familiar after details of his escape became public tuesday. he was committed to a psychiatric hospital in oahu after being acquitted by reason of insanity for the murder of a woman he had shot and stabbed multiple times. a court denied his request for release saying he tend to suffer from sexual sadism and necrophilia, something he says he made up to avoid prison. >> since i have been in the hospital i told them i fabricated that. to get to the state hospital. >> reporter: saito says he had about $6,000 in fake driver's licenses when he escaped sunday morning. how did you get the ids? >> i can't tell you that. >> reporter: through the hospital, hospital staff or somebody from the outside? >> i can't tell you that. >> reporter: once outside the hospital saito took a cab to the

airport in honolulu and chartered a plane to maui. he made it through tsa with a fake id be a chose san jose because it was the cheapest ticket in to california. he landed sunday night and took a cab to a motel. >> i couldn't believe i actually made it. it was surreal. >> reporter: saito spent time looking to buy a car in san jose. but unable to do that he took another cab to stockton, an area he's familiar with after spending three years in nearby lodi with his family when he was a teenager. after spending three nights in stockton with one trip to walmart to buy a phone, he decided it was time to move on. a cab driver agreed to drive him to reno wednesday. when they stopped for gas on the way out police swooped in and arrested ato. >> police officers converged on me. >> reporter: the final question, why did he escape? after 37 years in the psychiatric hospital, saito says he had an exemplary record with no violence or drugs.

he said this escape was his chance to prove he was not a danger to anyone and deserved a conditional release. >> i wanted more time. i had all this time. that's not who i am. >> reporter: the next step for saito is a court appearance. he faces a felony for his escape. matt keller, abc 7 news. if you want to hear more from matt keller's jailhouse interview with randall saito head to abc7news.com. we've edited together five minutes of the most interesting moments from their conversation. meantime documents obtained by the associated press show 17 escapes from the hawaii state hospital since 2010. in most instances the escapee was someone who had permission to leave for a period of time but never returned. seven workers are on leave without pay as the hospitl

investigates what happened with saito's escape. hospital staff is being retrained and extra security fencing is being added. now to the lingering bay area storm. the rain caused minor road flooding. crews were out in force in an effort to keep the roads clear. a bit south you're looking at what drivers saw on highway 101 along the peninsula this afternoon. and a live look from our mt. tam camera. you can see it's gray and rainy. windy as well. we have team coverage. janine de la vega is in the mountains. let's begin with sandhya pa >> we are getting a little bit of a break in terms of the intensity of the rain right now. let me take you in where we're seeing showers very light across the bay. oakland, you're seeing some wet weather.

inland, heeast bay, as we look san francisco. the great highway heading into the santa cruz mountains. they have seen over 4 inches of rain. here is a live look. your afternoon/evening commute a slippery one. please be careful. we downgraded this storm from a level three last night to a level one. light to moderate rain through tonight up to half an inch of additional rain and low visibility so watch out. a look at where the showers will be this evening the next couple of hours primarily focused in the south bay. i'll let you know if there's any more rain in the forecast coming right up. larry, kristen? the rain pounded the south bay especially in the santa cruz mountains, the same area that got hammered during the record rainy season. >> several drivers were trapped including a photographer in his live truck. we head into another rainy

season. janine? >> reporter: larry, a lot of commuters end up thinking about mud slides and they're commuting here along highway 17 here near the summit. we didn't see any slides today but the mountains got a good soaking. the rain was relentless today. cars sprayed up water as they made their way down highway 17 which is notorious for spinouts and accidents during storms. the chp patrolled up and down the area. the mud slides that happened last winter have made some drivers apprehensive about being on 17. >> i just drove 40 miles an hour or 35 miles an hour.

i drove slow and safe because you see crashes here all the time. >> anytime the rain comes down real hard. it's always in the back of our minds. we're hoping everything stays nice and calm this year. >> reporter: our own abc 7 news photographer was hit by a mudslide earlier this year, and he had to go to the hospital. a construction worker died doing repair work on that slide. we did revisit the area today and it appears it is holding up. caltrans says their crews stablized the hillside but the weather is unpredictable and they are watching problem areas. something else chp shared with us, oftentimes one of the most dangerous times to be driving is actually after it has rained because that's when drivers think, oh, it stopped raining, and they end up speeding and driving faster. so a good reminder for everyone to slow down. now coming up at 5:00 you'll hear from a caltrans maintenance

supervisor who talks more about the slide potential in the area. reporting live from the santa cruz mountains, janine de la vega, abc 7 news. good tips. highway patrol is warning drivers to be careful on wet roads tweeting this picture to remine drivers to slow down and maintain a safe following distance. and state law to turn your headlights on if your windshield wipers are on as well. it was mostly dry in the fire zone in the north bay. rain or shine weather does not stop recovery efforts. the job now is to clear debris to keep it out of creeks and streams when more rains do come. as abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman discovered sometimes there's more to the work than meets the eye. >> reporter: we're high in the hills of upper fountaingrove where if the soggy ashes could talk they'd tell similar stories of death, destruction, and fast-moving flames. here is a man who lived through the inferno.

>> it's kind of awestruck. you see it and there's nothing you can do. >> reporter: today cal fire captain robert bloom returned. >> we'll cut this other dead stuff here. >> reporter: today's bat the not with flames but residue, commanding the same men he had when the fire roared through. >> we're friendly but we're not friends. >> reporter: you have to understand there are some lines best not crossed when in charge of an inmate crew. >> when we pulled in anything behind these cones is off limits. anything in front of my bus is off limits. if they go out of bounds they get rolled up. >> reporter: the work pays about $1 an hour. these inmates are not allowed to talk to us, on camera at least, but they like this job. it beats a prison cell. >> keep on working down that way. >> reporter: today cal fire deployed 18 of these crews tasking them with clearance. now that the rains have come nobody wants this stuff polluting the watersheds or causing other flooding problems. you'll rarely see men work harder or faster or a boss who

handles them better. >> 40 years old, never had a job in their life. and now they're learning what work is all about. >> reporter: they're learning the hard way but it's not exactly hard times. in sonoma county wayne freedman, abc 7 news. >> trees and power lines are never a good mix. abc 7 news informs danville where we caught this crew cutting back limbs and branches. trees are one of the top causes of power outages. pg&e estimates there are 123 million trees near its power lines. sandbags are available all across contra costa county, over 20 locations where you can pick them up. we have a link at abc7news.com that will help you find sandbags where you live. >> you can download the abc 7 news app to track live doppler 7 anytime. you'll also get updates from our weather team and you can mob tore the forecast on the go. on to politics, republicans are one step closer to tax

reform on the heels of president trump's trip to capitol hill. the house passed the measure by a wide margin. abc 7 has a look at the hurdles still ahead. >> we're taking action today. it's time for this old broken tax code to go. >> reporter: a step towards the finish line for republicans looking to reform taxes by the end of the year. >> taxes are going really well. thank you very much. >> reporter: president trump rallied support on capitol hill ahead of the house vote today, and afterward republicans overwhelmingly approved their tax plan. >> all of this is about tax relief, it's about fairness, it's about simplicity. >> the bill the republicans have brought to the floor today is not tax reform. it's not even a tax cut. it is a tax scam. >> reporter: the plan would decrease the number of tax brackets and cut the tax rate to 20%. a number of republicans voted against the measure, concerned about plans to eliminate state and local tax deductions. and the bill is ripe with criticism from democrats who

oppose the nearly $1.5 trillion the bill would add to the national deficit over the next decade and insists republicans are padding the pockets of corporations at the expense of low and middle income americans. >> 36 million working americans will receive a tax increase under this bill. >> reporter: and there's criticism from at least two republicans in the senate. wisconsin senator ron johnson says he believes it favors big corporations. and maine senator susan collins has concerns about potential impacts on health care premiums if the obamacare individual mandate is repealed. another actor and a senator now accused. >> and a shooting involving b.a.r.t. police in the east bay. we'll tell you what happened right before the shooting. plus -- >> i ended up actually going to the funerals of my former students. >> the tragedies that led to change and the san francisco

organization now celebrating 30 years. i'm spencer christian in the parking lot at at&t park gearing up for the light the night walk in support of leukemia lymphoma society. i'll have a preview. and here is a preview of your drive home if you're going to take the bay bridge. waiting at the toll plaza, big line there, very slow as you can see the roads are still wet there. so

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don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren. if you've had angioedema while taking an ace or arb medicine, don't take entresto. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high potassium in your blood. ♪ tomorrow, tomorrow... ♪ when can we do this again, grandpa? well, how about tomorrow? ask your doctor about entresto and help make tomorrow possible. a 21-year-old richmond man is in serious but stable condition this afternoon after being shot by b.a.r.t. police outside the richmond b.a.r.t.

station. investigators say the man was armed with what appeared to be a rifle or a shotgun. abc 7 news anchor eric thomas explains why neighbors say they were not surprised. >> reporter: here's the frightening radio call that sent police running to the richmond b.a.r.t. station. >> a black male, gray sweatshirt with a rifle. >> a report of a possible armed individual. apparently the armed individual was involved in some sort of physical and verbal altercation. >> reporter: officers quickly spotted him. officers followed him out of the station and into a nearby housing complex. >> the sequence of events unfolded so quickly that the b.a.r.t. officers had to engage. >> the suspect has been shot. code three medical. >> reporter: today the bullet hole is the most visible evidence of what happened. this resident got an e-mail about what occurred this morning. >> this is kind of a

occurrence. >> reporter: some want to fence this area off to keep people from coming from the b.a.r.t. station and thinking they can hide in these alleys. police have not identified the suspect shot. they did recover a long gun at the scene. the case is being investigated by richmond police and the d.a.'s office since the shooting happened off b.a.r.t. property. meantime this resident says he'll be keeping an eye out. >> i'm always aware. i'm always on guard about things but i'm not fearful. otherwise i wouldn't be talking to you. >> reporter: in richmond, eric thomas, abc 7 news. >> the last time b.a.r.t. police were involved in a shooting was 2014 when sergeant thomas smith was accidentally killed while serving a warrant. san francisco's justin herman plaza will be officially renamed the recreation and park commission voted 4-1 in favor of

the change. commissioners were forced to take a second vote after a clerical error invalidated last month's decision to rename the space. critics say herman drove the poor and minorities from their homes when he ran the redevelopment agency in the 1960s. the space will be called embarcadero plaza until a new name is chosen. happening tonight the leukemia and lymphoma society's annual light the night walk at san francisco's at&t park. >> abc 7 is a proud sponsor of the event and weather anchor spencer christian is live with a preview. you need your umbrella for now, spencer. hopefully not for long. >> reporter: it's raining lightly here right now. this is a great event in support of the leukemia/lymphoma society. it's to form cures for blood cancers and develop treatments that will improve the quality of life for patients and their families. the walk gets under way at 7:00.

let me tell you what the conditions will be like. cloudy and wet. it will still be cloudy when the walk begins at 7:00 p.m. and there may be some spotty drizzle, temperature of about 58 degrees at 5:00 p.m. as people are registering for the walk. the temperature won't drop too much, two degrees or so, at 8:00 p.m. which is the time most walkers will be wrapping it up. it will be a colorful event, carrying lanterns in three colors. white lanterns represent survivors of blood cancers. gold are in memory of those lost to blood cancer. and red lanterns for people supporting the cause. i'll be here emceeing the event. this will be wonderful. if it keeps raining here and we get wet i'm holding sandhya patel responsible. >> pass the buck. we pass it along. sandh sandhya, is it going to rain tonight? >> a few spotty showers but nothing to dampen the spirits for the light the night walk. spencer is out there with his umbrella. take a look at live dom letter 7. so the showers have eased up.

they were a little more heavy earlier in the day. take a look at the street level radar, concord, out to clayton. we're seeing some light showers right now. in the east bay from oakland to alameda you'll notice around san leandro and bancroft, some spotty showers. damp roadways from daily city across south san francisco, into san bruno and down the peninsula it's very light right now and spotty. around the morgan hill, san martine area, some pockets of moderate rain showing up. not out of the question we will see more of that. in the mountains, it is turning to snow at the highest elevations as you see here from south lake tahoe. is this beautiful or what? you see the snowflakes just falling here. and the ground is covered by some fresh powder. some of the resorts reporting 3 inches to about a foot of snow. rainfall totals have been impressive. just about everyone in the one

to two inch rain. more than 4 1/2 inches of rain. san francisco an inch and a half. oakland, almost two inches, an inch in fairfield. quite a bit in livermore. 1.08. san jose, .63. now tonight you will have to watch out. visibility is low. two and a half in concord as you look at the temperatures now in the 50s and the 60s. golden gate bridge camera showing you the clouds. a little bit of sun trying to peek through, a sign of what's to come. foggy areas in the morning. drying out tomorrow through the weekend. this is a level one now, down graded from a three, scattered showers, up to a third of an inch of additional rain. hour by hour we go. still some light showers in the north and also in the santa cruz mountains in the south bay tonight around 6:30. we head into 9:00 p.m. notice this pops up one here, one there, but the steadiest of the showers will be south.

10:00 p.m. we're still looking at a shower or two passing the san mateo area, east bay. 11:00 p.m. we'll keep those going. rainfall totals will be nowhere near the intensity of what we saw the last 12 hours or so. most of you from zero to a third of an inch. travel is not advised up to 21 inches expected at the highest elevations. low visibility, first thing in the morning watch out for the fog. 40s, 50s for your temperatures. still drizzle around. for the afternoon brightening up. download the accuweather app. check out live doppler 7 anytime you want. morning fog, then sunshine. we're going to give you more sun for the weekend. 50s, 60s. monday through thanksgiving not very definitive. i know larry likes to make fun of me. chance of rain monday. chance of showers tuesday. wednesday showers look likely. a few morning showers

thanksgiving morning but one model is going drier and the other wetter, larry and kristen. >> spencer was the one making fun of you. >> oh, sure. >> this time. >> we have a good weekend. >> these might be the droids you're i work overtime when i can get it. i need my blood sugar to stay in control. weekends are my time. i need an insulin that fits my schedule. ♪ tresiba® ready ♪ (announcer) tresiba® is used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. don't use tresiba® to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, during episodes of low blood sugar, or if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. don't share needles or insulin pens. don't reuse needles. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause dizziness, sweating, confusion, and headac.. check your blood sugar. low blood sugar can be serious and may be life-threatening. injection site reactions may occur. tell your prescriber about all medicines you take and all your medical conditions. taking tzds with insinins like tresiba® may cause serious side effects like heart failure. your insulin dose shouldn't be changed

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about 30 years ago san francisco was one of many in the clutches of the crack epidemic that led to the rise of the omega boys club. their motto is alive and free. >> that organization is celebrating 30 years of changing lives. here's abc 7 news report er and mellen zez. >> reporter: he knew something had to be done to stop the turf wars brought on by the cocaine epidemic of the '80s. >> i get letters of my kids and they weren't the kids were on drugs.

>> reporter: he reached out to 16 of his former students with a promise to keep them alive and keep them from going to jail. 30 showed up that night. >> education can lead you to where you want to go and lead to you success. >> reporter: walton joined the club in 1993. he had spent time in juvenile hall and had been expelled from a number of school districts. today he is the president of the san francisco board of education. the omega boys club paid for part of his expenses at morris brown college in atlanta. that was a promise made by the club the moment it started recruiting boys and girls. in the past 30 years the organization has helped 225 students with their college fees thanks to the generosity of donors. >> for me i would have to say i may not be a free man today and i may not be alive. >> reporter: the organization is now called alive and free. marshall has been acknowledged by many groups and celebrities

including actor denzel washington. >> i gave my speech. when denzel got up there he ended up talking about me. >> reporter: tonight the organization will talk about its 30 years of helping to empower young people. >> young people will always need guidance and sometimes that guidance doesn't come from home. >> reporter: at 63 marshall says he's ready for another 30. in san francisco, lyanne melendez, abc 7 news. if you love the r2d2 character why not build your own droid? that was the challenge in san francisco's presidio. dozens of kids to participate in the droid-athon. many tech giants like facebook, fitbit, and google squared off to see who could build the cleverest droid. little bits provided the droid building kits designed to spark the imagination of kids. >> we want to inspire kids who

are not thinking of themselves as interested in technology so it's girls, kids that are maybe not so tech savvy, kids that have different methods of learning. we want to open it up to become much more dynamic. >> in the end several companies took home awards in different categories. but the real winners were the kids, of course, who took home a robot building kit and potential inspiration for some day a career in tech maybe. >> nice job, kids. all right. new allegations of sexual misconduct today against senator al franken. >> i still have a pit in my stomach. >> what we know about the allegations and the picture that is raising questions. >> plus, new problems with the keystone pipeline. why it had to be shut down today. the abc 7 storm impact scale, today's storm is level one. that means light rain. so keep an umbrella handy and drive safely. track today's storm anytime

and here are the stories making headlines at 4:30. a committed murderer who escaped from a hawaii psychiatric facility says he broke out to prove he was not really a danger to anybody. abc 7 news spoke to randall saito from inside the san joaquin county jail today. he says he had about $6,000 and

a fake driver's license on him when he escaped, took a plane to san jose. he was arrested in stockton. saito has a court appearance scheduled for tomorrow morning. his full interview is on our website at abc7news.com. we're staying on top of today's storm. janine de la vega tweet this had video of a worker clearing debris along highway 17 to help cut down on flooding there. president trump congratulated the house of representatives for passing a $1.5 trillion tax package today saying it's a big step towards delivering historic tax cuts by the end of the year. meanwhile, senator al franken is apologizing after he was accused of sooexual misconduct by a rad host who tweeted this inappropriate picture from a uso tour.

marcy? >> reporter: the accuser says she was inspired by the bravery of other women who have come forward to share their stories about similar encounters with other men. she explains that after 11 years she's now going public in hopes of encouraging other potential victims. this photo of lyanne asleep on a flight back to los angeles from a uso tour. >> with his hands as if he's grabbing my breasts. >> reporter: just a part of her accusations against current minnesota senator al franken. >> i was violated. i felt like, you know, betrayed my trust. >> reporter: a former model -- in 2006 during a rehearsal in afghanistan for a skit franken wrote to perform for troops the former "snl" writer and actor forcibly kissed her. >> put his hand on the back of my head and he mashed his face. it happened so fast and he stuck his tongue down my mouth.

i remember i pushed him off with my hands. >> reporter: franken responded in a statement that reads in part, i'm sorry. while i don't remember the rehearsal for the skit as leeann does, i understand why we need to listen to and believe women's experiences. i don't know what was in my head when i took that picture and it doesn't matter. there's no excuse. i look at it now and i feel disgusted with myself. >> the apology, sure, i accept it. yes. >> reporter: and now reaction on capitol hill. >> were you shocked? >> not entirely. >> reporter: as senate majority leader mcconnell and chuck schumer call on the ethics committee to investigate. and franken says he, too, is asking for an ethics investigation adding he will gladly cooperate. live in los angeles, marcy gonzalez, abc 7 news. there are new allegations of inappropriate behavior by actor kevin spacey. officials with london's old vic theater report 20 allegations between 1995 and 2013 when

spacey served as artistic director. they are the latest against spacey that left his career in ruins. he's been replaced in an upcoming movie, fired from netflix "house of cards" and dropped from his talent agency and publicist. according to a las vegas police report obtained by "the daily mail" a girl says stallone intimidated her into having sex with him and his bodyguard at a hotel. she said he threatened to, quote, beat her head in if she told anybody. the victim decided not to pursue charges. the keystone oil pipeline was shut down today after more than 200,000 gallons of oil spilled in northeastern south dakota. transcanada says the crew isolated the spill within 15 minutes and activated emergency response procedures. officials do not believe any bodies of water or drinking water systems were threatened. the cause of the spill still

under investigation. it's part after system that is to include the proposed keystone xl pipeline. health officials are looking for other possible sources of a deadly legionnaire's outbreak. the source of the bacteria that sickened 11 people was traced to two cooling towers at disneyland, both have been cleaned. investigators are still searching for the source of the bacteria that sickened four other people, all anaheim residents. disney is the parent company of abc 7. it's the great american smokeout and what you can do to try to kick the habit. plus, neon nostalgia. the effort that kicked off today to preserve an iconic san jose sign. i'm abc 7 news meteorologist sandhya patel. we're still tracking some slippery roads with live doppler 7. scattered showers as you look at walnut creek cam. i'll let you know when the

showers will wind down. this is the live look at 101 south in san jose. that's the backed up portion of the highway right there. the right-hand side northbound is much better. 880 over the top is slow but not too bad.

bay area smokers, today is the day to kick the habit. it's the great american smokeout. joining me to talk about it is

bob gordon. thanks for coming in, bob. >> sure. >> today is the 41st anniversary of the great american smokeout. can you talk to our showers about what this intervention is and how it works? >> sure. i'm really glad to be here. i've been involved with this great american smokeout for years. it's a wonderful day started by the american cancer society and it's all over the country. and a lot of people don't know that ten people smoking right now, seven would love to quit if they could find a way to do it. >> what are some easy ways to quit? >> we think of five things that begin with the letter "d." i hope i can remember. drink water, delay the craving that will come, dialogue with someone who has quit smoking, deep breathing, and do something with your hands and mouth. and there's one sixth one which is don't give up. keep trying. >> good tips.

so cigarette smoking has been dropping over the decades. it went from 42% in the '60s to 15% now. has the battle been won? >> it's very important we think about our young people who are starting to smoke every day, 14, 15, 16-year-olds are vulnerable to the sweet flavored tobacco, the little newport cigarettes companies are luring them with. when they start they may have to go through quitting year after year. >> cigars are on the rise. what about e-cigarettes, is that a safe way to smoke? >> no because there are fine particles that lodge deep in the lungs. the best experts are our own university of san francisco and little battery lights up plastic and metals and that's ingested. it's not the best way to go. give it a try if you need

medications or help from the american cancer society. there's an 800 number people can call, two that people can call for help. >> i was going to ask you for the resources, right? >> to call the 800 number, 800-227-2345. and then we're lucky in california. 1-800-no-butts. >> bob gordon, thank you so much. it was a pleasure having you here. the great american smokeout. now let's talk weather. kristen, those showers are still lingering. this is what happens, the showers are not in a hurry to get out of here. light to moderate. as we head into the south bay some moderate to light showers from morgan hill to santa teresa boulevard. they continue to see some rain

in the area. tomorrow afternoon sunshine, you can bring out the shades. as you check out the forecast fog is something you'll need to watch out for and then sunshine for your weekend. it becomes a little uncertain monday through thursday, the possibility of some rain, one model is wetter, the other is drier. we're going level one with chances of rain. wednesday looks likely and hanksgiving could be some lingering showers. my understanding is spencer christian, who is out at at&t park, he's holding me responsible for those showers. i see your umbrella is gone. >> reporter: you're off the hook, sandhya. it's winding down here. i'm here in the parking lot.

there are corporate teams walking to find cures for blood cancers. a look at the weather conditions here or at least i'll tell you about them. it will remain cloudy. the walk begins at 7:00 p.m. a few areas of spotty drizzle but the steady rain has ended. walk for a really good cause. more on the 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. news. >> we will see you then, spencer, as we head to the busiest travel season of the year. 7 on your side's michael finney. a possible end to robo calls. really? really? a move made by accused of obstructing justice to theat the fbinuclear war, and of violating the constitution by taking money from foreign governments and threatening to shut down news organizations that report the truth. if that isn't a case for impeaching and removing a dangerous president,

then what has our government become? i'm tom steyer, and like you, i'm a citizen who knows it's up to us to do something. it's why i'm funding this effort to raise our voices together and demand that elected officials take a stand on impeachment. a republican congress once impeached a president for far less. yet today people in congress and his own administration know that this president is a clear and present danger who's mentally unstable and armed with nuclear weapons. and they do nothing. join us and tell your member of congress that they have a moral responsibility to stop doing what's political and start doing what's right. our country depends on it.

the energy conscious whopeople among usle? say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing. really? really? really?

really? really? see zero in a whole new way. get zero down, zero deposit, zero first month's payment, and zero due at signing on select volkswagen models. now with the people first warranty. if you're hitting the road or plan to be in the air this thanksgiving, you'll have more company this year. according to aaa more than 50 million americans will travel over the holiday that is up 3.3% over last year. more than 45 million will travel by car. about 4 million are expected to fly. a new report says the number of passengers getting bumped from airline flights has reached a 22-year low. 12 u.s. carriers report add

bumping rate of 0.15 per 10,000 passengers last quarter which is the lowest level since 1995. most major airlines adjusted their policies after the incident where a man was dragged from the united airlines flight earlier this year. in addition airlines mishandled baggage at the lowest monthly rate since records began being kept in 1987. the fcc is stepping in to help stop the annoying and increasingly tedious robo calls. >> michael finney with the details. say this is even possible. >> the silver bullet. we'll see. your phone company can now legally block robo calls before they ring on your phone. this is a huge deal. phone companies have always said they'd like to stop the calls but can't because of laws and regulations. today the federal communications commission ended that debate by saying blocking suspected calls

is legal. unwanted calls are a major complaint here at 7 on your side and apparently at the fcc, too. consumers are believed to receive more than $2 billion of these calls every month. government regulators are giving automakers time to avoid massive recalls of the potentially dangerous products. 3 million fords and another 6,000 mazdas are affected. last year the national highway traffic safety administration delayed a recall of general motors trucks and suvs to give more time for long-term testing. regulators say those inflators are a different design and do not have the same issues as those facing ford and mazda. thanksgiving dinner will cost less this year. the lowest amount in five years. turkey prices are down 2 cents a

pound or 36 cents per bird. the average cost for a meal for ten people is $49.12, less than $5 a person. unhappy tenants say they faced minute nance issues and steep fees. 7 on your side is joining an investigation into mega landlords. tonight we'll hear a local woman's story and why she is suing. that's tonight here on abc 7 news. and join me in san francisco tomorrow. i'll be answering your consumer questions and showing you how to check to see if you have unclaimed cash waiting for you. i'm talking holiday bucks here. it's friday at ghirardelli square. >> so we have finney, cash, and chocolate. >> a great combination. >> thank you, michael. >> i never sounded so good.

hip-hop dancers from all over the world plus the woman who is about to play elsa on broadway. you know "frozen." invading san francisco this weekend. >> abc 7 morning's anchor reggie aqui to show us how you can let it go. previews for disney "frozen" don't start until february. we know where you can see the woman playing elsa right now without the cross-country flight. ♪ let it go let it go ♪ ♪ you'll never see me cry >> sing it! that is casey levy, a broadway actress with a lot of big shows on her resume. she'll be singing friday and saturday night at feinstein's at the nikko. 17 hip-hop dance companies from all over the world get their pop and lock on at the palace of fine arts theater. the san francisco international hip-hop dance fest has become

extremely competitive. these dancers from barcelona beat out about 100 other hopefuls for stage time. >> the idea at first was just love and respect for the art form. little did i know 19 years ago it would be this huge international event that it is today. >> and take a look. even gangly, awkward tv news anchors can sort of do it thanks to that duo from singapore for putting up with me. the shows happen friday, saturday and sunday. and here's a chance to meet characters from disneyland pier 39 for a day long holiday celebration that begins at noon and ends with their tree lighting at 6:00 p.m. fun fact, rupaul has been tweeting up a storm. he and the founder are like this. so you might see him in the audience. all the details on our website abc7news.com. we'll hook you up with hood line. >> all right. a new york restaurant just set a new guinness world record for the largest serving of green

bean casserole. check this out. it weighs 637 pounds. i guess that's like the vat, the container. it was cooked up by a green giant. the oversized serving was comprised of 780 cans of green beans, 53 cans of mushroom soup, 32 quarts of milk, the record setting casserole was donated to a local charity to help feed the needy. nearly 2,000 home bound seniors. that's a great cause. >> absolutely. next time they have to tackle the world's largest pumpkin pie. wouldn't that be great? >> that's all good. >> breathing new life into old signs. >> they're cultural and historic book marks in our own unique story. >> the effort to restore iconic neon signs in the south bay. and right now dan is here with a look at what's ahead at

5:00. >> new at 5:00, #metoo. two simple words have become a rallying cry to denounce sexual harassment except perhaps in silicon valley. we'll have the story. draymond green comes off the court to go to harvard. he has a lot to say about race and the nba. and san francisco's museum of modern art may soon have a lot in xhont with the oakland a's baseball stadium. those stories and more when christian and i see you. reggie aqui grew up in hawaii. >> reggie, aloha. >> got married there. >> and has that aloha spirit at 4:00 a.m. >> 5:00 a.m. >> and 6:00 a.m. >> reggie loves his dog, woodstock. >> great name. >> he once sang a duet with dolly parton. >> biggest disney fan ever. >> great debater. >> reggie always listens to your side and that's what makes him a great journalist for almost 20 years. >> hard to believe with a face

coming up tonight on abc 7 at 8:00 "grey's anatomy" told pi "scandal." stay with us for abc 7 news at 11:00. when you think of neon signs las vegas may pop in your head. san jose is seeing its signs going neglected or abandoned. there is one sign, though, that history buffs are trying to restore. abc 7 news reporter david louie with a story you'll see only on

abc 7 news. >> reporter: the building is gone but this neon sign marks where steven's meat products used to make sausage. it's in disrepair, abandoned. historians and lovers of neon want to restore it. >> quality, history, age, uniqueness. >> reporter: heather david says the dancing pig sign is over 50 years old. she has been cataloging dozens of neon signs which went up in the '50s and '60s to catch the eye of customers at restaurants, retailers, and other businesses. >> if you look at the lettering and if you look at the pig somebody had to hand bend that hot glass. it's not easy. when a neon sign goes, it's the story of neon that slowly dies.

>> reporter: a neon technician came out to inspect it. an online fundrai-raising campa to do repairs. >> a lot of the neon is broken. it has holes in the lower cabinet of it. almost none of the lights on the bottom work. it needs some help. >> reporter: they have worked to save other neon signs as stores or facilities close. they hope to save the dancing pig will help save others. >> we ask to be vigilant and ask the community to be vigilant and help us keep an eye out for these signs and raise their voice when they have concerns. >> reporter: david louie, action 7 news. >> that is more complicated than i realized. repairs to the dancing pig sign are expected to run in the tens of thousands of dollars. if you'd like to make a donation we have a link to the save the dancing pig fund-raising campaign at abc7news.com.

and thanks for joining us at 4:00. i'm larry beil. abc 7 news at 5:00 starts right now. what did you do once you landed in san jose? >> i couldn't believe i actually made it. it was surreal. >> it was also illegal. a psychopathic predator. it's dirty work but somebody has to do it. crews work hard to keep us all safe. >> we're keeping a very close eye on live doppler 7. the rain is still coming down now. >> and shovel ready. after 20 months and $3 million a battered roadway finally reopens. crews are cleaning up in the north bay making sure trees and branches do not block water ways. >> trucks everywhere, mud.

there you go. rocks are just falling down. >> and an abc 7 news viewer sent us these pictures and videos of a small rock slide in the observing hills. >> good evening. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm kristen sze. a dog walker crashed her truck in san francisco. this afternoon's accident startled a group of dogs in the sunset after the camper shell came off. >> the pickup smashed into a home near 26th avenue. three dogs ran away from the crash scene. animal control is helping reunite the other dogs with their owners. >> the dog walker and child riding in the truck were hurt but are expected to be okay. >> we saw a lot of rain in the last 24 hours or so and it's still coming down. >> let's check in with sandhya patel. we're seeing most of the showers in the south bay. check out live doppler 7. i'm going to take you in to street level radar where it is slippery from morgan hill,