i'm an imaginary friend of a kid just like you.ada! you probably have lots of questions. but look, we'll get through this together.

live where you live, this is abc 7 news.

>> with the flu outbreak the worst in years, health officials have a warning for millions of americans headed to a have bowl party. tonight health officials are confirming four more deaths are flu related. and there are concern super bowl parties could spread even further. >> reporter: this is the most severe season we've seen in years. >> reporter: sonoma county has seen severe cases and being blamed for two deaths last month. >> it most hospitalizations for the flu sings 2005. it's real, it's here but we want folks to be safe. >> reporter: with so many gathering to watch the super bowl, both the centers for disease control and the red cross are running safety

campaigns. wash your hands, make sure food is properly heated. >> don't double dip as george custanza did in seinfeld. >> reporter: they're required to have food handler's permits. >> when they're sick, they can't come into work, we don't want them to work. anything that's going to get our customer's sick. >> reporter: they're stocked with hand sanitizer and soap. >> and we have back up. so if it runs out, we have more. >> reporter: but if you could be contagious, just stay home. >> and even give yourself an extra day because it could still be lingering in your body. they recommend a flu shot as your best protection. abc 7 news. >> developing news the u.s. coast guard is investigating a debris field. a fishing boat crew spotted a life jacket late this afternoon

about six miles west of point a ano nuevo. this showing the very moment a car break in turned into a violent assault. >> reporter: what started as a car break in quickly spiralled into a violent confrontation between police and suspects. watch as he drives over his accomplice and a cop. this happened near alamo park thursday. surveillance shows two men wearing hoodies exit a parked sedan and smash a window and grab a bag. what they didn't know was three undercover san francisco police

officers were watching them. the officers move in to make arrests and tackle one of the suspects to the ground. >> reporter: while the officer was taking the remaining suspect into custody, subsequently striking the officer and his accomperous that were down on the ground. >> reporter: the driver then pulls forward and hits them again. all three suspects were arrested and face felony charges for attempted homicide. meanwhile, the police officers association is criticizing the use of force policy which prohibits officers from firing at a suspect in a moving a vehicle. a family is in mourning tonight after a missing dog was found dead, his legs tied with rope. rex ran away from home. yesterday police found him dead. the family says someone had had tied his feet and threw him out of a window while driving on the

highway. they have not released any details. residents are finally back in their homes tonight after a tree fell and ruptured a national gas line in newark. it forced a town house complex to be evacuated late this afternoon. above the scene near cherry street as pg&e crews made repairs. >> reporter: a chp officer is out of the hospital. they tweeted him leaving the hospital. his legs were crushed in the crash. since then he's undergone what his colleagues call a grueling physical therapy schedule. he hopes to make a full recovery and return to work. his colleagues were there to greet him as he left the hosostoday. turning to our unseasonably warm weather. we saw several record highs

today. >> when had the sun comes up tomorrow, we could see more records broken. >> hey, sandia. >> this leaves you wondering where is winter. about a half a dozen. 76 in san jose. 75 in half moon bay. 69 in oakland and 77 in ukaya. and no rain drops here. as you take a look at the bigger pick, which high pressure dominates the weather pattern and that means more records are coming tomorrow. dan. now, watch now on the left of your screen is rain pounding down in the santa cruz mountains last february. to the right is santa cruz today. what a difference a year makes. and a live look tonight from our santa cruz camera where warmer weather has people excited for the weekend.

>> reporter: nothing says summer like beach volleyball except it's february. >> let's just flash back a year ago today and we had had one of the rainiest weather seasons on record. >> reporter: which makes this sunny spell worth its weight in gold. >> and so when the weather's like this, you'll see an uptick in business. sfwlrks the owner on the santa cruz wharf is ready for the rush. >> on a rainy night you might get half a house to 3/4s. now on a saturday night with this kind of weather you can have a full house. >> reporter: the board walk benefits too. on a rainy day they might not open lat. >> sunny weather always helps business. we love it in the winter time when we get weekends like this and people are flocking to the beach. >> drove four 1/2 hours and it's amazing.

>> reporter: an outdoor music event in downtown abbott square. tonight we are hearing from the man who accidently issued a mesal warning from hawaii. >> i was 100% sure that it was real. did what i was traened to do as far as making the selection to notify the public. it was just a terrible feeling, dread. i was very emotional about what happened. >> the man in his 50s was fired. he believes the military should handle notifications, not employees. look at this. video, the footage shot by an unidentified drone operator appears to show the plane drop directly below the drone. drone u says it condemns this reckless and criminal act.

an exclusive i team just ahead. >> we've been checking out complaints about the largest landlord in san francisco for a long time. now the investigation into rent increases at rent control apartments and reports of slow but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how. if you spit blood you may have gum problems,s and could be on the journey to much worse. try parodontax toothpaste. it's clinically proven to remove plaque, the main cause of bleeding gums. for healthy gums and strong teeth. leave bleeding gums behind with parodontax toothpaste.

chaos breaks out after a measure that would have strengthened rent control failed to pass the state assembly housing committee. dozens of those protesters live in the largest -- >> dan. >> veratos is quite open about its target audience, it's high-tech workers from out of state. and that leaves long-term employees worried about their future. 49-year-old yat-pang au rented. he explained in a profile that millennials are his target demographic. >> about 70 to 80% of them are those young techies and more often than not they're not from

the san francisco bay area and they're moving into san francisco. >> veritas owns more than 5,000 apartments and bought its first building in oakland. >> a lot of the stories are heart wrenching. >> reporter: san francisco supervisor says he's been hearing complaints. >> they're buying these buildings at extremely high prie prices and under rent control law are passing on the debt to their tenants. >> reporter: they're allowed annual increases tied to the rate of inflation. this year it's he has co sponsored a measure to stop these so-called pass-throughs. pat mcgehee has lived in the same rent controlled studio for 20 years. veritas bought her building and

with pass throughs her rent climbed from 383 to 817. >> i couldn't believe it at first. i went okay. sure. >> reporter: her rent will settle in with a 34% increase pfor this coming year. how hard was it for you paying that extra money? >> that money had to cut out my savings. i've been trying to save up for my teeth. >> reporter: he denied my interview. what do you say to pat mcgehee? >> i can't talk about specific renters. >> reporter: she sited privacy concerns, even though i explained pat mcgehee agreed to have her had story told. pass throughs are alued and tenants can apply for a exemption. >> we make every effort to work with every resident in the buildings that we own. >> they don't see the community, the contributions these tenants

have made. they see dollar signs. >> reporter: he tells me why they focus on renovating vacant apartments, tenants feel neglected. >> we see tenants tired, angry, exhausted. >> reporter: she says her old landlord kept the elevator running, but after veritas bought it building the elevator was out seven days in a row. you missed doctors appointments? >> uh-huh. >> she was trapped in her apartment for two months straight. >> it's a very unusual situation and it's a very unfortunate situation. >> reporter: they had to have customs parts made and perhaps in the future they have had replacement parts standing by for those old elevators. >> we're not perfect. >> reporter: he says his old landlord used to fix the trash

shoots but it same week they took over, veritas closed them off for good. >> we noticed a cha cha amenities. >> reporter: why block over trash shoots? >> that is not question i was anticipating, dan. >> reporter: says they sometimes cause a fire hazard but they may consider reopening the trash shoots. example number three, water damage. >> it came down through here. >> reporter: coming down? >> yeah, it was like being in a storm. >> reporter: she was concerned about mold and asked veritas for repairs. >> they didn't start looking that for approximately six months. >> reporter: the apartment is now repaired. says they sometimes have to prioritize repair calls.

>> if it's not life safety related, our goal would be to respond within 48 hours. >> reporter: they chose this apartment across from the it's carlton hotel as the setting for their interview. it's corporate rental? >> yeah. >> reporter: they confirmed they have 200 apartments they rent for short-term corporate housing. the unitsicide be for people who want to live and work here. they insist their want all of their tenants to remain as long as they want no matter what they pay. i'll be watching. transitioning to our weather now, all eyes on the weekend. >> it's a shame it's not any warmer. >> it's a little too warm. let me show you live doppler 7 right now. it certainly doesn't feel like winter. let me show you how it is right now. it is 61 degrees in san francisco. but i want you to check out

those temperatures in clover dale and clear lake. mid to upper 60s as we're seeing a north/northeasterly wind that is holding those temperatures up. so it is definitely warm across parts of the bay area. warm enough this weekend and monday that you might want to head to the beach. saturday is beach weather in santa cruz, 78. sunday still warm but not as warm. a live look right now from our abc 7 news explore torrium camera. we don't have any fog in sight and that's why you can see for miles. look at the forecast. warm sunny pattern through next week and there are no storms on the horizon for it next two weeks. when you get going tomorrow morning, it's going to start out comfortable. 40s, 50s. record highs are expected in the afternoon and a mild evening.

if you do have outdoor plans and you've got to run errands, get those last-minute things saturday or sunday, it's going to be nice. quite a few cities, you'll notice half a dozen. 74 in san francisco would be three degrees above the previous record. san jose expecting a record as well. stay hydrated, stay cool. clear skies tomorrow morning and look at the afternoon highs. a warm one in the south bay. 76 on the peninsula. palo alto lohsalitiose, all in the 60s. 74 degrees, unusually warm in the north bay. 74 degrees in san rufell, 77 in santa rosa. that's where you might want to hit the beach to keep comfortable. sunshine and above average temperatures by a good 14 to 18 degrees. down road the accuweather app.

check out your temperatures minute by minute. accuweather seven-day forecast. record warmth saturday. may see a record or two super bowl sunday. it should be nice. a little cooler monday and the temperatures bounce back. it will feel like april instead of february but don't worry in a couple weeks hopefully winter will return. >> so demanding with his temperature needs, isn't he? >> he just snaps his fingers. well, are cream conditioners bringing your hair down? switch to new pantene light as air foam conditioner, full of rich pro-v nutrients. for 100% conditioning, 0% weight. new pantene. foam conditioner. i ...prilosec otc 7 years ago,my doctor recommended... 5 years ago, last week. just 1 pill each morning, 24 hours and zero heartburn. it's been the number 1 doctor recommended brand for 10...

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. all right. that is our report. hope you have a good week. >> oh, no.

tv's number one daily viral video show, "right this minute." a mom with three under 3 is welcomed -- to their prefurni prefurnished home. >> the story mind one community's very kind gesture. >> it's built for kids. you have no right to pull out like that. >> a biker trash talks a bus driver. >> starts getting weird. >> see the moment the driver pulls the old venus fly trap. >> what are you doing? come on. to me. >> look who's stuck more than 70 feet up, more than seven days. >> come here, look at me. >> how it's going to take a boatload of patience to get kitty down. and after a talented performer brings down the house -- >> they said that they had a big surprise for her. >> why they didn't say it was this big.

>> oh. sometimes you just need a hand, and the mom in this video not only got a hand, but a lot of help from her community in detroit, where the guys over at humble designs. >> welcome home. hi, loria. hi, logan. >> those three kids and their mom are walking into their fully furnished home. that mom has been in and out of shelters her entire life. she grew up in one with her mom and now she herself is the mother of three kids under 3 years old, and she's been trying to go to school, but life is just hard sometimes, and if the odds are stacked up against you, it gets harder and harder, but when your community comes together to help you out a little bit, it could be life changing. >> this there's a moment to give six weeks of stability could set someone's life up. >> the amazing thing they furnish the homes and items

donated from other people, couches to kitchen items, dining rooms to bedrooms. mom is in shock and you can see the joy and appreciation in her face as she's walking through. >> there's just so much stuff that people aren't using, it's great to see stuff just being put to use for people that actually need it. >> and this moment is really sweet, because a little boy is ready to make himself at home. >> you getting comfy? getting comfy? >> he starts taking his jacket off, feeling all good, like yeah. >> feels reiight at home. >> this is the part the kids are really excited about. >> they get a playroom? >> yeah, with really cool beds, too. watch hem walk around. as soon as the room is revealed to them they're ready to own this space. >> oh! >> and it's all so pretty, but something as simple as just having a bed instead of having to use maybe a cot at the shelter. now the space is their own as well. >> they didn't do this alone. they also had a lot of

volunteers from plant moran help make this happen. these guys have a home now. she'll be able to finish school and i hope that the future is way bright for them. >> thank you, guys, so much. this is truly amazing, thank you. do you remember how in cartoons when we were younger you could take a snowball and roll it down a mountain and it would get bigger and bigger, that is the perfect method for this video. this is in london. helmet cam, motorbike rider. as he approaches this junction, this bus wasn't really looking. he's making himself very clear. i disapprove. the simple solution here is to continue shaking your head and drive off. >> when in doubt, throttle out. >> unfortunately as he's about to throttle out he notices the bus stop. >> come on. >> he walks over to the driver and i am at this point agreeing with him. >> no, you have no right to pull

out like that. >> just inside the bus. >> [ bleep ] what are you doing? >> now the driver has tried closing the door on this motorbike ride per. >> what are you doing? >> the rider now is a little ticked off. oh, yes, you have no idea how big it's going to get. it's right around here that the record just starts to skip. >> do you know what to get it means? >> get ready to bang your head on the desk. >> did you tell me to come in? did you tell me to come in? >> meanwhile people on the bus are trying to get somewhere. >> he gets off the bus. oh no he's back on. >> it's wet! you don't put out. get out, get out, get out! >> now the driver's locked the door and starts driving off with this guy inside the bus. this is where other passengers are just like, can you let this guy get off the bus?

>> i'll [ bleep ], man. >> get a grip, broug. >> i [ bleep ] dare you, i -- >> you're not getting through that glass to the dreefiver. >> now he starts walking away. is he done? >> he's psycho. >> see this is trash bin, shoves it right in front. finally he's done. >> [ bleep ] [ bleep ]. >> i want to call him a child but that's disrespectful to children all over the world. it's safe to say nick calderon when a cat is up in a tree for seven days it probably needs a little bit of help. seven days, and 70 feet up. so the family of kitty right there gave robert reese a call, because somebody needed to go up there and get it. family members have tried several ways of getting the cat down, it didn't work, so he gets up there and starts offering dry cat food. let's see how that goes.

>> come on. >> if you have a cat, i've heard that they generally prefer the wet food. >> usually the dog's food, they should feed the dog down the bottom of the tree and the cat will try to knick its food. >> he breaks out the wet food, puts it at the end of the pole and starts extending it. >> those are tiny little branches out there. >> yeah, that cat is way out on a limb and he sends it out tlrk t there and the cat is like -- >> this man is like mr. rogers, so sweet, so calm. i'd be like okay i've been up here five minutes. this is your chance. [ meow ] >> the cat slowly starts moving toward the food. s >> see, you can climb down. you're doing it. >> he has a couple of bites and while it's eating he opens the bag and that's the part i'd be scared to take a couple of bites and take off but no, has enough

time to turn around, open the bag and puts the cat in the bag. >> she's in the bag. >> he descends down with the cat and all's well that ends well. seven days up in a tree, i think it needed some help or inducement or something to get it to start moving. >> oh my gosh. it's february, ladies and gentlemen, and that means that it is officially black history month, so why don't we go ahead and kick things off right. this just in. >> this is awesome. wants me to talk about it. >> let's just get right into it. >> angela, all-time high. >> of course it's all-time high. black belts consistently go high. >> give me some examples. >> john, we don't have enough time. >> serena williams won the australian open. >>