katie? >> reporter: eric, today's news follow's last week's shakeup in the courthouse when the judge dismissed a previously brokered plea deal involving defendants derick almena and max harris. now it appears that the da and at least harris's defense attorney are welcoming a trial. district attorney nancy o'malley is making her own plea to the court on behalf of the victims of the deadly ghost ship fire. the letter, seen here, has been published by our partners at the east bay times. o'malley writes, the people stand ready to try this case against both defendants. >> what's unusual here is first the da was willing to make a deal, and now the da is not. >> o'malley's change of course follows the presiding judge's. last week he dismissed a brokered plea deal for the defendants. almena and harris admitted to their involvement in the fire that killed 36 people. the judge's move followed a

damaging letter written by almena, and two days of painful victim impact statements from family members. o'malley's letter is expected to be submitted in court tomorrow. it appears to echo the sentiment of those families. >> in a way that's what she's responding to. she's responding to the fact that so many of those people said, you know what, a deal is just not going to give us the information that we need, the closure that we need. >> reporter: now the defense may try for a change of venue, fearing they can't get a fair trial in alameda county. in this exclusive interview earlier this week, almena tells abc 7 news why. >> ai've admitted no contest, n guilt. how am i going to find a jury that hasn't heard me say, okay, i'm guilty, i'm guilty for allowing this to happen, i'm guilty -- >> reporter: max harris released this statement, quote, we welcome a trial. we are going to show the public and the jury all the institutional incompetent they can stomach, including that of

o'malley's office, and ifr inept and incompetent public official who allowed this fire to happen. i think harris will be acquitted, he says. now, the da's office will not comment on the letter ahead of tomorrow's hearing. at 6:00 we'll have more on the likelihood of that change of venue request expected tomorrow. live in oakland, katie utehs, abc 7 news. >> much preeshtappreciated, kat thanks. they've arrested an uber driver, facing charges of sexually assaulting a woman who rode in his car. detectives arrested him on tuesday. police believe barillas picked the woman up on july 14th and assaulted her after he drove her to union city. crews stopped the spread of a fire. flames broke out around 2:30 west of madrona manor. cal fire is asking everyone who does not need to be in that area

to stay away. these are photos of the fire from mill creek vineyards and winery, the winery tells us they were not asked to evacuate. the city of oakland is cracking down on illegal dumping by hosting what it calls bulky block parties. the city will have food trucks, music and a festive atmosphere for residents to get rid of large items for free. the first one is august 25th. two others are planned. we have the dates and locations posted on our website, abc7news.com. a possible chill in the housing market. home sales are starting to fall by double digit percentage points. david louie has been crunching the numbers in san jose. >> reporter: well, dion, the newest numbers just came out for all of california. the bay area did fare better than other parts of the state due to near record low unemployment there was between 2% and 3%. now, santa clara county,

however, did lead the region in the number -- the decline of home sales. the latest numbers from the santa clara county association of realtors indicates the number of homes on the market is rising. that's good for buyers, however, buyers are also seeing prices on the rise. if you compare the median sales price from last year to this year, the price has gone up on $186,000. >> we're in the teens in terms of percentage of population that could actually afford to buy a property today at the median price. so affordability is very, very low. >> reporter: existing home sales fell 14.6% in one month's time, from june to july this year. and down an even steeper 16.7% from july of last year to july of this year. one year ago, in such places as mountain view, home to google, homes were selling for 22% over the asking price. the market has cooled a bit.

>> they're still selling for over the asking price, but only 11% more. doesn't sound like a lot. but on a $2 million average property, that's a lot of money. in addition, the days on market, that's actually more than doubled to about 18. >> another factor that may have slowed sales is tax reform that impacted how much mortgage interest and property tax can be deducted. interest rates have inched up about a half percent. jordan levine, senior economist, talked to us via skype. >> i don't expect a major correction in home prices. the slower price growth will give folks' incomes a chance to catch up so we can repair this eroded affordability we've seen during this cycle. >> reporter: well, now, this trend may have some potential buyers wondering whether they should hold off buying a house. the economist jordan levine is forecasting the lack of housing

to meet demand is only going to cause housing prices to continue to rise in the months ahead. live in san jose, david louie, abc 7 news. >> david, thank you very much. some of the biggest shipping companies on san francisco bay are working with marine experts to protect endangered whales, the threat is ocean-going collisions that can prove deadly. >> this was the image that shocked environmentalists around the bay area last year, a pleasure boat running into a hump back whale. it was one of two incidents in a matter of days, and experts say warmer waters, possibly linked to climate change, could be making the situation even more dangerous. >> we've seen food concentrated closer to shore, the food that normally was offshore for the whales has been concentrated very close to shore, which has attracted the whales to shipping lanes, and very close to our coastline, and actually into san francisco bay. >> reporter: agencies like noaa, and police have worked to keep

whales a safe distance from boaters. they're jumping in to police themselves. more than a dozen major shipping and oil companies, including chevron and exxon mobil received awards today at the headquarters of of the national marine sanctuary for their work in a recently launched program to reduce the speeds that ships travel in the coastal waters around san francisco bay. >> we know where the ships are. we don't always know where the whales are. we're trying to work with the -- with noaa, the other agencies. >> the shipping companies agreed to reduce their speed to ten knots or less during the whale season. experts say moving at that speed not only gives the crew more time to see a whale, it also ups the chances of survival. >> slowing to ten knots makes the difference between injuring a whale and killing a whale. >> reporter: so far nearly half of the transit is moving at the slower speed. industry and environmentalists believe their charting a safer

course for these majestic and vulnerable creatures. >> none of these ships wants to hit a whale. >> it's targeted to shipping lanes outside the golden gate during whale feed season, may through mid-november. instead of being fun and silly, it created one to raise awareness on the mental health. suicide prevention, and post-traumatic stress. abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow as this story. ♪ i want you to feel like ♪ i want you to feel like the novato police department taking on a difficult subject for its lip sync challenge, suicide prevention. chief adam mcgill challenged his department to think outside of the box. >> if you can somehow create a purpose and a message that supports the mission, and what we do, then we'll run with it ♪ i've been running low, i've been taking my time. i feel like i'm out of my mind.

♪ >> it's incredible what they came up with. ♪ i've been praying for somebody ♪ >> we want to be approachable and make sure we have these conversations before we have them after the fact. >> the chief says novato had several youth suicides just last year. >> we're in the business of preserving life, and we'll use all tools available to us to do that in this video, and this lip sync challenge created a platform for us to do that. >> reporter: the video highlights the impact mental health issues have on first responders, novato's own police officers. >> i hope that one person sees it that's in crisis, or a friend sees it, and it's that kind of trajectory to have them make that call and get the help they need. >> reporter: the video was shot over two days and produced in about five days. novato police department says the officers did it all on their own and that no taxpayer dollars were used. in novato, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >> we have resources available to help you take action and find your ally when it comes to

mental health issues. look for the allies in action, part of our website, abc7news.com/takeaction. everywhere you look today it's a freeway of love and-r-e-s-p-e-c-t. >> everyone wants respect, everyone needs respect. >> yeah, aretha franklin sure knew a lot about that. coming up the life and times of the queen of soul. >> heavy metals in baby food, what you need to know about a new warning. and coffee and cancer, why the state may not require a warning after all. i'm meteorologist sandhya patel, our pattern is about (sound of footsteps) (sound of car door opening) (car door closes) (sound of engine starting) ♪ ♪

(sound of footsteps) (sound of car door opening) (car door closes) (sound of engine starting) ♪ i don't get around while you gone ♪ ♪ i won't do you wrong >> that is the voice that gave america its heart and soul, aretha franklin, there is a plaque honoring her at the west

oakland bart station. franklin passed away at her home in detroit, her family by her side. one person said her song "respect" became an anthem for us because it seemed like an anthem for her. linsey davis has a look back at her life. >> reporter: aretha franklin didn't just sing notes, she belted them out. she first wowed the congregation at her father's baptist church in detroit. by the time she was 14 she'd already recorded her first gospel album. before long she was rock and roll royalty. over the next five decades, franklin solidified herself as soul sister number one. and then there was that famous tune about a pink cadillac. ♪ we going riding on the freeway ♪ ♪ love in my pink cadillac >> ultimately her signature tune for life was the song where she

spelled it all out "respect" held the top spot on the charts for record two months. but her gospel roots pulled her back into the pulpit. ♪ freedom freedom freedom. >> reporter: as quickly as she made records, she broke them. her album "amazing grace" became one of the best-selling gospel albums of all time. her soulful voice earned her multiple awards, more than 20 grammys. she was the first woman ever inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame, and regularly had the ear of presidents. in 2005 president bush honored her with the presidential medal of freedom. and on january 20th, 2009. ♪ my country 'tis of thee

>> reporter: she performed at barack obama's inauguration ceremony. . she has the self-named title queen of soul. her passion, intensity, ability to move her listeners simply wouldn't allow it. linsey davis, abc news. now, that is a fitting tribute. in addition to her music, aretha franklin fought for civil rights. when she was in her 20s, she fought topath bail for angela davis. davis was put in jail in the 1970s. aretha was quoted in a magazine she wanted to bail her out because she's a black bomb and wants freedom for black people. she was -- now, 2020 is airing a special episode dedicated to aretha franklin called aretha,

soul, song, respect, watch it here on abc 7 starting at 8:00 p.m. and we also have aretha's most iconic songs at our website, abc7news.com. you might see signs warning you about the cancer risks of coffee disappear from stores and restaurants across california. a state panel recommended during a hearing in sacramento today to drop mandated signs like this one. health experts admit that coffee does contain some chemicals that can cause cancer, but it also includes other ingredients that can fight cancer and other diseases. after reviewing the evidence, as well as a major finding by the international agency for research on cancer, we concluded that coffee consumption does not pose a sinificant cancer risk. >> some in the medical community want the warning signs to remain, a final decision will be made in november. a warning tonight from consumer reports about the food you may be feeding your children. "7 on your side's" michael finney is here with more on that. >> one more thing to worry

about, very important. new testing from consumer reports has revealed many baby foods could contain heavy metals that could lead to behavioral problems, lower iqs and other health risks, which items pose problems and what parents need to do about it. like most parents, jose wants to feed his 11-month-old son robert the most nutrition foods. >> we started giving him cracks and most of the time cereal. we believe those are very nutritious, and it's easy to feed. >> baby cereals, puffs, crackers, all common foods parents give to kids. and as new testing reveals, also common foods that can contain high levels of inorganic arsenic, cadmium and lead. >> those elements can adversely affect their proper development. >> longtime exposure to these

heavy metals increase it is risk of serious health problems, including cancer, and type 2 diabetes. consumer reports tested 50 products, including baby cereals, packaged fruits and vegetables, packaged entrees, cookies and other snacks commonly fed to infants and toddlers, two-thirds were found to contain arsenic, lead and cadmium above levels associated with health risks, snack foods and producted with rice fared the worse. >> certain plants like rice naturally uptake these heavy elements more so than other plants. >> heavy metals occur naturally in soil and water. don't think buying organic will help. products labeled organic were also just as likely to cane the heavy metals as conventional ones, what can you do to minimize exposure? and protect your child and yourself from dangerous heavy metals? >> just because you've been feeding your children these

types of foods doesn't mean that they will necessarily have a specific adverse response to eating them. if you've been feeding these foods to your children, reduce the amounts that they are consuming per day, or per week. if you're really concerned about it, we certainly encourage you to talk to your doctor. >> now, to reduce the amounts of heavy metals, your children are exposed to, experts recommend limiting rice cereal, and packaged snacks, things that seem safe enough. >> stuff we all fed our kids. >> exactly. >> michael, thank you. >> sure. >> announcer: now your accuweather forecast with sandhya patel. after morning fog it brightened up around the entire bay area, live doppler 7, that fog has pretty much pushed away, you really can see it, well off the coast here, so we are enjoying warmer weather around the bay area. it's not too hot. abc 7 news exploratorium camera, a great day for sailing. 65 in san francisco, oakland, 69

degrees, you're 74 in san jose, morgan hill, 84 degrees, another live picture from our sutro tower camera, a haze showing up there as the warmth is building and also we're seeing some smoke from the fires as the wind is switching directions. here's a look at those temperatures, mid to upper 70s from santa rosa to novato, 87 in fairfield, currently a warm 88 degrees in concord, temperatures are going to continue to rise today in the mid-60s to low 90s so far. take a look at the hour by hour forecast for livermore tomorrow, 59 in the morning at 8:00 a.m., temperatures quickly coming up to mid-90s range. it is going to get hot and that heat will continue as we head into saturday. a live look right now from golden gate bridge camera, and it is sunny outside. here's a look at the forecast. warming trend continues tomorrow. our inland heat peaks on saturday with a cooler pattern early next week. in case you're wondering, we're tracking the sunset.

8:01 the sun sets. august 31st, 7:40 p.m. and september 30th, 6:54. we're heading towards fall in a matter of several weeks. fog along the coastline, morning hours, limited locally inland between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. it will peel back from the bayside communities and hang around parts of the coast but not all areas. tomorrow morning, temperatures in the 50s for the entire bay area, cooling off nicely despite the warmup today. hot tomorrow afternoon in the south bay. 94 in morgan hill. 85 in san jose. 81 in sunnyvale. on the peninsula, 80 in redwood city. 64, pacifica, wide range of temperatures for you, 68 in downtown san francisco. in the north bay, 60s near the coastline, 88 in santa rosa, 88 degrees in novato, up to 98 in lakeport, east bay, 74 in

oakland, not a widespread heat event, but warmer everywhere, 79 in fremont, inland areas on the hot side, 95 in pleasanton. download the accuweather app and check out the temperatures anytime you want. tomorrow afternoon, low 60s to mid-90s, so really going to be a wide range of temperatures hot inland as we head into saturday, close to 100 degrees inland, mid-60s coast, heat moderating. it really does not fit your lifestyle of dealing with the heat, don't worry, early next week we'll get you down to the upper 80s inland, upper 50s coastside. >> that's a good question, does this fit your lifestyle, this forecast? >> i'm not worried. she told me not to worry. >> glad he's listening to you. words you certainly don't want to hear. >> we've got a bear in the car. >> the surprising way deputies got the bear out in south lake

tahoe next. then at 5:30 on world news with david muir. >> coming up tonight, aretha franklin, what we learned about her final days, a secret recording of a member of the trump family, you'll hear it, the pregnant mot get to the ross shoe event and get the shoes you want...for way less. oh yeah. ross has the top brands at big savings. for the latest styles and trends... at prices that make them even cuter... ...get to the ross shoe event. yes for less.

...which means you can saynally hyes... ...to the shoes your family wants. find top brands at big savings... ...for men, women, boys and girls all for a whole lot less... ...at the ross shoe event. yes for less. google is clarifying how its location history works after investigation revealed several apps in website store, your location, even if you turned off your location history, google's help page had stated with location history off the places you go are no longer stored, the page now reads this does not set other location devices, and some data may be saved as part of activity on other services. an australian teen pled guilty to repeatedly hacking into computer systems for a year. authorities raided the boy's home and found his files in a folder called hackie hack hack,

and an attorney says the teenager hacked apple because he was a big fan and hoped to work there some day. scientists of uc davis helped crack the genetic code of wheat. it's considered a breakthrough that could lead to new varieties that have more nutrition and better adapted to coping with climate change. wheat is grown on more land than anything else. it's also one of the most complex genomes known to science. a bear got into a car in south lake tahoe this week. deputies helped it escape with, of all things, bean bags. >> that thing is huge, because it's a small car. >> oh, and there it goes. deputies fired several non-lethal bean bag rounds until the back window broke and the bear ran out. the office posted this video on social media reminding people in bear country not to leave food in their cars or leave cars

unlocked. they also said, yes, bears can also open doors. >> i think that's true. as we saw. well, you know the old saying, row, row, row your boat. well, imagine that pace, a hundred times faster, lake merritt turning into a national hot spot for rowers, next. first, we quantity to thank jack kie for this picture from oyster point. share your pictures with us and

coming up at 6:00, changes to the biggest transit agency in the bay area. adjustments to boast times and prices. larry beil takes us on an exclusive tour of the chase center, future home of the golden state warriors. toymakers are cashing in on the public's fascination with super heroes.

"7 on your side's" michael finney shows where to find what's worth your money, coming up at 6:00. for the next few days, lake merritt will be filled with rowers from age 21 to their 80s. abc 7 news was there for the rowing masters national championships, first time since 2000 the lake has hosted the national championships, it hasn't been on the west coast since 2008. >> races every day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. >> full on racing, just every five minutes there's another race coming down. >> the event is free. there are also food trucks, and a beer garden in the lake merritt boating center. world news tonight is next. i'm dion lim. >> i'm eric thomas. for the entire abc 7 news team, thanks for inviting us into your home. connect with us 24/7 on facebook and twitter and also on abc7news.com.

tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. celebrating a legendary artist, aretha franklin. the queen of soul has died, surrounded by loved ones. what we've learned about her final days. the tributes tonight from so many other artists. and this evening, right here, aretha franklin in her own words. what that song, that word, respect, meant to her. ♪ r-e-s-p-e-c-t ♪ find out what it means to me also, the other news tonight, president trump under fire for taking aim at those who have been critical of him. revoking security clearance of a former cia director, who tonight says trump's talk of no collusion is, quote, hogwash. and late today, the man who oversaw the raid on osama bin laden, his message about all of this for president trump. also tonight, the new audio