in the hands of an appeals court. the chimps named tommy and keiko seen here should have the same rights as people and be freed from cages to live in an outdoor sanctuary. keiko's keeper says the chimp has become a member of his family since he was rescued from a life performing in fairs and movies 23 years old. tommy's keeper calls the effort ridiculous, similar efforts to free chimpanzees have been struck down. an unusual discovery, the pot of gold of sorts, it was found inside a piano and the search for its owner. plus a popular disney hot spot is celebrating 50 years behind the scenes on an iconic ride. i'm spencer christian, we see quite a few clouds in the

sky but doesn't look like rain is going to arrive for quite a few days. i'll have the accuweather forecast coming up i

♪ ♪ it's spring, and we can't wait to open our sheds and get working on our yards. scotts and miracle-gro are here to help. we make it easy to grow thick, healthy lawns, spectacular plants, and bountiful flowers. because when spring starts right, the months that follow stay perfect. load up your shed with scotts and miracle-gro. it's time to get outside. ♪ ♪ it's being hailed as one the largest precious stone discoveries in decades. officials say christian pastor found a 706 carat diamond in the kono district and presented it to sierra leone's president.

it's the largest diamond found since miners discovered the 968 carat star of sierra leone in 1972. the president plans to auction the diamond off and promised the proceeds would be distributed transparentally. check out this find in arkansas, a 14-year-old found his very own seven carat diamond saturday at the arkansas crater of diamonds park. he spotted the diamond in a stream about 30 minutes after he arrived at the park. this is the seventh largest gem ever found at the park since 1972. those good young eyes, larry, you and i would have missed it. >> i would have been past it. british officials trying to trace the owner of a trove of gold coins found stashed inside a piano. tuner found a bag of gold sovereigns inside the piano last year. the current owner had no clue they were in there. the tooia know was built in london in 1906 and investigators

are seeking information on its ownership before 1983. if the piano's owners or their heirs cannot be found, the gold will be given to the piano's current owners. exact value of the koints micoi in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries has not been released but officials say it would be a life changing sum of money. >> you can imagine? honey this doesn't sound right, singing a happy tune now. >> i sort of remember spencer christian with a piano way back when. >> that was one of my high school days. >> oh, sure. >> we have mostly su lly sunny . overnight hours the same sky conditions, possible a patch or two of light fog around the area. low temperatures will be generally in the upper 40s. tomorrow st. patrick's day a look at our st. patrick's day planner, the sun will rise at 7:17 a.m. under mainly clear skies with just a few clouds around and that will be the pattern throughout the day, mostly sunny with a few high

clouds passing by, it will be mild by noon with most locations around the bay area from coast to inland seeing high temperature, not high temperatures but midday temperatures in the 60s, and then by late afternoon we'll see mid-70s in many inland locations and then later in the day into the early evening hours it will remain mild under mostly clear skies. great weather for outdoor celebrations or looking outdoors through a window if you can't get out there. the accuweather seven-day forecast clouds increasing over the weekend with a slight chance of showers but next week is going to be wet every single day for some portion of the day with light to moderate rainfall so be prepared. >> thanks, spencer. they're closing in on a fourth consecutive championship but now the u.s. women's hockey team says they will not be hitting the ice. michael finney, 7 on your side. 1 million cars pulled off the

the president of usa gymnastics resigned under alleged sexual abuse cases. steve penny stepped down after the board demanded his resignation, after the

indianapolis star reported that the organization was slow to report child sex abuse allegations. the paper claims at least 368 gymnasts have made sexual abuse allegations in the past 20 years. now to a fair pay controversy that's brewing in u.s. women's hockey. abc news reporter marci gonzalez with the story. >> reporter: just weeks from going for their fourth consecutive world championship title, the u.s. women's hockey team now announcing they will not take the ice, instead boycotting the competition to demand fair pay. >> we're going to stand by what we believe is right. >> reporter: according to the team usa hockey provides them with about $1,000 a month during the six months leading up to the olympics but virtually nothing else, forcing many of them to have second or even third jobs despite their consuming training schedule. usa hockey says in a statement player also receive stipends and incentives for medals that could result in each player receiving nearly $85,000 in cash, which

the players deny. >> they're extremely dishonest and misleading. this he wouldn't put more than $20,000 over the course of four years together. >> reporter: negotiations stalled after 14 months getting support from members of the u.s. women's soccer team, who are fighting the u.s. soccer federation for pay equal to their male counterparts, claiming discrimination. >> the fact this is still happening in 2017 is really disappointing and also kind of a wake-up call. >> reporter: the u.s. women's hockey team are willing to trade in a victory at this year's world championship if it means a shot at equality in the future. >> it's beyond the time to actually make a stance and move forward in the right direction, not only for this group specifically but for the younger generations and for the sport in general. >> usa hockey said if necessary they'll assemble a new team to represent our country at this year's world championship, which is scheduled for march 31st in michigan. marci gonzalez, be aing n abc n,

angeles. hyundai is recalling nearly 1 million cars cue to a potential problem with seat belts. >> michael finney has details. >> hyundai is recalling the 2011 to 2014 sonata and the 2011 through '15 sonata hybrid. it announced the recall receiving two reports of seat belts detaching during a collision. there are concerns fasteners for the front seat belts may not have been fully latched during aassembly. the automaker will notify vehicle owners and request the cars be brought in for inspection. repairs will be made of course if necessary. so far there has been only one minor injury reported. a company is recalling more than ten tons of frozen pizza sold through walmart because the pizza may be contaminated with listeria. the recall affects 21,000 pounds of 16 inch pies, they are labeled marketside extra large

supreme pizza. the affected lot code rather is 20547. his syria was detected during routine sampling but there are of illnesses. listeria can cause fever, headaches and convulsions. return the pizza to walmart for a full refund. i posted information you need on my facebook page. if you are a directv customer you may have money coming back to you. the company said a small percentage of customers were overcharged for regional sports networks. that's the money you pay for access to local sports channels. the fees vary by region. however some customers complained they were paying more than those in neighbors zip codes. directv said it will notify and refund those who were overcharged. i want to hear from you, the 7 on your side hotline is open monday through friday, 10:00 to 2:00, the number 415-954-8151. you can also reach me through my

facebook page and on abc7news.com. >> thank you, michael. >> sure. tomorrow is st. patrick's day and if you're looking for something fun and perhaps green to do this weekend, we've got you covered. >> jessica castro from abc 7 mornings has ideas from her partners at hood line. >> may the luck of the irish be with you this weekend or snatch up a lucky leprechaun to grant you three wishes. i know just where to find them. the annual lepracon pub crawl. there's two. crawl through polk street friday and saturday. last year more than 2,000 people participated wearing their best leprechaun outfits. the irish known for their beer and tickets to the event will get you $3 beers or cocktails. there will be live bands and djs playing at various bars, if you buy the tickets online and use the promo code hood line, you'll get a discount. that's not the only st. paddy's day event. head over to pier 39 friday night, they'll have drink specials at participating

businesses, plus a special performance on the carousel stage from 6:00 to 8:00, listen to live music by local irish band the shots. green is the theme this weekend but if you don't like irish food, how about avocados instead? spark is hosting their first ever avocado food festival, creating dishes and things are going to get wild on the menu avocado ice cream, macaroon sandwiches, avocado green curry and a holy guacamolguacamolie b. friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for more information on the events and other ideas on what to do this weekend visit abc7news.com and we'll hook you up with the hoodline. i'm jessica castro. have a lucky weekend and cheers. >> those are great options if you've been stressed out lately, could you also go out and take a hike and enjoy nature or according to a new study just hit play on one of your favorite animal videos. the research from uc berkeley

and bbc earth found a connection between nature videos and positive emotions. compared to news, video clips of wildlife got participants to experience an increase in awe, curiosity, joy and amazement. this is video of the cincinnati zoo's premature hippo fiona enjoying playing with water. >> just run fiona for hours and people would be much happier. >> exactly, worth a try. celebrating the 50th birthday of an iconic disney attraction. >> it's a masterpiece and a classic, and still as relevant to guests and popular as it was the day it opened. >> my favorite ride, the newly renovated pirates of the caribbean, and the person who is one of the first to ever go on the iconic ride. >> right now khan's here with a look at what's coming up on abc 7 news at 5:00. >> thanks. the fake dentist a man operating out of this office had dental equipment, right alongside his brass knuckles. and what you could call the tree of life, and the ceremony

to honor a woman many say was larger than life. and right in your kitchen, the cures to common ailments. find out

it is tgit here on abc 7 tonight at 8:00 grey's anatomy, at 9:00, scandal, followed by the catch, and then stay with us for abc 7 news at 11:00. one of disneyland's most iconic rides is celebrating 50 years.

pirates of the craribbean spawnd a hit movie franchise. greg lee went for a ride on the newly renovated pirates of the caribbean, caught up with someone who was there for the very first ride. ♪ >> reporter: this song and these scenes part of what makes it the most iconic attractions at disneyland, the swashbuckling adventure celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend. >> such a masterpiece and a classic and still as relevant to guests and popular as it was the day it opened. >> reporter: disneyland art director kim irvine was one of the first to ride pirates when it opened in 1967. her mother one of the original imagineeres. we rode with her after refurbishment. >> the layers of detail and storytelling is so important so every time you come through you see something new. >> reporter: eager fans lined up to get back on their favorite ride. disney says nearly 400 million

people have hopped on since pirates opened. >> being the first one, very first boat when it reopens for the 50th anniversary is just amazing. >> reporter: irvine says they've added subtle details to the elaborate scenes and more than 120 animated characters. the success of the ride launching a film franchise and other pirates of the caribbean attractions all over the world. she says walt disney would have been thrilled. >> it's excitement for what he wanted to do. he would act out what the pirates were going to do. sfwlts he sfwl >> it's a classic attraction and everyone should come. >> reporter: greg lee, abc 7 news. >> the blue bayou restaurant is also fantastic. get the latest news any time with the abc 7 news app, download it for free, be sure to enable the push alerts to be the first to know about breaking news where you live.

that's going to do it for abc 7 news at 4:00. abc 7:00 news at 5:00 starts right now. might indicate suspicious activity near the border. >> using sensors and software to build a border wall, a bay area company explains why virtual is better than metal or mortar. sentencing day for kidnapping case once thought to be a hoax. prosecutors say matthew muller will stay in prison until he is old and weak. a date no one wants to honor. sierra lamar's father talks about the five years since his daughter disappeared. california's chief justice delivers a blunt message to the president. >> announcer: live, where you live, this is abc 7 news. >> the trump administration proposed to kickstart construction of a border wall with $4 billion in spending. this evening a bay area company says it has a better idea, a virtual wall. good evening. i'm kristen sze. >> i'm dan ashley.

companies trying to help build the wall are facing some serious backlash here in the bay area including boycotts. but one of those is willing to take the heat for its idea about how to keep illegal immigrants out. abc 7 news reporter laura anthony is live in mitrichmond h the story. >> according to the latest government estimate the president's version of the wall would cost $22 billion. well this company here in richmond says they can build it for a lot less in large part because most of the parts are no bigger than this. >> we already got an angry tweet today. >> reporter: liz stern knew putting her company's name on the federal list of firms offering to help build president trump's border wall was a risky move but the founder and ceo of similarity stands by it though she doesn't support a brick and mortar wall at all. >> we are very pro immigration, and very pro diversity.