weeks. reporting live in stanford, matt keller, abc 7 news. more help is on the way to north carolina's community hit hardest by florence. >> food and water will be delivered to wilmington. at the latest count, 32 people are dead in the wake of the storm. a team of san francisco first responders got the call from fema and so now they're in north carolina where they're helping coordinate rescue efforts. they say it's been eye-opening to watch folks from across the country work together to keep fellow americans safe. >> when they find out there's a team here from san francisco, they always tell us we're a aym help out. >> the biggest challenge now, safely getting people back into their homes. the american red cross is ordering a relief effort for those affected by the storm. you can make a

texting the word florence to 99999. florence no longer has tropical characteristics. it has wind of 25 miles an hour and heading to the east at 13 miles an hour. it's near scranton, pennsylvania. it will make its way to new york and make a bee line for boston in the next few hours. you can see 15 million people in the green affected today and tomorrow by the flash flooding potential. back here at home, we have the marine layer back and it's going to be a stubborn one today, leadg uso one of our coolest days this week. starting off in the 40s and 50s. no different there. by noon the clouds will be hanging around in the bay. that's why we're in the mid-60s. upper 50s at the coast. 60s and 70s at 4:00. and 50s and 60s at 7:00. we'll take a look at your commute planner coming up next.

>> good morning, mike. no major issues on the road so far today. of course, we are welcoming that news here on this tuesday morning commute. a live look at the southbound 101. i don't have any major blocking issues in the south bay or throughout the bay area. some slight delays 580 tracy to dublin flipped into the green at 33 minutes. antioch to concord, 14 minutes. and san rafael to san francisco, 101, 15 minutes. just hearing about a minor issue solano county, we'll discuss that next. a professor from palo alto will get her chance to tell her story in front of congress and the country in less than a week. >> christine blasey ford says brett kavanaugh talked her when they were both teenagers. it's up-ending a confirmation process most saw as a sure thing. elizabeth hur joins us from new york. >> good morning to you.

yes, a committee vote on kavanaugh's nomination was planned for this thursday, but now that is on hold with kavanaugh saying he's ready to clear his name and his accuser saying she's ready to tell her story. the stage is set on capitol hill with both supreme court nominee brett kavanaugh and his accuser ready to testify. >> i insisted we have an open hearing. this week, absent her being able to tell her story. >> reporter: senator jeff flake, a key republican on the senate judiciary committee is adamant kavanaugh's accuser must be heard. dr. ford, a psychology professor in california, seen here in this yearbook photo from the period when she claims she was assaulted, first told her story to senator dianne feinstein saying kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped me, removed my

clothing. i thought he might inadvertently kill me. i managed to get away. the incident happened in high school some 30 years ago. kavanaugh says this is a completely false allegation. i have never done anything like what the accuser describes to her or to anyone. >> it is on an insult, insult to the women of america to rush this through. >> obviously, if judge kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying. >> reporter: president trump while defending his nominee also uncharacteristically called for patience. >> i want the american people to be happy. and i think to do that, you have to go through this. if it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay. >> reporter: the hearing is scheduled for next monday morning and the expectation is that the two will testify separately but before this same panel. live in new york, i'm elizabeth hur for abc7 news.

>> thank you. take a look here at your screens. this is christine blasey ford's high school senior picture. if you want to learn more about her background and what brought her to the coast, we have more on our website. flags will be flown at half-staff to mark officer killed, mark stasyuk who was killed in rancho cordova. he was hit in the upper body and his partner hit in the arm. the suspect was also wounded in an exchange of gunfire with other officers. he's been with the department for nearly five years. happening today in san francisco, legislators will call on governor brown to enact the strongest net neutrality protections in the nation. if the governor signs a bill, it would prevent internet service providers from blocking or slowing down websites or charging for faster speeds.

but unlike previous laws, this bill would limit data plans and allow companies breaking the rules to be prosecuted. in the east bay the oakland unified school district will get millions in aid over the next three years. governor brown signed the education trailer bill, which will provide financial relief for the district. the district estimates a budget shortfall of $30 million next school year. under the bill, the state will cover up to 75% of the deficit in the first year. up to 50. in the second year. up to 25% in the third year. berkeley police are going undercover to stop laptop thefts at cafes. thefts like this one, which happened at a cafe on shad dock avenue last yeek are an ongoing problem, that's why undercover officers will keep watch at a number of kaf fecafes around th. keep laptops with you and be aware of your surrounding but in this case, people were stealing computers right out of their hands. a shock at a cell phone

store when a band of robbers rushed in and cleaned out the place. it happened at the t-mobile stop in shop in concord. you can see the display tables empty. the crimes are similar to the grab and dash bay area apple stores last month. police have no arrests in last night's theft. seven minutes away from my accuweather forecast. let's talk about neighborhood temperatures. the east bay, pleasanton and livermore, the warm spots. pittsburg and dublin at 57. here's a look at some of that fog that's going to become more and more prevalent in our forecast as we get into the longer nights. novato boulevard, lucas valley road, all of those spots could have visibility down to a quarter mile. everywhere else quiet as we look at the east bay. fog on the roads is my only

concern. ferry ride, no craft advisory. and mass transit is one of the coolest days this week. check in san francisco where the clouds will be locked in this noon. low 60s this afternoon with a little more sunshine. head down to the south bay, we've got partly cloudy conditions at 8:00 and 55. sunny and 67 at noon. we'll hang out in the mid-70s during the afternoon hours. back to 60 degrees by 8:00. and up in the north bay, waking up with some fog and 52. sunny by noon and 66. and also in the low to mid-70s most of the afternoon hours. weave got some fog out there. what else are you watching? >> not too much. we're off to a fairly quiet start. flipping over to our traffic maps. here's walnut creek, southbound 680. no delay approaching the merge. you can see we have light volume so far today. on 680 further north of there, i believe this is just before or just before the beginning of the bencia bridge, we do have

reports of a disabled semi. that's blocking the far right lane. chp on their way to the scene. we'll take a look at mass transit coming up in ten minutes. living in just 80 square feet, one woman finds an extreme solution to the bay area housing crisis. >> the commute is about to get more challenging for early morning b.a.r.t. riders. why trains will get a late start.

if you're heading to washington or boston, check out the rain that florence is going to produce, 1 to 3 inches. some isolated temperatures may be a 4 but they're away from airports but still that potential for flooding. let's take a look at what's going to happen here today. 81 in sacramento. mid to upper 80s, chico and fresno. 81 in l.a. with sunshine. 85 in palm springs. tahoe, 71 degrees today with clean air. we'll do it again tomorrow after some frost in the morning and mid-70s thursday, friday and saturday. look at that dry cold front drop us into the mid-60s by monday. >> mike, thank you. governor brown has signed a bill designed to regulate balcony construction and inspections. the bill forces contractors that settle lawsuits for $1 million or more to publicly report the settlements. it also requires balconies at

apartment complexes to be inspected every six years. this is in response to the 2016 accident in berkeley. six irish students died after a fifth floor balcony collapsed. thousands will need to adjust their morning commute when b.a.r.t. begins a four-year retro fit project in february. most of the construction will be done overnight however regular train service will be pushed back one hour. now it will start at 5:00 a.m. according to the chronicle, they'll offer three express bus services for commuters who need that earlier start. they'll run between 3:50 and 4:40 in the morning from 12 stations in the bay area. most of the routes will end at the sales force transit center. free cable car rides are costing san francisco money. riders working undercover tried to board cars without paying the $7 fare as part of the audit. of the 100 attempts, 24 succeeded and the report found nheck7 fares went at least one

uncollected, costing the city almost $2,000. still it's an improvement from the last year when they failed to collect payment from almost 600 riders. in the south bay we're getting an inside look to one woman's solution to the affordable housing >> our partner with the mercury news are preparing to take on what many have dubbed as the van life. this is unlike any van you've ever seen. >> reporter: tracy caplan's future is parked outside her landlord's home with three-burner stove and other necessities, this retrofitted ford transit is her 80-square-foot answer to affordable housing. the mercury news reporter has been priced out of one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the u.s. >> i can pay the

rent. >> reporter: she no longer wants to be at the mercy of the housing market so she drained her retirement fund and put $90,000 into her dream home. >> i see it as having four rooms. the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom/shower and bedroom. >> reporter: four rooms atop six wheels. she invested in top quality equipment meant to last, including this dry composting toilet that will turn her waste into dirt. she plans to park overnight in places around the bay area considered safe by a network of other van lifers. >> i feel like i have 20 years left of my life, maybe 30, and i have been inside an office for 31 years. >> reporter: she says once she has the money to retire, she'll be ready to hit the road. in san jose, abc7 news. >> i mean, it's a creative solution. i don't think it's for everyone, but i'll be interested to watch how this goes for her. >> oh, yeah. >> good luck.

heinz will sell a mayonnaise -- ketchup hybrid. >> they first launched in the middle east in april, hit the midwest after an online campaign that received over half a million votes on twitter. heinz did not invent this combination, in case you're wondering. people have been doing this for decades calling it fry sauce. some people actually throw sweet pickle relish and vinger, thousand island dressing as well. >> it's like a special sauce from the big mac is what it is, but the name -- >> the name is bad. >> it's so bad. >> didn't we come up with a better name last time we talked about this? >> we did. we were smart then. >> ho? no,d, o. >>t' any we had something good. we'll have to look back and see what it was. >> mayo chip is not the answer. >> you work on that and we'll talk about weather. >> we have the heavy lifting.

>> pretty much. you're no more than seven minutes from my accuweather forecast. i'll talk about what's not around in walnut creek and that's heat. high of 77. sunshine. warm to hot inland wednesday, thursday and friday. and everybody drops below average again next week. here's a look at the cloud cover. look how extensive it is this morning compared to the last couple of mornings. look by noon how extensive it is in the east bay. by 3:00 it doesn't completely clear out. the coast you can see pretty much socked in. that's one of the reasons we'll be so much cooler today than every other day this week. how cool? let's take a look at some neighborhoods in the south bay. 69 in milpitas. 73 in san jose. we should be 80 degrees today. 80 in redwood city. we'll hug 60 along the coast to mid-60s in downtown and south san francisco and sausalito. low to mid-70s through most of

the north bay. cloverdale we'll have upper 70s. along the east bay shore, 66 at richmond and oakland. union city, freeman, hercules. tonight's temperatures, great sleeping weather once again. upper 40s to mid-50s with not quite as much cloud cover. that's going to springboard us. temperatures 4 to 10 degrees warmer. we'll spike near 80 around the bay. that's it for the 90s. we're back in the 80s by friday and by next monday, 60s and 70s. >> we're off to a quiet start for an early morning commute. we're looking live at the bay bridge toll plaza where it looks like the right lanes thinned out. the left lane we have a bit of a delay. no metering lights yet. that shouldn't happen for another 30 minutes or so. heads up for this weekend, b.a.r.t. major track repairs once again between 19th street and west oakland stations. that means you have to be able to get off the train and onto a

bus instead between those two. that is scheduled to go all day saturday and sunday and you should plan for significant delays. next traffic update coming up just before 5:00. a japanese billionaire will be the first space tourist to take a solo trip around the moon. >> i was really pulling for oprah, but didn't happen. also, amazon is ready to release an alexa-powered microwave in today's "techbytes"s. the first space tourist for elon musk's company is a japanese billionaire, the founder of japan's online retailer. instagram has launched new e-commerce tools designed to make it easier for users to buy the things they want. >> the tools can be found via instagram stories, both will include information about brands users follow. amazon is reportedly

expanding alexa's reach. >> they are planning to release eight new voice-controlled devices, including an alexa-power microwave oven. >> it will be out hopefully by christmas. >> those are your "techbytes." have a good one. >> alexa, pop some popcorn. you still have to put the popcorn in the microwave, right? >> for now. what you'll get for free starting friday. a bay ferry operator is picking up support. what they plan to fight. the

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you're never more than seven minutes away from my accuweather forecast. your athletics are back in town. they're taking on the angels tonight at chevy free parking night. 7:05 free pitch. in marin county, the future of the angel island tiburon ferry remains in limbo. the mcdonagh family has ran it for 60 years but the california state parks but it up for bid. they say the new 20-year contract requests asks for too much. >> they had us building ramps and maintains ramps on angel island that's the state's responsibility and rest rooms. they had us do things for docks

at tiburon that's exclusive for employees at tiburon. >> we need to make sure we're able to celebrate small companies. state lands commission is sending a letter to state parks urging them to rethink its bidding process. parks says it's, quote, trying to comply with all requirements. the popular museum of ice cream is making san francisco its permanent home. the museum made stops in new york and l.a. before coming to the bay area. it's not just locals driving sales. reports show half a million visitors from 65 countries have stopped by the museum in san francisco. tickets are on sale for 38 bucks for visits now through december. they tell us new experiences will be created for 2019. you're never more than seven minutes away from my accuweather forecast. let's talk about pollen. i have a black car that doesn't want to stay clean lately.

it's all that tree pollen. weed, grass and mold low. we have elm, that's all your pollen. this is the four-day forecast from the bay area air quality management district. they have us good to moderate. let's get it find out what's happening on the bridge. >> i want to head up to the benicia bridge. there's a semi sitting in the far right lane and chp is on the scene. that shouldn't turn into anything major. san mateo bridge, westbound 92, slowly filling in. that's about it for today. next traffic update at 5:00. from the 7 on your side team, a major new consumer protection kicks in this week. beginning on friday, the three

major credit reporting agencies, equifax, transperian and transunion is to provide a credit freeze free of charge. it's intending to stop financial loss from i.d. theft. here in california, previously freezes have cost $10 for each reporting agency and another $10 from each to remove the freeze. firefighters in british columbia were working to bring a fire under control when they got a surprise. that swirling wall of flame suddenly grabbed their water hose. tis happened in britt ibritish columbia north of vancouver. they say the firenado pulled their hose more than 100 feet into the air before melting it. i have never seen anything like that. >> wow. that is terrifying. a meeting over dockless scooters in the east bay gets heated. next at 5:00, the late night vote over what to do about those

controversial modes of transportation. kidnapping victims togethe

it's 5:00 a.m. good morning. >> you're never more than seven minutes away from your accuweather forecast. mike nicco has a look at your forecast. >> hi, everyone. let's look at novato, that's where we have the thickest fog on 37 and 101. please be careful. here's a look at my accuweather

is it-hour planner. mid-40s in deepest valleys. cloud cover stubborn at the coast, keeping you in it the 50s for better part of the day. slower sunshine will keep us in the mid to upper 60s. by 4:00 we'll have 73 and back to the 60s. we don't have any dense fog advisories yet but it certainly is out there in some areas. keep that in mind and make sure you're driving for conditions if you come across some today. right now we're looking at very light volumes on the richmond side of the richmond/san rafael bridge. toll plaza looking quite empty this morning. westbound 80, highway 4 to the maze, about 17 minutes. southbound 101 san francisco to sfo looking great fin the greenn