construction, it's a nervous time for city builders. good evening. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm kristen sze. building in san francisco is hard enough, even without the threat of a major earthquake. >> it's been two years since the centerpiece of the downtown started sink. then a month ago a window cracked in the millennium tower which this week experts said was unrelated to any movement in the building. >> last week the $2 billion salesforce transit center was shut down because cracks were found in two steel beams. installation on the shoring to take pressure off them began today. >> also today the city opened a new front on seismic safety. it's an unprecedented inventory of the tallest buildings with an eye towards fixing them before potential disaster in an earthquake. >> more now from abc 7 reporter melanie woodrow. melanie? >> kristen and dan, you can see a lot of the tall buildings behind me. this is a study that was commissioned by the late mayor ed lee, and it looks specifically at buildings that

are higher than 240 feet. san francisco's skyline is rising, with threats to tall buildings from earthquakes looming. >> we don't expect to have complete failure of these buildings. our bigger concern probably is the longer term recovery and when can we get people back in their residences and businesses back up. >> a review of more than 150 tall buildings in san francisco included building a database, cataloging in part the age of the materials used in the buildings. stanford university professor greg deerline is one of the authors of the resulting report. >> current building codes are geared to protect life safety of a building, don't necessarily address recovery. >> deerline says 60 to 70 buildings used the same type of steel wells that fractured during the 1994 earthquake in los angeles. >> it was due to a combination of design and detailing practices, the connection details that were used, the weld

metals that were used. >> the report suggests san francisco's tall buildings should be inspected for similar damage that might have gone undetected after the 1989 loma prieta earthquake. >> this is one of the first efforts to really look back and address, be proactive about starting to look more carefully at assessing those buildings. >> the study suggest there's is a link between the geotek cal aspects of construction and the integrity of tall buildings. the report compiles best practices in geotek cal engineering and foundation types and discusses acceptable limits of settlement. the final report will be released in november. in san francisco, melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >> all right, melanie, thank you. sky 7 was overhead as smoke billowed over the sky in oakland on 23rd street near 980 this morning. it turns out it was a fire at a homeless encampment. you can see firefighters pouring

water on to that area. it's not clear how the fire started. meanwhile, oakland's newest tough shed community is about to open at lake merritt, the third of its kind in less than a year. it's part of a larger strategy to combat the city's growing homeless problem. but here is the question tonight. this s this actually working? abc 7 news reporter laura anthony is live on tenth street in oakland with more on this question. laura? >> well, hi, dan. we did talk with the city today. they definitely think this program is working, and they cite statistics to prove it. they call this the community cabins program. and while there is a list of people wanting to get, in we talked with some others today who say it's just not for them. will you move in the tough sheds? >> i probably will, yes. i'm on the list. >> casey cummings lives in a tent along a pedestrian underpass. a former business owner, cummings told us she and many of her camp mates have jobs but still can't afford housing.

now that the third tough shed village is about to open, cummings is hopeful but not certain she'll get in. >> and their plan is to evict all of the people around the lake, including snow park, and have them all end up in the tough sheds. there is far more than 40 people homeless around here. >> is the program working? >> yes. >> joe de vries runs oakland's housing outreach program. >> we're doing this one step at a time. every city on the west coast is dealing with this crisis, and we're all trying everything we've got. this is the number one priority for the city of oakland right now. >> of the 127 people who have parked in the program so far, 63% have moved on to either transitional or permanent housing. 23 have found ploychlt aemploym. are you going to move in there? no. >> but living in a tuff shed isn't for everyone.nu sanchez a

the pedestrian walkway that connects lake merritt to the estuary. he is not on the list saying right now he prefers a tent. >> it's a very beautiful way to live. it's a sign of the times. it's kind of like a fashion statement. now it's not something to be ashamed of no more. >> now the city has been putting the finishing touches on this village. we expect the residents to begin moving in tomorrow. as for those tent encampments we showed you, they're just on the other side of the tuff sheds, those folks will be given the first chance to move into the tuff sheds, and then they'll be given an eviction notice of sorts, a certain amount of time to move away from lake merritt. in oakland, laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> laura, thank you. more than 300 people were arrested in washington, d.c. today for protesting against the supreme court nomination of brett kavanaugh. >> no justice, no peace! no justice, no peace! >> the protesters had originally

planned to proton steps of the u.s. capitol, but the police put up blockade. protesters moved to the hart senate office building. this comes as senators have gotten their first look at the fbi's investigation into the allegations against kavanaugh. >> the most notable part of this report is what's not in it. the fbi did not interview brett kavanaugh, nor did the fbi interview dr. blasey ford. >> some republicans said the investigation was very thorough. democrats criticize it as incomplete and very limited. senator menendez had harsher words. >> senator, you just read the fbi background reports on kavanaugh. what are your thoughts? >> well, that report, that's an investigation it's a [ bleep ] investigation. >> a procedural vote is expected tomorrow in the senate with a confirmation vote on saturday. >> and then there is this. a banner hanging on yerba buena island in morning. people driving in san francisco saw this large sign that said

"we believe survivors." an obvious reference to the kavanaugh controversy. sky 7 flew over the area later. the sign is no longer there it's not clear whose responsible for hanging it. meantime, abc 7 news reporter chris nguyen is live in palo alto for an anti-kavanaugh rally that's taking place tonight. chris? >> dan, that rally will be held at the intersection behind me at el camino real and embarcadero road. this is right next to stanford university and town and country village, if you're familiar with palo alto. this is happening about two hours where demonstrators will meet in support of dr. blasey ford, and all survivors of sexual assault. as brett kavanaugh's supreme court nomination process is nearing its end, some residents in palo alto, the hometown of christine blasey ford are looking forward to their next steps. >> the fight will continue for women's equality in this country. and get mortgage and more women in soyfs the way to do that, which the fbi investigation

icomplete, some are calling on the white house to release its directive to the agency so the public can know if the agents faced any restrictions when they started their investigation. palo alto mayor liz ness is a survivor of sexual assault herself. >> it makes me wonder does this president really feel a kinship with kavanaugh. does he perhaps see something very similar in their own backgrounds? >> across the country, more than 1700 law professors have signed a letter urging the senate to deny judge kavanaugh's confirmation saying he displayed a lack of judicial temperament during his hearing last week that would be disqualifying in any court. >> it's dangerous in our judicial system because someone coming in and watching that judge will always wonder whether revenge or vengeance or retaliation will be part of that judge's thinking. >> judge kavanaugh's supporters will believe the criticism is unwarranted. >> seven fbi investigations and one most recently called because of the hearing last week, there is no evidence to support the

allegations against him, and accordingly, i think it is appropriate to seat him on the supreme court. >> but those who believe dr. blasey ford say this. >> no woman would come forward with this story and disrupt her entire life if it wasn't the truth and her civic duty. there. >>'s going to be a lot of impact on traffic tonight as drivers slow down and take a look at what's going on. organizers expect all four corners of the intersection to be full of demonstrators. if you're interested in coming down, the event starts at 7:00 tonight. we're live in palo alto. i'm chris nguyen, abc 7 news. >> chris, thank you very much. now stay on top of the new developments on the kavanaugh supreme court nomination with the abc 7 news app. it really comes in handy. and be sure to enable push alerts on your phone or smart device so you can get information just as soon as it becomes available. off the job, thousands of rents and providing for their families.

>> and late this afternoon, a ship sales home into alameda as family and friends wait to greet them. and wait until you hear what they off-load ahead of time. >> i'm meteorologist sandhya patel. clouds and humidity are lingering, but not for long. i'll have the forecast coming up. and the whales that couldn't wa

hotel workers at marriott are on strike. this was the scene in san jose this morning. union leaders say one job should be all it takes to live in the silicon valley. >> and right now this workers that you see in the picket line, they have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet. >> that sentiment is certainly felt in san francisco. nearly 2500 workers were on strike in the city at seven different hotels. >> they include the courtyard marriott downtown, the marriott marqu marquis, the st. regis, the w, and westin st. francis. these hotels are still open. >> lyanne melendez is live near the marriott marcus wiquis with on the strike. >> by the way, all the hotels that you mention ready either own order operated by marriott. now here in san francisco, they began picketing very early in the morning in san jose about

200 workers walked off the job, this after boston workers there in boston also went on strike yesterday. on the picket line, hotel workers tried to dissuade tourists from checking into the marriott marquis in san francisco. it wasn't clear if they were having much success. but today was about letting people know most of them are not making ends meet. >> our key commands are contract delivers on economic fairness because it's so hard for workers to make ends meet in today's bay area. >> we met a single mom of three. as a hotel housekeeper, she earns $23 an hour. a decent wage if you don't have to live in the bay area. what she takes home after taxes fluctuates depending on how much overtime she gets. >> oh, it's like 500 to $600 a week. >> is that enough to live in san francisco? >> oh, no, no.

it's not. >> she actually lives in san leandro, which is slightly cheaper. okay. so let's say on average she takes home $550 a week. that's about $2400 a month. her monthly rent is $1400. that leaves her with a thousand dollars to pay for her bills, car, food, and other basic needs for her and her children. >> i have a second job. after i work here from 9:00 to 5:00, i work in the laundry room. >> local 2 also represents dishwasher, bellmen, cooks and maintenance workers. they're asking for better wages and job security. in a statement, marriott international said we are disappointed that unite here has chosen to resort to a strike at this time. during the strike, our hotels are open and we stand ready to provide excellent service to our guests. >> it is what it is. i can make my own bed. i'm good. >> you can make your own bed. >>ye, it's good.

i'm fine. i've got enough towels. i don't have a fresh towel in my house every day. so i don't need to do that here. >> fresh towels. now this is not a one or two-day strike. workers here, they say they will remain here out on these streets until this matter is resolved. i'm live in san francisco, lyanne melendez, abc 7 news. >> okay, thanks very much. the crew of a coast guard cutter is back home in alameda after seizing illegal drugs on the high seas. the cutter stratton approached the dock. family and friends waved from the banks of the oakland estuary to loved ones aboard the stratton. stratton's crew worked on missions like to one to stop suspected drug smugglers from reaching the u.s. a group of three coast guard cutters seized 11 tons of cocaine off the coast of mexico and central america. whales have started migrating southward along our coast, and a group of whale

watchers happened to be in the right place at the right time to see them. >> oh! >> he did they for us. >> a humpback displaying some acrobatics in monterey bay. whale watchers saw even more yesterday. a pod of orcas, at least five killer whales put on their aquatic show as well. they got their money's worth. >> spectacular. now your accuweather forecast with sandhya patel. >> always great to see them if you go whale watching this time of year. good evening. take a look at live doppler 7, and you will notice there is still quite a bit of cloudiness around the bay area. we have a disturbance passing through, and it has certainly produced winter-like precipitation. above 9,000 feet in the sierra, it's a mix of rain and snow. yeah, it's pretty early in the season. not a lot. but it's a little bit. as you take a look at the wider picture, that wider disturbance is definitely producing some showers. rain showers that is in places like tahoe just ended.

here's a look at the temperatures. right now in the 60s, the 70s. as we check out what the dew points look like, the measure of the humidity in the air, it's still in the muggy range. 55 to 59 degrees. most of you still dealing with a little bit of humidity, although we are starting to see some improvement. and take a look at what's going to happen hour-by-hour. p.m. tonight, the dew points you start to see 49 degrees there in cloverdale. watch that dryer air come in behind the front as we head towards later on tonight and into tomorrow, it is going to be back to what we used to hear in the bay area which is not as humid. and we're going start to see more clearing like we're seeing right now from our walnut creek camera. some blue skies showing up. temperatures will be falling overnight tonight. clearing overnight, chilly in the morning in the valleys. bright blue skies for the blue angels and sunny and warmer weather is ahead for the weekend. tomorrow morning make sure you bundle up. you're going feel the chill especially in the north bay valley, mid- to upper 40 there's. most other areas in the 50s with patches of fog. for the afternoon, sunshine for

just about everyone. a few high clouds will filter the sun. in the north bay, 77 in santa rosa. 66, san francisco. 71 in oakland, san mateo. upper 70s concord, livermore and san jose. so pretty nice looking friday for you. if you're going check out fleet week festivities bright and sunny tomorrow afternoon. milder weather both saturday and sunday. but skies are clearing just in time for the big show. you can download the accuweather app and track those temperatures any time you want. accuweather seven-day forecast is a brighter, dryer day for your friday. warming begins on saturday. mild to warm conditions on sunday, and columbus day for those of you who have it off, if your kids are out of school, it's going to be nice with a slight dip on tuesday. cooling continues midweek, and then you see the temperatures coming right back up. we did get about a few hundreds of an inch in livermore and san jose in the overnight hours, the showers. but they're departing. >> thanks, sandhya. well, we do have breaking news in sonoma county.

>> that's right.

we have some breaking news in sonoma county involving a pg&e substation to tell you about. >> let's get to abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman there. wayne? >> good afternoon. this is river road. behind me is the pg&e substation. if you've been down river road, you've seen it. it's a very large substation. right now it is closed. while traffic on river road is continuing, the area around here has been closed down. let's go to the video. earlier this afternoon, pg&e called and reported what they called a suspected device. suspected is stronger than suspicious. a sheriff's deputy told me it's on the other side of the complex just outside a fence next to the highway 101 offramp. traffic along the highway itself is moving slowly, as is traffic on river road. but offramp next to the station is closed as is the on-ramp to highway 101 south. as to what this device looks

like, no description except in the deputy's words, it does not belong here. sonoma county's sheriff's bomb squad is on the way. there are still workers inside. no one on the inside is talking. as we come back live, we're just waiting. so the problem as you're looking at it now is just on the other side of this building over by those trees by the freeway probably 150 yards. hopefully, it's nothing but it has enough to have pg&e concerned, especially as we approach the anniversary of the sonoma county firestorms. live in sonoma county near fulton, wayne freedman, abc 7 news. >> can't be too careful, wayne, thank you. let's turn your attention to consumer news. dealing with a stinky smell in your car is not only unpleasant, it is not easy to deal with. >> 7 on your side's michael finney is here with some important tips for us. >> i know it's an oddon go away no matter how many times you go

to a car and how many air fresheners you buy there are a few things you should try. the dog, the kids, maybe even the compost. often mean a trip to the car wash. >> you know how milk tends to fester on and on. >> if you don't want to give that impression that you're not a very clean person. >> but sometimes at least just not enough to get rid of unpleasant smells once and for all. >> it could be really tough to figure out why a car smells so bad there are lots of vents and vef advice crevices in a car where odors is hide. >> first thing i look at is a cabin filter. >> one obvious place to look and smell are the dashboard vents. if that area is the problem, see if there is debris, like leaves in the cabin filter. clear it out. and if that works, great. if not, installing new cabin

filter can really help. they're not very expensive, and you can probably do it yourself. >> you can also try spraying a professional vent and duct cleaner to get rid of any fungi that may have taken ahold in a vent. >> reporter: moistur in and under carpet mats can cause odor problems. carpet cleaners can help. but for tougher smells you may need to get professional steam cleaning. don't forget the sun roof there are small drainage holes on the side which sometimes get clogged, allowing water to seep into the roof's liner or even drip on to the seats. a quick vacuum of that area can solve that problem. now if these fixes don't work you should have your mechanic check for problems with the climate system. >> thanks. stay with us here, the blue angels are back. >> as they soar in the sky,

i'm ama daetz. coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00. >> this is about helping people get healthy and stabilized. >> battling chronic homelessness in san francisco. we examine how a new state law could change things for a select group of people and help build a better bay area. also, the new steps the dmv is ready to take to reduce those horribly long wait times at offices all across the state. and sky 7 is live in sonoma county where a suspected device has been found at a pg&e

substation. all that plus much more coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00. dan, kristen? >> thanks, ama. we'll see you then. >> if you didn't see the blue angels today, you may have heard them at least. >> or felt the vibrations. the navy pilots took to the skies this afternoon to practice ahead of this week's fleet week air shows on the weekend. while that was happening, an oakland teenager was also in the air. >> that's right. 13-year-old chris went on his first ever flight and with air show legend sean tucker. tucker is the chairman of eea young eagles which introduces young people to the world of aviation. >> we were told chris was a little reluctant to take off at first, but when they landed and he got out of the plane, he said "i want to be a pilot." >> i'll bet. sean tucker is legendary in the industry. >> a total trip. that's great. "world news tonight" is coming up next. i'm kristen sze. >> and i'm dan ashley. for sandhya patel, michael finney, all of us here, we appreciate your time.

hope to see you again at 6:00. >> and look at this sky. perfect for a blue angels reunion. california had the worst wildfire season on record. scientists say, our weather is becoming more extreme and we all have to be better prepared. that's why pg&e is adopting new and additional safety precautions to help us monitor and respond to dangerous weather. hi, i'm allison bagley, a meteorologist with pg&e's community wildfire safety program. we're working now, to enhance our weather forecasting capabilities, building a network of new weather stations to identify when and where extreme wildfire conditions may occur, so we can respond faster and better. we're installing cutting edge technology to provide real-time mapping and tracking of weather patterns.

and we use this information in partnership with first responders and california's emergency response systems. to learn more about the community wildfire safety program and how you can help keep your home and community safe, visit pge.com/wildfiresafety

tonight, the breaking news as we come on the air. the reaction pouring in now. the fbi investigation into judge brett kavanaugh is complete. the protests erupting from the supreme court to capitol hill. arrests mounting at this hour. the fbi handing over its report on the supreme court nominee. federal agents interviewing nine people. democrats tonight calling it a sham. and this evening, right here, the list. the five senators whose votes will decide his fate. senators flake, collins, murkowski, manchin and heitkamp. what each of them said today, and the dramatic moment senator heidi heitkamp reveals she will vote no, even if it costs her her senate seat. also tonight, the video emerging. we're on the scene tonight. seven officers shot, one dead. the gunman, a former lawyer who was disbarred, a veteran, and