live, this is abc7 news. >> the question is ultimately are more people being put in peril because pg&e will be protecting its shareholders. >> san jose's mayor is ringing the alarm bells after pg&e was allowed to shutdown power to mitigate wildfire risks. mayor sam liccardo says he simply doesn't trust pg&e with that responsibility. good evening. i'm eric thomas. >> and i'm kristen sze. thanks for joining us. just today downed pg&e power lines sparked a small grass fire in east palo alto. no homes were damaged, but pg&e says it's looking into what happened. >> in sacramento, meanwhile, lawmakers today considered a bill that would create a wildfire fund with tens of billions of dollars to help pay out claims from wildfires. both utilities and rate paiyers would pay into that fund. >> as for san jose mayor sam liccardo, he wants the state to have more control over demetrius jackson knee when it comes to shutting off power. >> pg&e says to cities throughout northern california,

trust us. the puc seems to be fine with that approach. local governments lean j have serious concerns. >> mayor sam liccardo referring to the may 30 decision by the california public utilities commission to give pg&e full discretion over shutting down power for as long as seven days as a way to prevent wildfires. liccardo says he's worried the utility company might choose to over correct with black outs after causing last year's devastating camp fire. >> the question is ultimately are more people being put in peril because pg&e will be protecting its shareholders. >> reporter: in 2003 the northeast black out that affected new york, philadelphia and ohio lasted two days for some areas, two weeks for others and cost billions of dollars and claimed 100 lives. >> at least if they gave us a good amount of notice so we can prepare ourselves for it, then i guess i would be okay. >> what we are worried about in san jose are the many safety risks that a large regional

outage would, you know, cause. >> reporter: pg&e's website said they plan to give customers 48 hours notice. a document you can download outlines procedures and safety tips. in a statement, they told us, we understand there are safety risks on both sides of the decision to de-energize our lines. it is not a decision we take lightly. but mayor liccardo says that's not enough. he wants rules in place. >> i'd like to see state agencies have the ability to say, no pg&e, you can't shut it down. i'd like to see the local officials with pg&e when those decisions are being made. >> reporter: liccardo says he's pursuing legislative at the state level and is waiting for a response from sacramento. chris reyes, abc7 news. >> tonight pg&e is hosting its first open house so people can reprepare for wildfire season. they'll talk about wildfire safety as well as emergency preparedness. there are two open houses this week. one starting at 6:00 tonight at the oakland marriott city

center. heather farms in walnut creek will host one on thursday. >> it is the moment derrick almena's defense team has been waiting for two 1/2 years. the founder of the ghost ship to tell his side of the story. almena took the stand late this afternoon in an oakland courtroom. abc7 news reporter laura anthony was there and she has this report. >> when you put on a client, it's kind of like having a baby. you don't know, you know, what's going to happen. >> reporter: derrick almena finally has his day in court. the final witness for his own defense in a criminal trial that could send him and co-defendant max hairs to prison for decades. he put his head down and said he was tired and heartbroken and he became emotional when asked by his attorney if he felt responsible for those who died at the ghost ship. quote, i instituted something. i built something. i dreamed something. i attracted beautiful people to my space. i'm spiritually and morally responsible for it.

>> and the contemplative pause before he answered and the emotion that he shows in his demeanor and his answers, he does have contrition. >> reporter: before almena, a former ghost ship resident darrell lee described what he heard in the moments before the fire that killed 36 people in december 2016. quote, i heard bottles breaking and pop, pop, pop. and i heard what sound the like an argument. the defens claims that the fatal fire was an intentionally set with monthly a to cocktails by several men in dark cloektinging. fire officials never officially determined a cause. two oakland police officers also testified. both had been inside the warehouse in the months and years before the fire. one admitted he knew people lived there, but said almena denied it. derrick almena is expected to be on the stand here through the rest of the week, then both sides will get their chance to deliver their closing arguments. in oakland, laura anthony, abc7 news.

>> also in the east bay, we have a behind the scenes look at an effort to slow things down on a highway where speeding is a problem. the c.h.p. is cracking down along highway 4. abc7 news reporter wayne freedman had a firsthand look at the effort today and he joins us live from the c.h.p. headquarters in martinez. wayne? >> reporter: indeed we did have a firsthand look. sometimes in excess of 100 miles an hour. the c.h.p. has been busy, but as we learned today, that they went only by the guidelines in the speed limit, enforcement would be easy. there are some finer points, even on highway 4. highway 4 in contra costa county today maybe you caught a glimpse of c.h.p. officer brendan correa. if you did, it may be a little too late. >> you have to see them before they see you. >> reporter: that's the ticket. that is not meant as an intentional pun. but after recent road work and widening, they see this as a

dangerous corridor and they're out to slow people down the old-fashioned way. how fast are we going? >> 102. >> reporter: this stop turned interesting fast. >> whoa. >> reporter: the white cara head had been going 90 miles an hour and this was just the beginning of what shouldn't have been such an adventure. the driver pulled over on the center divider. >> i don't know what she's doing, but i'm going to back away from her. >> reporter: it's just another day in the life of a c.h.p. officer trying to keep our roads safe. and yes, the driver of that white car did receive a citation. >> dui impairments and speeding are our bread and butter. >> reporter: as the c.h.p. tells us, there can be a difference between written speed limits and how people drive. officer tells us he also pulls cars over for going too slowly. generally he's looking for the one car going faster than the rest. >> just move all the way to the exit, please. move all the way to the exit. thank you. >> reporter: that would be london morrow in the black turbo. >> and you're thinking? >> he got me. >> reporter: but in this case

london was not endangering people, not even at 81 miles an hour. >> he has nothing on his prior history. interaction was great. there's no other things wrong with this car. everything is up to date, everything is locked on so i'm like, hey, i don't always have to write a ticket. >> reporter: so he didn't write a ticket. morrow got a warning instead and his good attitude helped. >> you have a wonderful day. >> nice meeting you man. >> you're going to meet more people out here today. >> i think you might. >> reporter: and he said he would not exceed 80 miles an hour again, all the way home or ever. in fact, any driver who we stopped today said they will be going more slowly, and that is the point. as for that chase of the car -- not chase, but the stop of the car on the center divider, that's on my twitter feed, at least 90 seconds of it. that's only the beginning. after the driver pulled over to the center divider, we didn't know where he was going to go. he froze. the officer had to get up, go around in front of him, had to go back and tell him to move eventually to the right lane, it

all took several minutes, and that is something you don't count on in a normal traffic stop. live in contra costa county, wayne freedman, abc7 news. >> wayne, thank you. 483 days until the presidential election, and today one man is out and another is likely in the running. out of a crowded field of 24 democrats, bay area congressman eric swalwell became the first to bow out. and while reports are california billionaire tom steyer will enter the race. abc7 news reporter liz kreutz is live in dublin with a look at what's behind swalwell's decision. liz? >> reporter: yeah, it's the announcement that no congressional or presidential candidates wants to make, but congressman eric swalwell said he saw the writing on the wall. he decided it's best for him tow step aside and redirect his efforts to his reelection campaign. as he said, as he does step aside, we are still waiting to see if someone else well known here in the bay area decides to jump in. at this union hall in dublin, congressman eric swalwell said it was time to

call it quits. >> today ends our presidential campaign, but it is the beginning of an opportunity in congress with a new perspective. >> reporter: after a campaign that started nearly three months ago, swalwell became the first democratic presidential candidate to officially end his bid for the white house. his reasoning, low fund-raising and poll numbers. there were questions whether he would even qualify for the upcoming presidential debate. >> we wanted to be honest with ourselves and with our supporters. if there was a viable chance, i would not be standing here today. >> reporter: swalwell made gun reform the central focus of his presidential campaign, an issue he says he'll continue to fight for as he turns his attention to his congressional reelection bid. but the congressman's decision to drop out of the presidential race could mark the start of a turning point moment. will other candidates follow suit? >> you're seeing the second quarter fund-raising numbers coming in which are

demonstrating the strength and viability of some campaigns. yes, i think we're getting into the period now where the field is going to narrow down substantially. >> reporter: without swalwell, there are now 23 democratic candidates, but there is still one new face that could emerge. bay area billionaire tom steyer is reportedly close to jumping in the race despite publicly announcing he wouldn't run in january. >> the fact that he is coming back at it after having already bowed out when we had such a crowded field is a little surprising to a lot of folks, i think. >> reporter: now, swalwell, we asked if he has any advice for steyer. he said it's rough out there, but he wishes him well. swalwell would not say who he plans to endorse at this time. he just said whoever becomes the democratic nominee will have to be someone who is tested, who can take punches from president trump and throw them right back. this dublin, liz kreutz, abc7 news. >> liz, thank you very much. the desire to have a selfie souvenir from the running of the bills in spain nearly cost a man from san francisco his life. a six-ton bull struck jaime

alvarez in the neck yesterday in pamplona. alvarez was in spain withmi hlyy intend but sd t engy was jtoo strong to resist. he says he ran most of the course then returned to shoot a video when he thought the danger had passed. then he describes what happened as a stray bull came at him. >> i turned and it was like a truck or a car just hitting the side of my head. i put my hand on my neck and saw blood. i could feel my neck opened up. i was stunned. and then some ran down my wrist and knew i was hurt and just ran to the medics. >> alvarez works as a public defender for santa clara county. he could be out of the hospital as soon as tomorrow. >> another dead whale was spotted at point reyes national sea shore. this one estimated 27 foot baby hump back and the 14th whale to wash ashore in the bay area this

year. the marine mammal center received reports of the ccarcas saturday. then later at elephant rock, the team attempted to locate the whale, but it washed out to sea. local scientists have performed necropsies on 12 gray whales this year citing malnutrition as the leading cause of death. oakland born scientist eaton has gone missing on the greek island of crete. the 59-year-old was last seen at a conference there on july 2nd. police believe eaton, an avid runner, went out for a run. all of her items are still in the room except her running shoes. eaton is a molecular biologist with the max plunk institute at dresden university in germany. she earned her ph.d. at u. csf. >> cracks in homes, cracks on the road and homes turned upside down. life after two major earthquakes still has people on edge in southern california. >> also ahead, the uber driver who got home from work to find a big surprise.

>> keep your hands up. >> i'm abc7 news meteorologist sandhya patel. june gloom in july, but we have a pattern change coming that will bring brighter and warmer conditions. accuweather seven-day forecast coming up. >> and getting a second chance one meal at a

we're working very closely in california with the various representatives and we're making a lot of progress. it was something that was a long time, lot of shock, lot of shake, and we are helping out. >> president trump has spoken with governor newsome about the earthquakes that struck southern california over the 4th of july weekend. newsome says the president is committed to helping support rebuilding efforts. >> friday, 7.1 magnitude quake created a massive crack in the earth, big enough to be visible

in satellite images. a lot of people are looking at these pictures on abc7news.com of the before and after photos on the desert floor. planet lodge generated these pictures. it's an earth imaging company based in san francisco. >> the u.s. geological survey estimates that the economic loss from the damage is $1 billion. as many as 50 structures were damaged in trona and the town is currently without running water. >> and some people living in trona are too scared to sleep indoors as they are jolted by thousands of aftershocks. >> reporter rob mcmillan from our sister station in los angeles has the story. >> reporter: for folks in trona, help is on the way. >> what do you need? >> water, food. and stuff to clean up with. >> a good shower. >> reporter: that's right, a good shower, something dan and kathleen lymon haven't had in days. what happens when you turn on the tap?

>> nothing. not even a dribble. >> reporter: roads are cracked, walls have crumbled, but only a handful of homes in trona have significant structural damage. >> i mean, we have little cracks, like there's cracks in the yard and stuff. other than that, our house is perfectly fine. >> reporter: but like many, jessica schultz and family are sleeping outside. >> tonight we're probably going to sleep in the tent because we're scared about the big one that's supposed to be coming. >> reporter: but that's nothing more than a rumor. usgs says the chances of a quake larger than 7.1 happening here within the week are less than 1%. >> it's rattling for sure. >> reporter: cindy davis is from ridgecrest. she drove the 25 miles to trona with supplies to help out. >> still slept, fully clothe and had ready to go, bags at the door and whatnot, but i at least did not sleep in the front of my truck last night, so that was a step in the right direction. >> reporter: rob mcmillan, abc7 news. >> insurance carriers are helping customers get the claims process started, but many people in the area don't have

earthquake insurance. those who do say they can't afford the deductible. california will be applying for federal assistance through fema and disaster loans for individuals. >> cal trans today removed some of the pavement that was damaged from the earthquake's own state route 8 near ridge krefrt. the highway has been reopened following a rock slide. >> abc7 news can help you prepare for an earthquake or any natural disaster. we have tips on what to pack in an emergency kit on our website abc7news.com. >> turning our attention to the weather, you know that fog meant business today. >> you saw it? >> oh, i saw it? i felt it. it soaked to my pores, into my bones. >> all we had was wind out there. here's sandhya patel with the weather. >> yeah, that marine layer was pretty deep and we did have some drizzle earlier today, eric and kristen. it is gusty right now. combination of all of those things kept those temperatures on the cooler side of normal for july. take a look at the wind gusts right now. southwest gusting to 31 miles an

hour at fairfield. 25 in save. pretty good indication as to why it did not feel like july today. let's check out your winds as we head into the latter part of the night. those winds will eventually die down. and as we go into tomorrow morning, notice it's just lighter winds at 5:00 a.m., but they pick bacpin tw evening. we are expecting, though, a little bit of a warm up as we head into your tuesday afternoon. here's a live picture from our golden gate bridge camera. flag is swaying in the wind and you can see the clouds are back. as a matter of fact, they never quite cleared the coast. live doppler 7 showing you how socked in it is along the coast line from point reyes to the san mateo coast. even parts of the east bay are still pretty gray right now. one of the biggest reasons for the cooler than average conditions for this time of year, this trough has just been parked here. and until it moves out of the picture, we're not expecting any heat. so late in the week, high pressure will start to build back, enough so that those temperatures will come up into

the 90s inland. but until then, enjoy the marine layer from mount tamalpais camera is shaky as well. 60 in san francisco. 65 in oakland. it is 68 in san jose. 73 in morgan hill. lovely view from san jose looking at sunshine over the shark tank. low 70s from santa rosa to napa. temperature right now 73 in concord, 68 in livermore. today's high so far anywhere from the upper 50s to the upper 70s. so well below average. emeryville camera showing you a couple of layers of clouds right now. widespread low clouds and patchy morning drizzle. gradual warming begins tomorrow. and it is going to turn host inland by the end of the week. i want to show you your 12 hour planner. so tomorrow morning out the door temperatures in the 50s. it will be gray and drizzly. partly sunny at noontime away from the coast line. you will notice that it is going to be a little bit warmer. temperatures in the low 60s to the mid-'80s. breezy at the coast. most temperatures drop by evening. tonight a pretty good push of the marine layer. by the delta tomorrow morning.

5:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., you'll see drizzle out there. on the afternoon keeping it on the gray side. for the rest of you there will be sunshine and a little bit of a warm up. in terms of the drizzle, measurable drizzle expected along the coast and around the bay by tomorrow morning. so do expect damp roadways out there for the commute. temperatures in the 50s tomorrow morning with the gray skies tomorrow afternoon. a nice mild day inland. low to mid-'80s there along the coast line in the 60s. few high clouds, especially in the north bay will filter the sunshine for your tuesday. accuweather seven-day forecast, morning gray giving way to a milder afternoon. wednesday warming trend continues. and we're going to go warm as we head towards friday, saturday inland, and even into sunday. low 90s there, low to mid 60s along the coast. so we'll bounce back to average by the end of the workweek. i think it's looking pretty good. eric, kristen? >> all right, thank you very much, sandhya. >> okay. caught on camera, the moment a lightning strike hits a boat. that story is next. >> then at 5:30 on world news with david muir.

>> coming up tonight, the dramatic raid here in new a multi-millionaire. charged tonight, sex trafficking, girls allegedly as young as 14. young as 14. what here's your buick sir. actually, that's my buick. your buick doesn't have a roof rack! this is my buick. how are we gonna fit in your mom's buick? easy. i like that new buick. me too. i was actually talking about that buick. i knew that. did you? buick's fresh new lineup is full of surprises. during buick's fourth of july sales event, pay no interest for 76 months on most 2019 buick models.

an incredible lightning strike was caught on video in boston harbor this weekend. yikes. the man who took these pictures said he took out his camera after seeing lightning strikes in the distance and couldn't believe it when one hit his friend's boat. the boat suffered electrical damage, but no one was hurt. >> all right. this one is strange. an uber driver unknowingly took part in an armed robbery as a get away driver in albuquerque. he said he had been on the job three weeks when police stormed his house. >> keep your hands up. >> reporter: uber driver terry owens never expected this.

>> come out with your hands clear. >> reporter: the uber driver says this nightmare started after he picked up a guy named austin. >> hands in the back, please. >> reporter: terry drove him around town for about two hours, even befriended him. the final stop, a gas station in northwest albuquerque. >> we pull in the parking lot and the young man proceeded to go inside the gas station. >> reporter: terry says he was busy texting his wife telling her he would be home soon. then he says austin came outside. now he was acting weird. >> he's acting a little fishy when he gets back in the car, telling me, let's go, let's go, let's go. >> reporter: terry said austin was now holding a pair of scissors. when terry asked him why? >> oh, no, i'm using this pair of scissors to cut strings off my jacket. >> reporter: it was late, terry was tired. he dropped off austin and headed home. an hour later police were outside his house. as instructed, terry and his wife came out with their hands up. >> yes, sir, my name is terry owens, i have no weapons on me. >> reporter: he spoke with police. >> you're a uber driver?

>> yes, uber and lyft. >> reporter: he found out why they were calling. >> the reason we're detaining you. the person you took to the valero robbed the valero. >> i had no idea. >> reporter: the next day police arrested austin harris. >> you really feel for that uber driver. that was reporter nancy laughlin. >> serving up change for a better future. that's next. >> first we want to thank jen for this beautiful picture, lavender plants in dixon. you can share this on abc7 news now and you may

on abc7 news at 6:00 tonight, california congresswoman house speaker nancy pelosi wants to protect our next election from interference. now she's trying to get republicans on board. plus, an electric incentive

when it comes to buying a car in california. money talks. and it looks like someone ordered take-out, but what's really in these burritos will have one man dining in. do you get it? for the next 15 years. it's all coming up in half an hour on abc7 news at 6:00. aaron and kristen? >> dion, thank you very much. >> eric and kristen. >> we'll see you then. thanks, dion. ary program at san quentin is giving inmates a chance to switch out their prison uniforms for chefs coats. >> and giving them a sense of hope for the future. >> it's my favorite dessert. banana pudding. i love it. i can make as much as i want and eat as much as i want once i go home. ha ha ha. >> when is that going to be? >> probably 14 months. i'm earning time-out as we speak. this class alone gives me ten days off of my sentence. not only do i learn how to cook, i go home cooking.

>> brother d! >> so we have olive oil. start light on everything. we have a little bit of lemon juuse. this is a huge hunk of fennel. that's for you, d. a nice vigorous mix, see what it tastes like. >> san quentin actually help save my life. there's opportunities here that will open you up to different things. i never once on the streets thought about cooking. now it's like a passion for me, you know, when i'm in the kitchen and i'm cooking. it's like it's just me and the ingredients. i love to cook. i didn't know i would enjoy cooking this much. >> we have much more about this cooking program at san quentin. you can find it on our website, abc7news.com. >> "world news tonight" with david muir is coming up next. i'm kristen sze. >> and i'm eric thomas. for sandhya patel and all of us here at abc7, thanks for inviting us in your homes

tonight. >> our next newscast is 6:00. of course you can connect at abc7news.com. have a great day. tonight, the dramatic raid in new york city. investigators storm the home of multimillionaire jeffrey epstein, who was friends with the rich and powerful. using a crow bar to get in. he's under arrest, charged with sex trafficking. girls allegedly as young as 14. and tonight, what prosecutors now say was discovered in his home. also tonight, the severe storm in the east. the flooding emergency. commuters stranded on top of their cars. halting amtrak, water pouring in. and ginger zee standing by in the next major storm and the potential tropical stranger in the gulf. millions tonight on edge in california. those two major earthquakes. a 6.4, then a 7.1. what scientists are now saying tonight.

our correspondent takes us right up to the damage. the family tragedy on a cruise ship.