> next at 5:00, a new college admissionshi at thunivsi of system accusing it g favorites and preferring well connected students. the state reversing course on nail salons on the edge of ruin. they finally get the okay to reopen indoors. the three bay area counties advancing to the next phase. only one moving immediately to open the doors. also this morning, county versus city and the fight over napa's cid contingency plans, plus the history making vote for a juneteenth holiday in santa clara. now the question is how do you pay for it. >> building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. miss prevalent audit finds

ac system and uc in four campuses studied, cal, ucla, uc san diego and uc san diego say they admitted applicants based on family donations or relationships to campus staff. keep in mind all this comes one year after the national college admissions scandal that also involved uc berkeley. good evening. i'm dan ashley. >> i'm ama students were admitted as favors to donor's family and friends. of those 22 applicants were falsely designated as sports f the report. four colleges, uc berkeley, ucla, uc san diego and uc santa barbara are said to have admitted 64 applicants with fewer qualifications than other students not offered admission.

uc berk li is said to have the most with 42 applicants. according to the state auditor, there are emails showing a student was denied admission but then accepted after a coach or the development office suggested the student's entry could bring in money to the university. >> the child of a high-level campus executive or prominent -- related to somebody who was a donor. >> uc berkeley says it has yet to investigate these allegations. today the chancellor carl christ said we're committed to getting to the bottom of this. at this point, however, we're waiting to receive the underlying documents that led to the state auditor's findings. meanwhile uc president mike drake warned individuals involved in improper activities will be disciplined appropriately. the state auditor investigated cases over a six-year period ending in 2019.

earlier this year, assembly member phil tinge's college admission reform bill went into effect precisely to stop preferential treatment at these colleges. >> we need to ensure the university of california tightens their firewall between all the people who do the fund-raising and athletics and the ones doing the admissions. >> reporter: the audit was done in response to the national college admissions scandal involving coaches and wealthy parents across the country who paid large sums of money to get their children into several prestigious universities including uc berkeley and ucla the state auditor found other cases, hundreds of them, described as questionable, but there wasn't enough evidence to single them out. lyanne melendez, abc 7 news. now to new coronavirus developments. three bay area counties moved from the purple to the red tier today, solano, alameda and san mateo counties. that means more businesses can

open at limited capacity for indoor services. alameda county health officials announced there will be no changes even though it's moved to the next tier. if the numbers remain stable for the next two weeks, new reopening guidelines will be released. san francisco county remains in the red tier since. the county asked the state to look at the county's data and the state determined san francisco isn't yet ready to move to the orange tier. >> we have our framework. we believe it's working and we're there to support each county in the pursuit to move their own transmission down, their own test positivity down. >> -- both offer k through 8 educati education. about 80 have asked for permission to conduct in person

classes. 40 are under review. >> even though san mateo county moved into the red tier businesses say the new designation is unlikely to get their finances out of the red. downtown san mateo businesses tell us, 25% capacity, limits for indoor businesses will not help the bottom line. they need a lot more people just to break even. >> it doesn't help at all. it really, really doesn't, again if you're an experiential based restaurant focused on in person dining. he had to rethink the concept of his restaurant transforming from an indoor beer hall to an outdoor beer hall. he says it's unlikely he'll open for indoor dining within the next year. the state gave nail salons to reopen indoors regardless of the county tier. the final approval is in the county health department's hands. when we checked this afternoon, anti every county in the bay area is allowing salons to take

customers inside if they aren't already. alameda county is the only county who said no. we're waiting to hear from sonoma county as well. the weekly covid tier tracker lets you pick your county and see how the numbers are trending. if your county is below its current color-coded tier for three weeks, that means it could be moving into a new tier soon. check it out on the home page of our website, abc7news.com. today napa county reported 14 new cases of covid-19 making is,650 confirmed cases and 13 confirmed deaths. yet napa county doesn't have the most severe restrictions. now the county's due diligence has angered downtown residents as wayne freedman explains, it has to do with the location of a future covid-19 shelter. >> reporter: it is a place intended for peace and worship. instead, st. john the baptist church and school has become the

center of a controversy in downtown napa. >> did anybody talk to you at all? >> we haven't heard from anybody in the county. >> it sounds like they're trying to sneak it in quietly. >> we hear outdoor showers, outdoor toilets. what is it? what's going on. >> reporter: for patrick merkley who owns a kitchen store and matt who runs the prego, they say it's not what they need especially if some of those people inside are homeless. >> this end of town has gotten hit pretty hard, our business is down two-thirds from what it was. >> they blame the napa county board of supervisors for making a deal with the church before consulting residents. even the city of napa expressed frustration. vice mayor doris gentry. >> they're feeling hijacked a little bit and left in the dark. >> city manager steve potter. >> i don't think this is the worst option, but there are better options. >> reporter: the county isolated

possible covid-19 victims in hotels like this one since march. supervisors worry about a spike in cases this fall. so they're identifying more places to put people. >> the safety of our community is paramount. again, we want to isolate this pandemic. >> reporter: as the county describes it, this is mostly a financial decision. it will cost $16,000 a month to rent this church, ten times that amount for motel rooms. the county is giving the city a say about who stays here, no sexual offenders, no arsonists, no one convicted of a violent crime, not that locals had heard any of that. >> much of covid has been about leadership and communication. it's one more example where we're not getting the information we need. >> reporter: put simply, a case of best intentions with the worst of interpretations. from napa, wayne freedman, abc 7 news. 200,000 people have now died from covid-19 in the united states. that's the highest of any country in the world by far. that milestone comes as more than 15,000 have died in

california and 1,400 have died in the nine bay area counties. in a first for california, sclera county just declared juneteenth a paid holiday. starting next year, june 19th will be not only a day off in the county, but a chance to spread education about the end of slavery. abc 7's chris reyes with this historic declaration and why community members say it's a major moment of healing. >> it's san jose's best kept secret. we definitely get a large turnout. it's excited to see the county formally recognizing it. >> it passes unanimously. >> now with this unanimous vote from the board of supervisors, just in time for 40 years of celebrations, june 19 will officially be a paid holiday in the entire county. >> for some juneteenth is just a celebration, but for us it's a healing moment. >> also known as emancipation

day, it's the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the country going back to 1865. a few months ago sclera county declared racism a public health crisis. community leaders there said one significant step the county could take right away to begin the healing process, declare juneteenth a holiday. >> this moment in this time says that the children to our grandparents, to all people that now is the time to really learn. >> reporter: for black community leaders, that's the real victory, that juneteenth can now become a day celebrated by everyone. >> one of the things that comes with 4th of july that a lot of people are saying is independence day for who? i think what juneteenth represents truly is everyone. it's freedom for everyone. >> reporter: the declaration comes after months of debate and controversy over the possibility that juneteenth may replace cesar chavez day. the supervisors confirm juneteenth will get its own day bringing the county's count of

holidays to 13. >> hopefully it will happen across the country as well. >> it means as a nation, we're going to be taking a deep dive into our history. i think as americans we can't be afraid of the past. >> reporter: in san jose, chris reyes for abc 7 news. voting systems on the peninsula were put through the paces today. the outcome of the test six weeks ahead of the 2020 presidential election. plus levi's stadium is a lot more than just the home of the 49ers. how bay area sports teams are coming together to help get out the vote. the epic holiday display generating a lot of smiles. many in this san jose neighborhood say it's the best thing to happen in a very

san mateo county is assuring voters its mailing ballot system is safe and secure. the county began testing it in san mateo. cameras were allowed into the

room where the vote counting will actually take place after the polls close on november 3rd. the counting equipment by law is not connected to the internet. >> in terms of registrar of voters and the voting process, it is highly regulated, highly governed by law. you don't have to get into our voting system to compromise an election. all you have to do is get into the minds of the voters. >> in addition, this year the county spent $100,000 making facilities covid-19 safe. you can mail or drop off ballots or vote in person in san mateo county. election day is just seven weeks away. today is national voter registration day. this year where and how you vote may be slightly different. here in the bay area, sports arenas are transforming into vote centers or ballot drop-off locations as part of a national trend to help make voting safer during the pandemic. abc 7's liz kreutz has more from santa clara county. >> reporter: inside the

registrar of voters warehouse, preparations are well under way for the november election. >> you've been here since 2000. is this by far the most complicated election? >> yes, it is, it is. >> reporter: the pandemic has created new looks. harder spaces in order to allow for social distancing. now in several major u.s. cities across 14 states, well-known sports arenas and convention centers are currently being converted to voting super center. in california, that includes levi's stadium in santa clara and the staples center in l.a. other arenas like the sap center will be used as ballot drop-off box. voters will have masks, hand sanitizers, gloves, social distancing will be enforce. pens will be discarded and

resanitized after every use. >> the museum, the wings of history museum which is the airplane museum. we also have the san jose institute of contemporary art. >> reporter: the decision to use sports arenas is part of a bigger message. last month after the three-day strike the nba released this statement, vowing to fight for much-needed change including a commitment to converting their facilities into 2020 election voting locations. ? sclera county, liz kreutz, abc 7 news. >> it is worth noting that voter registration day was first observed in 2012. the organizers have registered more than 3 million americans. it is estimated that 60% of eligible voters never get asked to register, part of the reason for this day. we have a link on our web page, abc7news.com, to check your voter registration status before the election. an east bay couple found a unique way to thank their local

first responders. they built a thank you sign right in front of alameda county fire station number 26 in castro valley. the couple said they're grateful for the firefighters, especially in the face of covid and the fires that got so much closer. cars honked and people clapped to show support. >> it's simple but i wanted to thank them for everything they've done. it's a sacrifice being away from their family and friends. >> they also brought freshly baked home made cookies and banana bread. i'm sure it was appreciated. >> that's a nice touch, alma. high on the ridge, sky 7 captured this woman taking it all in on this first day

and the veterans that never quit on their team. when being a fan gets tough, and stretching your budget gets even tougher... ...our agents put in the time and legwork for you, ...so saving on auto insurance is easy. because saving a little extra goes a long way. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. 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.

a sfaft response from above kept this fire from growing out of control in alum rock park.

planes and helicopters dropped retardant. flames started in an area of the park that was impossible to reach on the ground. the terrain was too difficult. the fire started right before lunchtime. firefighters had it contained within an hour or so. >> now your accuweather forecast with sandhya patel. >> it's that time of year when the fire danger will be increasing. we'll talk about the weekend in a moment. let's take a look at our live picture from the emeryville camera on the first day of fall. it's gorgeous as we look back towards sutro tower. low 70s around oakland, 77 in mountain view, 79 degrees right now in san jose. look at this. just so gorgeous with a few high clouds. golden gate bridge looking good. 82 in santa rosa, 86 in fairfield and also in concord. air quality is terrific. we have good air quality from the north bay and santa rosa and

san rafael. redwood city into the south bay and the santa cruz mountains, everyone green right now. we'll keep that air quality going at least for a few more days. from our san jose camera you're seeing the sun shining. hot, dry and gusty this weekend with high fire danger saturday through monday. taking a look at the fire weather watch that's already been issued. 1:00 a.m. saturday until 8:00 a.m. monday for the north and east bay hills and also for the valleys of the east bay. the reason for this is the north-northeasterly winds will pick up. gusts will be between 35 to 50 miles an hour and the down sloping wind we typically experience around this time of year will dry us out even more. humidity will be running low and the fire danger will be running high. any fires that do develop will quickly spread. something to remain vigilant as we head towards the weekend time period. live doppler 7 showing a few patches of fog out there. those temperatures with patchy fog will be in the low 50s to

the mid 60s tomorrow afternoon. you're looking at a nice day, temperatures similar to today. upper 60s around half moon bay to the upper 80s inland. everybody else in between with fog lingering near the coast. as you look at the forecast highs for the weekend, this is where the temperatures begin to soar, 90s, 100s inland for saturday, sunday along the coastline, you're looking at 70s. as we head into monday, 80s to 100. really going to get hot around the bay area. we'll call it an autumn scorcher. turn your attention to tropical system bay that. it's soaked the south. houston has gotten from 13 to 14 inch os of rain. slow-moving storm expected to produce up to 20 inches. the flooding will continue in that region. accuweather seven-day forecast, we can use some rain but at least we have good air quality. drizzle thursday morning followed by moderate air quality on friday and smokeyer, hayesier this weekend with high fire danger.

triple digits sunday through tuesday so get ready for the heat. ama and dan. >> we will. sandhya, thanks very much. we're talking heat. but who doesn't love all the creepy faces on halloween? one san jose neighborhood is the hot spot of the season. this year the

hi everyone. michael finney here. i know many of you are waiting for your unemployment or covid-19 payments. so i asked that edd what's going on? why can't our viewers get their money? >> there's a number of different things that could impact someone's eligibility. >> "7 on your side" got your emails, hundreds of emails all about the edd. you deserve better. that's why i promise to keep asking the tough questions and getting answers. so stay with us and we'll stay on it. finally here this evening we're just a few weeks away from halloween, but a south bay family, ama, could not wait. >> they could not. they have set up a huge interactive display right in their front yard. abc 7 news reporter ansar hassan rports from san jose on the spooky safe fun. >> reporter: it's not the

nightmare on elm street. >> i'll find you and you're all going to die. >> reporter: but this house on emery street in san jose is ready for halloween. >> this year has been not so fun. so we decided to do it early so that everybody could have something to smile about. >> reporter: daniel is the mastermind behind the project. the family has been planning this since july. she said they've been getting more than 50 people a day. this man who lives down the street came out with his son. >> it's important to make them feel kind of normal. >> reporter: the yard is set up with scary clowns, witches and pirates. >> what was your favorite one? >> awe of them. >> all of them? >> yes. >> were you scared at all? >> no. >> reporter: each stop is set up six feet apart for social distancing, and there are step pads to make it touch-free. >> the little ones, they come

and hit the step pads over and over and over again and giggle and their smiles make it all worth it. >> reporter: he says the big motivation was to help her son with social needs. his favorite -- >> the pratt and all the kids make them happy. >> reporter: the family is collecting dounations to help wounded veterans. she just wants everyone to walk away feeling good. >> to make people smile. to make it happy. everybody should be happy. >> it's been a tough year. >> it's been a horrible year. >> reporter: in san jose, ansar hassan, abc 7 news. >> ama, that's so nice. fun for the kids and also helping wounded veterans. what a great effort. >> it is. i'm glad they're doing it. we all need a little normal see. >> scary displays i have to say. pretty intense. "world news tonight with david muir" is next. we appreciate your time. i'm dan ashley.

>> i'm ama candidates. th -- for people with heart failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities.

entresto helped people stay alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto. i'm to help california's 19 most vulnerable. or high blood potassium. over 24,000 homes were destroyed by wildfires in less than two years. too many of those victims are also hit with a sudden tax hike after their forced to move. it's wrong. prop 19 limits taxes on wildfire victims and limits taxes on seniors and severely disabled homeowners. join firefighters and emergency responders in voting 'yes' on 19.

tonight, the u.s. officially reaches that grim and heartbreaking milestone. 200,000 american lives lost. the u.s. has 4% of the world's population and more than 20% of the world's coronavirus deaths, more than any other country. a each number, an american life, a family forever changed. president trump overnight saying of young people, it affects virtually nobody. dr. anthony fauci today saying, just look at the numbers and decide at home for yourself. calling the numbers sobering and stunning. and tonight, 33 states with cases rising. wisconsin now declaring a new public health emergency. and the fda tonight, the new move and what it now likely means when it comes to a vaccine in this country near election day. the other major story tonight, the supreme court battle.

senate republicans signaling they have the votes. presidentr