t golden. next at 5, the destruction of a building in san francisco. arson may be to blame. plus, the dramatic rescue on the freeway. a driver's van catches fire, then starts rolling back into oncoming traffic. >> also ahead. one man's story about rectifying a racial injustice. and what does the public from its police department? oakland is now tackling that question, head on. >> building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc 7 news. >> the armenian community in san francisco, on edge, tonight. fire has gutted part of a community center owned by an armenian church and church leaders suspect arson. good evening. i'm larry beal. >> and i'm ama dates.

thank you so much for joining us. the fire happened on commonwealth avenue in the city's laurel heights neighborhood. jr stone is there, live, with more on this developing story. jr. >> well, ama, the damage inside this community center building is extensive. and you can see it, all around me. charred black, all around me. and that includes on the ground, where you see this wood that is just burned out and lying there. and it's not just this front entryway, but you look in this front room, as well. this is a front room that fire tore through. >> you would think a lot of people, they don't like the armenians, and somehow, through their hate, this is the way they take their revenge. >> now, this is what the damage looks like the building next to the st. gregory armenian church. this isn't the church but it's the community center building, that also had church offices in

it. pastor says he was told, by crews, that is, fire crews, that someone set this place on fire, in three different locations. possibly, using molotov cocktails. two downstairs locations and one upstairs. happened around 4:00 a.m., this the fire department, though, will only officially say that the cause, here, is under investigation. >> when i saw the destruction, it's unbelievable, unacceptable, and it doesn't look like it's normal person's work. it looks like there's some hate crime behind this. otherwise, nobody in his normal mind would do anything like this. >> and back out here, live, in san francisco. you are looking at that front room that burned, early this morning. and you can see all of that black and charred-out wood. they have a lot of cleanup work to do. but on a positive note, so many people from this church congregation and, also, the

community, have come together, today, in hopes to help clean this area up. everybody referencing that case back in july where graffiti was put on the outside of a school on broadway. an armenian school, at that. much more on this, tonight, at 11:00. reporting live in san francisco, jr stone, abc 7 news. >> all right. jr, see you at 11:00. well, it's clear there is a big divide over race and social justice in our country, right now. it's been 115 days since george floyd died with police officer's knee on his neck. and calls for action moving to the national consciousness. and now, 47 days till the election, and people can vote on concrete change. a new poll shows prop 16, that's a ballot measure that would reinstate affirmative action programs in california, is losing. and it's losing, by a big margin. the secretary of state says the measure allows diversity as a factor in public employment, education, and contracting decisions. it is a legislative

constitutional amendment. based on race, ethnicity, or sex. but the latest poll numbers are not looking promising. abc 7 news reporter, stephanie sierra, breaking down the latest totals. >> reporter: jose is holding on to hisdy bl diploma. the framed piece of paper symbolizes more than just four years of hard work but an opportunity for a better life. >> when i got the acceptance letter, it was like this is life changing. >> he wants the opportunities afforded to him, to be aatinos minorities, across california. something proposit>>asp 16, it' leveling the playing field. it's about giving people the opportunity to -- to be competitive in the labor force. >> reporter: if passed, proposition 16 would essentially restore affirmative action in california yet the latest poll doesn't look promising. according to the public policy institute of california, 31%

indicated they would vote yes. but 47% said they would vote no. and 22% don't know. for the bay area, 40% would vote yes. 41%, no. and 19% don't know. so, i spoke with eva patterson, who co-chairs the yes on prop 16 campaign. >> do these numbers surprise you? >> these numbers did not surprise us. we knew we started below 50%. >> reporter: patterson says there is a great deal of voter confusion. >> watching a focus group with black voters from los angeles, they all said no, we will not vote for this, as it was read to them. then, when we explained that it was in favor of affirmative action and equal opportunity. they all went, well, of course, we'll vote for this. >> patterson says within the next few weeks, the prop 16 campaign will launch a robust tv and advertising campaign with hopes to clear up some of this confusion. but in the meantime, created a detailed guide online explaining the specifics of all 12 propositions you can expect to

see on the ballot. >> if we get 75% of those who vote for biden, we win. >> reporter: but laura cruz is holding out hope it does so his children can follow in his footsteps. >> i want them to have like a brighter future and a brighter outlook on the nation and on life. >> stephanie sierra, abc 7 news. >> and again, you can visit abc 7 news prepondera.com or downlo7 news app for a deeper look at all the propositions with our interactive voting guide. we have a link on our home page. now, to oakland, where a city council task force is considering cutting the oakland police department bujdget in half. eric thomas reports this follows the reemergence of the black lives matter moment. >> reporter: about $300 million or 44% of oakland's general fund budget is spent on policing. but in the wake of the killing of george floyd, an unarmed black man by minneapolis police, and the subsequent growth of the black lives matter movement, members of the oakland city

koupsle are thinking about reducing that. >> not only from this moment, but for years, been advocating for more police accountability. >> bass co-chairs a new task force charged with reimagining public safety in oakland. a group made up of city council members, community members, and neighborhood advocates. by next spring, the task force is supposed to deliver recommendations about what to do with the police budget. >> so we're aiming to reduce our police budget by 50%, in order to invest in community. >> reporter: specifically, she says, programs aimed at tackling the root causes of crime and poverty. >> the union representing oakland police officers says a task force to reexamine what officers do is probably needed. but defunding the police, that's an entirely different matter. >> we are hitting a 29% increase in murders, year over year. 40% increase in shootings. >> reporter: don says the union was not invited to join the task force where they would have presented a contrarian view.

>> we need is manufacturmore of there, especially in east oakland. >> interim police chief was not available for comment. the public safety task force will meet every two weeks until it presents its report to the full council in march. in oakland, eric thomas, abc 7 news. >> and while we are talking about policing. oakland police officers, despite some heroics this morning, they stopped a burning van that was about to roll down an embankment. the comcast city vehicle. it caught fire and started rolling in reverse toward the off ramp coming off southbound 880. they saw the driver tt vehicleme vehicle. got a fire extinguisher and the 880 off ramp was closed for more than six hours. meanwhile, in marin county, a woman was taken to the honest after the smart train here hit her car and pushed it about

100 feet. lot of damage there. sky 7 over the scene in san r rafael. rafael. they have not released details on how badly she was hurt. all smart trains are currently delayed and a bus bridge is in effect. >> new protections are now in place for essential workers in california. today, governor newsom signed two pieces of legislation that expand rules to help keep workers safe from covid-19 and assist them if they contract it. senate bill 1159 by peninsula democrat, jerry hill, provides benefits to essential workers presumed to have contracted covid-19 on the job. >> i think we did is we focused on what was right and just, rather than what is popular and easy. and that's something that california always does. >> the governor, also, signed assembly bill 685 which ensures workers are informed that there has been a workplace exposure to covid-19. >> the mask mobile is now

cruising the streets of san mateo county. this specially outfitted van traveled to daly city and once there, supervisor and county staffers went door to door handing out reusable cloth masks to business owners and their customers. >> focusing and targeting areas that are most vulnerable, during this time. especially, low-income communities and hard-to-reach communities. >> in addition to masks, res recipients are given information on covid-19 resources, as well as details on san mateo county'. fines start at $100 for a first offense by an individual. and $250 for a commercial entity. >> marking a milestone. it was six months ago, today, an otherwise unremarkable tuesday in march, that the bay area began sheltering in place. one prism to view that. movie theaters are starting to reopen after being in the dark for so long. what it's taking to bring that

old habit back. >> plus, redefining the classroom. local leaders empowering black

building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc 7 news. six months ago on this day, the shelter-in-place order was given in the bay area. it seemed inplausible, then, that the pandemic sfrikzs would still be in place, today. >> this is a critical intervention that we know can reduce harm and save lives. >> so whatever we need to do to stay alive, then that's what we need to do. >> well, what we did was hoard toilet paper, to start. and then, stayed home. downtowns emptied out. businesses, still struggling with the see-sawing rules about reopening. >> may be having dinner with a

waiter wearing gloves. maybe, a face mask. >> i don't really like the way it's been handled. >> i think it was an issue of ignorance allowing certain businesses to open and not others. >> wedding planning. 2020. you better forget it. pushing it out to 2021, at the earliest. >> 180-plus days state now uses a color-coded system to track how counties are handling the spread of coronavirus and decide what can reopen. you can check the status of the county where you live on this interactive map. it's available on abc 7 news.com and the abc 7 news app. >> as counties turn from covid purple to covid red, movie theaters are reopening. h happening in marin county, tomorrow. the question is will people actually return? >> reporter: name one experience more casual than a matinee. >> so is this a date? >> of sorts. >> reporter: after three years together, it better be.

bo and theresa riley of napa the kind of outing that may come soon to a theater near you. that being able to go. >> how long has it been? >> about six months. >> the cinemark owned theaters in napa have been opened for a couple weeks. in marin, they open tomorrow at 25% capacity. >> i just miss coming here with friends and family. >> it gives us something to do. like, kind of stuck at home. >> it's nice to see a movie and not have to sit in your bed while watching it. >> never had to close because of a pandemic. >> what you see in napa is now an industry standard from stricter guidelines for serving snacks to cleaning regiments to wearing masks. it's not like the old days where you walk into an auditorium and pick your own seat. now, a computer does it for you. and you will notice, in front and behind, areas are taped off.

>> how's your relationship survive? >> a lot of netflix. >> yeah. netflix is our best friend right now. >> reporter: and it's a concern. since 2000, theater attendance has dropped by about one and a half percent a year, with 2019 being the lowest. then, covid-19 added another challenge. >> if you look back at vhs and dvd and streaming, there's always been something that was going to kill the movie theaters. but the fact of the matter is we're a stable, mature industry. >> reporter: and now, one in recovery mode. when theresa and bo sat down, they had the entire auditorium to themselves. >> it's like a private screening. >> right. yeah. just for us. >> reporter: in napa, wayne freedman, abc news. now, to the california wildfires. the august complex in mendocino and humboldt counties. the north complex is the other large fire burning in northern california. it's 36% contained. abc 7 has partnered with the red cross and more than a dozen abc

stations to raise money for evacuees. it's called day of giving and as of the last hour, more than $407,000 has been raised. you can also donate online. here is the information. donate by going to red cross.org/abc or by calling 866-499-give. that's 866-499-4433. >> still ahead. y yosemite park. closed as of just a few minutes ago.

yosemite national park just closed to visitors about 15 minutes ago because of bad air quality in the park. this is the view. you can't even see the mountain. and this one looks towards half dome somewhere out there in the smoky distance. the air quality is projected to be in the unhealthy to hazardous

range over the next several days. the park anticipates the closure to last through the weekend. >> now, your accuweather forecast with sandhya patel. >> and that air quality advisory remains up for the yosemite area, indefinitely, until the fires in that vicinity are actually put out. so let me show you a view, by contrast. we have much better air quality than they do. showing you blue skies up above. a nice breeze blowing through the region. and those temperatures. 65 in the city. and 63 in half moon bay. from our emeryville camera, we are seeing a combination of fog and higher clouds as leftover moisture from what was once a tropical system, karina, is moving into our area. low 80s from san jose to napa. look at the air quality. it is so good, right now, which is wonderful to see. green in santa rosa. concord. all green through livermore, san jose, all the way down toward

santa cruz. have to appreciate the good air quality we have because you know it's not going to last, unfortunately. nice sea breeze coming in. that's helping air quality. 18-mile-an-hour winds right now in san francisco. now, the smoke forecast will show you levels of smoke will be less than what we have experienced in days past. for 11:00 a.m. friday, blue is what indicates that. that continues into tomorrow night. we'll have a pretty good sea breeze coming off the ocean and that's km that's what's going to keep air quality good. but things deteriorate over the weekend. a north wind is going to bring that smoke back into our area. so saturday into sunday, you will notice the pinks there, which is more smoke for the region. the air district does not have a spare the air. so finally, that 30-day record streak is over. but the air quality advisory remains up due to smoke impacts from wildfires in the upper layers of the atmosphere. so tomorrow, the air quality will be good to moderate. just be prepared, though, for occasionally seeing some haze and smoke. right now on live doppler 7, we have some fog near the coastline. here is a view from our kgo roof

camera. morning fog and patchy drizzle. cooler, breezier, tomorrow afternoon. and it is going to be smokier for the weekend. that hour-by-hour forecast. morning drizzle from 5 to 8:00 a.m. and then we will see some cooling and we do get some of that fog blowing out of here. temperatures in the morning anywhere from the mid-50s to mid-60s. another mild morning ahead with the drizzle. and afternoon highs will come down. mid-60s coast side. the accuweather seven-day forecast, drizzle to breezy conditions. hazier, smokier, and warmer for your weekend. and monday is the last day of summer. autumn begins at 6:31 on tuesday. and we will be seeing warmer conditions. our fall warmth for wednesday and thursday. larry and ama. >> all right. sounds good. thank you, sandhya. >> still ahead. two people using

we sand my heart fell.oke i knew we'd lose our home... and we did. over 24,000 homes have been destroyed by wildfires in the past few years. wildfire victims need help so i'm voting 'yes' on 19. it limits property taxes on wildfire victims so families can move to a replacement home without a tax penalty. you never know what you'll be faced with. please, vote 'yes' on 19. we know these are challenging times. rest assured, you are not alone. we've all had to adapt.

and with summer here, your energy bills might go up with rising temperatures. together, we can save energy and money. try closing your shades during the day... setting your ac to 78° or higher... or cooling off with a fan when you can. united we are always stronger. stay well, california, and keep it golden. coming up on abc 7 news at 6, we dedicate a whole hour to an in-depth look at sheltering in place. you know it decimated the economy. the question is did it actually save lives? what we now know about the

lockdown. >> if we don't produce a safe vaccine, we will lose the confidence of the public. >> the politics of a pandemic. how our health is at the center of the fight. that is all coming up in half an hour on abc 7 news at 6:00. but finally, right here, we are focusing on race and social justice this week and our efforts to build a better bay area. and we are also launching a new series. >> it's where you'll hear many of the diverse voices in our community on a variety of issues. here's abc 7 news anchor, jobina fortson, to kick it off. >> we are doing something new here at abc 7. we are turning our mics over to people in the community, for a segment we're calling for the better. we'll introduce you to people in our neighborhoods, who are working hard to build a better bay area. today, you are going to hear from tyson amir and mike davis with the black literacy collective. an organization that promotes literacy and comprehension that specifically involves socially and culturally relevant content to black life in classrooms. >> you already know, if you were here last week, i write heavy

bars. so we want to break it down. >> the black program is an evolutionary step for us because, as the title says, building leaders and activists with collective knowledge. they are going to get the writing skills. they're going to get stuff that allows them to touch on the common core and content standards that the state of california or the united states wants them to be exposed to in school. but, in addition to that, they are going to get the social, political, the cultural, historical foundation that they should have but we know that the school system is not going to give them because the school system was never set up to educate our community properly. we could help bridge that gap or interrupt. and then, bring in that revolutionary, educational experience that so many young people are hungry for. >> i use -- i use poetry to explore childhood trauma. you know, that's something that negatively impacted me so much in my life, i wanted to be able to share that with young people. so they can learn to articulate

their emotions. identify, you know, certain triggers or traumas that -- that impact them. and then, to provide them a platform to express themselves. you know, because oftentimes, they're shut down or they don't feel like they have a voice. so we try to provide that in a classroom setting or in a space where they feel safe to be able to express themselves. and to be creative with that expression. >> let's talk about it. okay. i got you. then, i got you next. >> that's just a small part of our conversation with tyson and mike. you can hear much more about their incredible efforts on your connected tv streaming apps and on abc 7 news.com. and this is just the beginning. every couple of weeks, you will hear from people all over the a ffercehe inery trying to mak diverse communities. jobina fortson, abc 7 news. >> jobina, thank you. world news tonight with david muir is next. i'm larry beil. >> i'm ama dates. for sandhya patel, all of us here, thank you so much for joining us this evening. our next newscast is coming up

at 6:00. we're going to have a whole special on the six-month date

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usaa. what you're made of we're made for tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. after president trump takes aim at the head of the cdc, dr. robert redfield, and what he said about a potential vaccine and timeline, the nation's top doctors tonight come to dr. redfield's defense. and what dr. anthony fauci is saying about when millions of americans will likely get a vaccine. the president offering his own timeline, much closer to the election. and all of this as the u.s. now nears 200,000 american lives lost. tonight here, a reality check. abc news reaching out to the leaders, the scientists leading more than a half dozen vaccine trials. so, what do they say about when there could be a vaccine and when americans could get it? also, the new obstacles for schools.