that looked nice. but we know the storm out there is real, mike. and you're tracking rain for us, right? >> mm-hmm, yes. nothing like what they're dealing with. we'll touch more upon how they're still suffering. we have rain, but it is tonight. let's look at what's going on now and work our way up to that event. pretty clear as we look at san jose, that's 280 and 17, and about 41 degrees. we'll have high clouds roll in as the sun is coming up. so could be a very colorful sunrise, especially up in the north bay. temperatures running in the mid-30s to low 40s. bundle up. but 60 by noon, low to mid-60s even with the lack of sunshine this afternoon. and still dry at 7:00, low to mid-50s. we have to wait until this evening when live doppler 7 will go from being quiet to active with light rain and drizzle. we'll talk more about that coming up. kumasi? >> thank you, mike. developing news in the east bay, some parents are upset after some school board members for the oakley union elementary school district made

inappropriate remarks. abc 7 news reporter amy hollyfield live in oakley with the video that is showing what happened at the board meeting last night. amy? >> reporter: hi, good morning, kumasi. the board and the meeting implies that parents think of teachers as baby-sitters and that they just want their kids to go back to school so they can sit around at the house and smoke pot. you heard at the beginning of the show the example of one board member saying she would f up parents who confronted her to her face. now we have a sample for you to listen to from board member lisa brizendine talking about how parents who want their kids to go back to school just want teachers to watch their kids. she doesn't call them teachers, and then about eight minutes in the board realizes that this meeting is not private. >> right -- >> it is unfortunate that they want to pick on us because they want their baby sitters back. >> right. >> right.

>> uh-oh. >> just fyi, you have the meeting -- we have the meeting open to the public right now. >> no. >> that's what lori just said. >> great. >> and they abruptly end the video. well, parents created a petition last night calling for this board to resign or be recalled. it has 424 signatures of support. the comments online show that parents are very upset with one parent saying my kids deserve better than this violent and uncaring bunch of bullies. the board also laughs when board member richey board also discusses how to limit public comment and how to keep parents from commenting live at meetings. we have reached out to the board and to the school district, no comment from them, but plenty of

comments from angry parents online. live in oakley, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >> that is wild, amy. thank you. let's go to berkeley public schools, they're going to begin reopening for in person learning next month. the district and the union reached a deal, this is contingent on teachers getting vaccinated. it is possible because the city of berkeley has its own health department to acquire vaccines and designate them for teachers. vaccines will start on monday, it will happen throughout march. students will return to campus with a hybrid model, preschool through second grade scheduled to be back march 29th. older students back by mid-april. the district says the schedule could change depending on the city's vaccine schedule. san francisco unified is getting classrooms ready for students to go back. the district says the department of public health has inspected six schools that are ready for in person learning. this is sunset elementary, which is part of the wave one group of elementary schools. >> we have our play spaces identified for our cohorts as

well as eating spaces and learning spaces outside. and inside you'll get to take a look at the decals and the signage and classrooms are also ready for in person learning in terms of furniture preparation and classroom setup. >> now, reopening isn't a done deal, a tentative agreement between the district and the labor unions is expected to be ratified next week. some negotiations are still ongoing. the deal requires certain benchmarks be met before in person learning resumes. >> starting today the alameda county sheriff's office will begin vaccinating its employees. earlier this month unions representing county deputies and oakland police officers called on health officials to vaccinate members. the county said there was not enough supply. at least one sheriff deputy has died from covid-19. the cdc predicts upward of 559,000 lives will be lost to coronavirus by march 13th. now we're getting new numbers on just how deadly the virus was

last year. the cdc says the pandemic caused u.s. life expectancy to drop first half of 2020, shaving off at least one year of life. that's the biggest decrease we have seen since world war ii. for minorities, the toll is greater. black americans lost nearly three years, hispanics, just shy of two. experts fear another covid surge. >> i'm pretty concerned about these variants. i expect they will become dominant by the latter half of march. >> the more transmissible uk variant and the south african variant could cause the number of infections to rise. overnightma a new study looked at how effective the pfizer and moderna vaccines are against the south african variant. if found the vaccines offered less protection against that strain. but could still provide enough protection to neutralize the virus. there is some much needed relief coming to california

residents and businesses that are hit hard by the pandemic. governor newsom and state lawmakers agreed on a $9.6 billion economic recovery plan. the deal includes $600 stimulus checks for more than 5.7 million low income californians. $2 billion in grants for small businesses, and fee relief for nearly 60,000 restaurants and bars. >> the end of the day i'm not happy with everything they're doing. at least people are getting help. i think that's the most important part is that, like, people are trying to survive. and the government is doing something. >> the stimulus checks are in addition to the $600 payments that congress approved last year. the white house has announced oversight a sweep -- overnight a sweeping immigratioh to citizenship for immigrants already in the country. jobina fortson has more. >> thank you, kumasi. the proposal would create an 8-year path to citizenship for

the 11 million undocumented people in the country right now. people like dreamers, farm workers and those from war zones would get a green card immediately. this would only apply to people who have been in the country before january 1st. democrats need republican support because this legislation needs 60 votes to pass in the senate and democrats only have 50. democrats and president biden say they are open to negotiations on the proposal. they also are looking for ways to pass reform without republican support. reggie and kumasi? >> thank you, jobina. still ahead, hackers target the dmv, the security breach that may impractical cal drivers. that severe winter storm causing lots of trouble in texas, the big concerns involving the water supply. and we have near freezing conditions in places like santa clara and also down towards santa theresa. most of us in the 30s and 40s this morning. as we head to the afternoon hours, dry and mild, so enjoy

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happening now, millions of people in texas waking up for a fourth day of power outages and bitter cold temperatures following this week's winter storm. here is a live look at the dallas area this morning. today the big concern is the water supply. millions of residents and some hospitals are experiencing reduced water pressure. grocery stores are running low on water, food and firewood. some people are sleeping in their cars to stay warm. >> we have no power. i got my family sleeping in the car. and they need to do something. people are going to die. >> texas governor greg abbott

says power should be supplied to more than a million homes tonight. what a mess, mike. >> that's so sad to see that. right now the temperature is 5 in oklahoma city. it is 24 in dallas. and look at the high temperature for today. 26 in oklahoma city. and 30 in dallas. still not reaching above freezing this afternoon. and add insult to injury, a little bit of light snow, sleet and freezing rain falling across the lone star state. for us, we're watching this storm system, we're going to see increasing clouds today, live doppler 7 will pick up some radar returns during the day, but that will evaporate before it reaches the ground. it is not until 7:00 tonight you see light rain, the green move into mendocino, lake counties. by midnight, starting to cross out of the north bay troeft resr neighborhoods. morning commute, still some drizzle and pockets of light rain for most of us. by the end of the commute, it is just about over. rainfall amounts are going to be less than .2 for most of us. and then as you head throughout the evening hours and in through

the morning commute, you can see, just about everybody will be driving on slippery streets this time tomorrow. dry out there now. let's turn it over to jobina, see if there is any good news for the commute. hi, jobina. >> hi, mike. thank you. good morning, everyone. we want to start with the maps. i'm following a crash in san francisco, where injuries have been reported. thankfully the backup does look like it is clearing now in the area. this is on northbound 101 at 7th street. heads up to you there. just so you can get an overall picture of the bay area again, biggest slow downwe have egest of tracey. no mitering lights on, according to the chp. and then as we head to break, i want to bring in a live look showing you our oakland camera. it is at the 880 at the

a second suspect is now in custody in connection with the kidnapping of two kids in san francisco. their dad was driving for doordash when the van they were in got stolen. police arrested hermanher herman morrison of san francisco. police also arrested a 25-year-old man last week. t the children were found safe a few hours after an amber alert was issued. the personal information of -- you want to do it, reggie? i'll do it. all right. the personal information of some california drivers may have been compromised in the security breach. the dmv is saying a contractor it uses to verify vehicle registration addresses was the victim of a ransomware attack earlier this month. the hack didn't involve social security numbers or drivers's license information, but the agency is investigating if this information has been used. happening today, the ceos of the trading app robinhood and

social media platform reddit will be testifying before congress and, of course, they will be talking about last month's gamestop trading saga. the hearing comes weeks after amateur traders banded together to drive up gamestop's share price. silicon valley based robinhood faced criticism after temporarily suspending gamestop trading. today's hearing will examine the impact of online trading platforms. freezing cold, but make it cute. temperatures in the midwest bone chilling right now, but a family outside of minneapolis found a way to make it pretty. jessica and her sons created this beautiful rainbow-colored igl igloo. they used food coloring, ice blocks and cake tins to construct this eye-catching sculpture. she said it is important to stay creative no matter what the season. >> yeah, yeah. let's embrace every season, every temperature. >> we're going to get pizza. >> we're going to have the pizza delivery guy deliver it to the igloo.

>> she is known in her neighborhood for elaborate driveway chalk murals. the igloo is brand-new for them. she said it is an extension of her summertime creativity. >> that is pretty. >> people in minnesota are a different breed. my in-laws are all from there. and, you know, they're built for this kind of fun y. you can catch me from inside the house. >> that's what i was going to say that is so minnesotan, so like them to embrace the cold, wear it on their sleeve, yes, we're hardy. and we're laughing at the poor folks that are dealing with cold and aren't used to it. they're not, but because they're dealing with other issues, but, yeah, i mean, you see people jogging outside in those kind of temperatures, wearing the same clothes we jog in when it is in the 50s. yeah, they're a different breed. they're fun, though. super nice. here is a look at the exploratorium camera, clear as we look back from pier 15 across san francisco. don't expect much sunshine,

clouds increasing throughout the day, cloudy and mild this afternoon. temperatures a little bit above average. rain tonight and tomorrow night, both of these storms a 1. light on our storm impact scale. and spring warmth for a few days will hit the 70s next week. for today, how about 60 to 66 degrees, a few upper 50s along the coast for the cooler conditions. and you can see the cloud cover taking over the northern half of the state. that's why we're in the 50s and 60s while so cal is sunny. tonight, milder than this morning, thanks to the blanket of cloud cover. temperatures in the mid-40s to low 50s. but you can see plenty of green on the map as we head into tomorrow morning's commute. excuse me. so let's look at future radar for tomorrow night. 11:00, still dry. as we head into the overnight hours and through the morning, faster moving storm, with less moisture and by 5:00 in the morning, you can see it is almost already exiting the south bay with leftover showers in lake and mendocino county and a

little snow and the lake county area, especially in the higher elevations, but as we head deeper into the forecast, saturday afternoon will become sunnier, faster than tomorrow afternoon. and still cool but then look at sunday, mid to upper 60s and low to mid-70s for monday and tuesday. so tomorrow night and tonight, the only time we're going to see some rain the next seven days, kumasi, reggie? >> i hear we're going to see some snow. oh, yes, ginger zee, it is coming down again. she has a look at what's coming up at 7:00 on "gma." hey, ginger. >> would it be 2021 without some snow and ginger in a shot? no, it wouldn't. we're getting more. we have seen 2 to 4 inches in some parts of new jersey. and now it is all moving in and we could end up with another half foot. what is a half foot at this point when we had close to a foot and a half above average already. let's just go for it. of course, i am talking about that here, but really it is all about what has happened in the

south. along the gulf coast to texas, we know it is a much bigger crisis. they're still dealing with frozen precipitation today. marcus is down there, he'll give us an update on the water and power what is happening. we'll talk to them about all the issues. and, of course, track this storm as it heads out. also ahead, the startling new headline from the cdc, and this is about the staggering drop in american life expectancy. so you've seen the numbers, maybe, the sharp decline. obviously due to the pandemic. but the white house right now at the same time is sending some mixed messages about when everybody is going to get a vaccine. so we're going to have the latest on both of those things. and then we'll remember rush limbaugh, the conservative talk radio giant, who dominated airwaves with his controversial show for more than 30 years. passed away at 70 after a battle with lung cancer. we'll look back at his influence in modern politics and, of course, how it shaped modern politics and then the reaction to his passing this morning. you'll see that and so much more and unfortunately me, in the snow again, tomorrow morning,

because it won't be done. >> wow. >> reggie and kumasi. >> and yesterday we got in your head about the discussion about the worst disney villains and this live shot you're in today reminds me, i shouldn't forget about hans from "frozen," spoiler alert, one of the worst villains ever. >> oh. and the twist. the twist, like, what? what? how could -- he didn't even have it in him. >> he has that beautiful song and then almost a killer. terrible. >> mm-hmm. >> these are the things going through my head for the past 24 hours. >> all right, i'm with you on this one. >> good, good. we're all aboard. and kumasi just nod your head. okay. >> that's it. you all ruined it for me. go on. >> she still hasn't seen "frozen." "fi'm morgan, and there's more we'll beto me than hiv. more love,... more adventure,... more community. but with my hiv treatment,... there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor... and switched to... fewer medicines with dovato. prescription dovato is for some adults

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dry, rain will come in after midnight. we'll add friday and saturday to the list. but as you look at our two wettest months, january didn't live up to expectations. and so far february is not either. anywhere from 14% to 83% of average up to yesterday's date. and now moving forward, check out the temperatures, sunday, mid to upper 60s. and then we have upper 6 0s to mid-70s for monday and tuesday. not going to see rain those days, but a whole lot of sunshine coming our way for a couple of days before reality returns wednesday, thursday and friday next week. reggie? >> mike, thank you. happening today, a new dog park in downtown san jose, located on south 1st street. this pocket park features artificial turf, double entry gate, and separate areas for bigger and smaller dogs. the opening is from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. new at 6:00, google maps now lets you pay for parking. this is a new feature that allows you to bypass parking

meters and train ticket machines. all you have to do is connect your google maps account with your google pay wallet. the idea behind this is to save you time and to allow you to avoid touching public services, a huge plus during the pandemic. google says it partnered with two tech providers, passport and park mobile, for this feature. great. happening tonight, an east bay contestant is hitting the national spotlight appearing on abc's quiz show "the chase". >> in 2015, what monster became an official citizen of japan? >> godzilla. >> correct. >> so karen shu will be on tonight. you can watch the chase tonight at 9:00, right here on abc 7. happening today, history being made in space on the red planet. nasa's perseverance rover is expected to land on mars after traveling 300 million miles in

seven months it will hopefully touch down on an ancient lake call called zero, a site where life splay been be may have been best preserved. >> it was habitable, life should have been there. so i think we're very optimistic, i'm very optimistic. >> if we can find evidence of life on mars, we're going to realize that we are a bigger part of the life story. it is not just an earth story. it is a universe story. >> the mission behind the $2.7 billion landing is to collect rock samples and bring them back to earth to look for signs of microbial life. the science center in oakland is hosting a live watch party from noon to 2:00 p.m. tonight on the facebook and youtube channels. it will include public q&a with experts from nasa's ames research center. coming up next at 6:30, plans to return to the classroom hitting a snag in the north bay. why one school district

postponed the start date for in person learning. also the impact of that winter storm hits close to home, how it is holding up vaccination efforts here in the bay area. as we head to break, taking a live look outside, what are we looking at this morning? it is santa cruz, how gorgeous is that. nice and calming. great way to start the morning. it is 6:27. we'll be right back. want to save hundreds on your wireless bill? with xfinity mobile you can. how about saving hundreds on the new samsung galaxy s21 ultra 5g? you can do that too. all on the most reliable network. sure thing! and with fast nationwide 5g

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building a better bay area, for a safe and secure future, this is abc 7 news. >> we have the meeting open to the public right now. >> no. >> now at 6:30, the controversial comments some school board members made when they thought they were speaking in private. and now parents are upset. the new petition with hundreds of signatures. >> we have got to do it.

we're going to dip into our savings. >> and more san francisco parents making the switch to private school. why they say they have lost faith in the public school district. >> the dangerous winter weather now hampering vaccination efforts. the impact here in the bay area. >> good morning, everyone. it is thursday, february 18th, a lot of stories to share with you this morning. we want to start with mike. good morning. >> good morning, kumasi, reggie, hi, everybody. thank you for joining us. we'll talk about what is going to happen tonight first, that's our next chance of rain. here it is on live doppler 7 along with our 1 on the storm impact scale. light rain and drizzle. less than .2 of an inch of rain. but it will make tomorrow morning's commute slippery. especially the earlier you are out on the roads. right now, we have pretty much clear conditions on live doppler 7 and whole lot of sunshine trying to break out technically it rises at about 6:52. it will be taking over by clouds as that system draws near, a little virga possible as we head into the afternoon hours. but pretty mild, we're starting

off in the mid-30s to low 40s, we'll end up in the upper 50s to mid-60s. we'll time out this storm and friday night's storm coming up. jobina is in with a look at traffic, some issues out there, jobina. >> yes, mike, thank you. a major backup is beginning to form in san francisco right now. the chp issued a sig alert. we have injuries involved in this crash here. you'll see the area impacted, the crash specifically is on eastbound 80 before 7s. a slowdown in both directions. injuries reported at least one lane blocked and also now we're learning of a dog that has been injured in this sounds like the animal got out of the one of the vehicles involved and was hit unfortunately in one of the lanes. so please be careful in the area. we did not have an estimated time when this will reopen. you're not going to believe this video you're about to see, parents are so upset by it, they started a petition to recall the oakland union elementary school district board of trustees after some of them made some disparaging remarks about

parents. abc 7 reporter amy hollyfield live at the school district headquarters with this story. amy? >> reporter: hi there, yes. parents some want to get rid of this board with one parent calling them uncaring bullies. the board did not know that parents were able to listen in on this meeting. they thought it was private. we're going to play a few examples for you. first you're going to hear board member kim beede talk about what she would do to people, people who comment online if they commented to her face. then you're going to hear a board member say his brother delivers medical marijuana to some parents in the district and saying when your kids are at home, and not at school, then you lose your friday. no more fridays. then you're going to hear them realize that the meeting is actually public. >> really, i honestly don't care about that part. but, you know what, are we alone? >> yeah. >> okay. [ bleep ], if you're going to call me out, i'm going to

[ bleep ] you up. sorry. that's just me. >> my brother delivery service for medical marijuana, clientele were parents with their kids in school. >> uh-oh. >> we have the meeting open to the public right now. >> no. >> that's what lori just said. >> great. >> and they abruptly end the meeting. a petition parents launched last night is gaining signatures this morning, they're now up to 443 signatures. it calls for the board to resign or be recalled. in the comments, parents called the board unprofessional and an embarrassment, saying the kids in the district deserve better. about 6 minutes into the meeting, board member berezin debrez brizendine says parents just

want their baby-sitters back. we're hoping to get comments, response to this today. so far, no comment, no comment d from board members but plenty of angry comments from parents online. live from oakley, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >> unbelievable. okay. amy, thank you. this has become one most clicked on stories in our website and app this morning. i'm sure you understand why. you can watch the full eight-minute video now at abc7news.com. new this morning, santa rosa's superintendent says the return for students will not happen march 1st as hoped. the press democrat reports the school district is still in negotiations with unions focused on covid-19 vaccinations for teachers. elementary teachers are tentatively scheduled to receive their first dose next week. there is a four-week period for the second dose, which is pushing now a new start date until late march or perhaps even april. there is still no start date

set for students to return to san francisco public schools. and some parents have reached their breaking points and are look for other solutions. sfusd said enrollment is down 500 students or 1%. parents we have spoken to believe that that number is much higher. that includes lindsey sync who just enrolled three of her kids at a private school. >> we know multiple families that have gone private or that have moved. their mental health is at stake. and so we have been forced into a position that we're uncomfortable, you know, with, but we have got to do it. we're going to dip into our savings. we're going to be scraping by. >> sfusd says every day is getting closer to reopening schools and that campus inspections are under way. santa clara county is expecting vaccine eligibility, starting on february 28th. child care and education workers, food and agricultural workers and emergency service workers will be able to get

vaccinated. >> this expansion of eligibility will help ensure that many of our essential workers, particularly those essential workers who are living in communities that have been hardest hit will have access to vaccine. >> the county says to reach the essential workers they will be expanding some vaccine site hours and reaching out to businesses with eligible employees. dr. sarah cody says the goal for the next two weeks is to get more people aged 65 and up vaccinated to make sure more appointments are open when eligibility expands. vaccinations are under way at alameda county fair grounds in pleasanton. the site allows eligible people from a variety of healthcare providers to get vaccinated. we spoke with one woman who just got the shot and she says she feared the worst, but getting an appointment was actually pretty easy. >> i was kind of apprehensive. but i just got online last night, i was surprised i was able to get an appointment today.

so that was good. i thought, well, okay, go for it. >> we're excited to be able to vaccinate our communities, get everyone healthy and be getting back to a new normal. >> and just in case you do have an appointment, you'll notice there are several lanes which are divided up based on whether you signed up through your provider, sutter or stanford health or the county website. a priest at san francisco's saints peter and paul church died after an outbreak of covid-19 at the rectory. a statement on the north beach church's website says that father bob stein died on tuesday. and three priests and clergy members tested positive for covid-19. the church has been shut down with the closure now being extended until at least next tuesday. all masses are being streamed online. extreme weather across the country taking its toll on the fight against covid-19. jobina is joining us with more on this issue and how the problem is also affecting us here in the bay area. jobina? >> thank you, reggie, the race

to vaccinate is more important than ever, especially with the new variants we have been discussing all morning long. the dangerous winter storms are hampering vaccination efforts and nearly a dozen states. snow, ice and dangerous temperatures are delaying vaccine shipments across the country. health officials in multiple states have been forced to cancel appointments and temporarily shut down mass vaccination sites. the cdc says it is working closely with shipping companies to access weather conditions and prevent even more delays. >> we want to make sure as we lost some time in some states for people to get needles in arms that our partners do all they can to make up that lost ground. >> in hard hit texas, thousands of people had their appointments canceled or delayed. health officials say they will resume vaccinations once it is safe to do so. we are also learning about the impact here in the bay area. the press democrat is reporting a shipment of more than 8,000 doses to sonoma county has been delayed. reggie? >> all right, jobina, thank you. the irs says it sent out 147

million checks from last year's stimulus package. the irs was required to issue the $600 payments by mid-january, so it could move on to processing our tax returns. eligible people who have moved or changed bank accounts may still be waiting for that money. in total, $142 billion got sent out. congress is currently considering a third round of payments. too pretty not to stop. the flower bloom impressing drivers, where you can see it for yourself. and you are looking live right now at the big board at the new york stock exchange. we're down now about 200 points. another update on how the markets are doing next. the cybersecurity business is booming in the south bay. and a new program through san jose state university hopes to build the skills required for thousands of job openings. it is 6:39. we're checking in with mike. >> thank you, kumasi, reggie. let's look at some local temperatures. we'll start in our neighborhoods on the peninsula, we got mid to upper 30s.

so it is significantly cooler -- colder in places like red wood city, menlo park. around foster city and also san mateo, and half moon bay, the mid to upper 30s. everybody else in the low to mid-40s. elsewhere, we have mid to upper 30s in the north bay valleys, east bay valleys, fremont, low to mid-40s elsewhere until you get to san francisco, 47. right here at south beach, 44, you can see a dry western span of the bay bridge. you can also see the high clouds already starting to take over our sky. as our next system draws near. it won't have an effect on our commutes, whether it is the morning or the afternoon. everything is going to be good. we lack fog, we lack rain, we lack breezes, any of those adversities are not present today. you can see up in the northern part of the state, rain starting to get its act together. so let's put it through future radar. clouds on the increase today, but still mild. temperatures mainly in the low to mid-60s. rain to the north bay, you can see all the way up to midnight and it starts to transfer to the rest of our neighborhoods, we

wake up to scattered rains and drizzle tomorrow morning and slippery conditions. a few showers left over by 9:00. but then by the afternoon hours, we're looking at increasing sunshine and that storm is moving on. we're going to see less than .2 of an inch of rain out of this storm. it will be slippery during tomorrow's morning commute. speaking of this morning commute, some issues, we want to say hi again to jobina, get the latest from her. >> thank you, mike. good morning, everyone. so, yes, i am following a sig alert in san francisco right now that is causing quite a big backup. injuries have been reported here, and according to the chp, someone's dog has been seriously hurt as well. this is going to be on eastbound 80 before 7th. the on ramp there. you see speeds are down to 9 miles per hour as you approach the crash site and look at that, you probably saw the map flip to more red there. so it is really slow, and we do not have an estimated time as to when all the lanes will reopen in this area. move over now to a live look showing you the bay bridge toll

plaza, mitering lights at 6:30, already seeing a backup there. and it is going to be a bit slow as you make your way across the bay bridge into san francisco. and then lastly here as we head to break, a live picture from emeryville, showing you 80 and

covid's still a threat. and on reopening schools, we know what happens when we don't put safety first. ignore proper ventilation or rates of community spread, and the virus worsens. fail to provide masks or class sizes that allow for social distancing, and classrooms close back down. a successful reopening requires real safety and accountability measures. including prioritizing vaccines for educators. parents and educators agree: reopen schools. putting safety first.

new developments in that coyote attack in moraga. they have confirmed that the animal that bit the 3-year-old girl on tuesday is the same coyote responsible for three other attacks in that same area. the coyote bit the girl while she was walking with her mom near campolindo drive. she wasn't seriously hurt. the other attacks happened last year between july and december, and the cdfw is trying to now find that coyote. now to your morning money report, the u.s. labor department released the latest weekly jobless claims report

which had much higher than expected numbers. 861,000 people applied for unemployment benefits last week. and increase of 13,000 from the week before. economists forecasted 773,000. in addition, the prior week's figures were revised from 793,000 to 848,000. so that means that nearly 4.5 million people are still receiving state unemployment benefits. now let's take a live look at the new york stock exchange, trading gets under way this morning. we're still down right now by 235 points. facebook users in australia can no longer share news articles due to a proposed media law in the country. the restrictions also prohibit publishers from posting news content on their pages. in december, the australian government introduced legislation that would force tech companies to pay local news outlets for displaying and linking to their content.

at abc 7, we're committed to building a better bay area, including the impact the pandemic is having on our economy. on job hunting with jobina, she's looking for roles for you. what do you have this week? >> this is for anyone looking for an opportunity in cybersecurity or coding. san jose state university has developed a new partnership to get more people prepared for that workforce. full stack academy based out of new york has a new partnership with san jose state university. they're launching two tech boot camp programs for cybersecurity and coding professionals. >> we identified there are about 10,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs and nearly 17,000 software job openings in san jose. there is obviously a need, we want to create an influx of skilled professionals. >> the career success director for full stack academy, she says the virtual boot camp is 26 weeks and requires no previous experience in the coding or

cybersecurity world. >> it is a commitment, you have to be ready to learn and ready to work. you don't have to be enrolled as an student. we'll be offering scholarships for a variety of sjsu community members including military, personnel and veterans, alums, current students and employees. and those who also attend our live workshops. >> according to full stack, the cyberboot camp will give students a foundation in both front and back end web development, programming skills for in demand coding jobs, teach students how to monitor and secure systems, networks, applications and much more. >> there is the career success team which comes in as we get closer to graduation to work one on one with our students in terms of support, networking, how to interview, how to negotiate your salary, all of those things and then our team works with students while they're on the job search. >> boot camp graduates will qualify for high paying coding and cybersecurity jobs, according to glass door, starting pay for software engineers in san jose is around

$95,000. and $80,000 for cybersecurity analysts. the average entry level salary in san jose is about 36,800. >> and here say look at a job open right now in the cybersecurity field for a junior information security analyst for vulnerability management. the company is ursus. qualifications bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems or related field and/or equivalent relevant experience. kumasi? >> thank you. in san francisco, a vote on a proposal to keep the ferris wheel at golden gate park for another four years has been postponed. the historic preservation commission decided to delay a vote until at least march 3rd after supervisor connie chan requested more time to look at the concerns raised by residents. the sky star observation wheel was installed as part of golden gate park's 150th anniversary.

but it was postponed because of the pandemic. some officials want to keep it there until march of 2025. chan says she only favors a one-year extension. look at this large flower bloom wowing drivers on highway 1 in santa cruz county. people taking advantage of the nice weather to stop and take photos. one couple we spoke with drove to the coast from the east bay. >> this is incredible. so beautiful. vibrant. we saw the cars stopped and thought it was a good chance to stop and take some pictures and breathe in the fresh air. >> that couple says they grew up nearby, they can't remember ever seeing a large bloom like this. you can see it for yourself, it is off highway 1, just south of bonny doon road. it almost looks like there is already a filter on that. >> real life. >> but it is real. it is nature. >> beautiful. see, i'm happy it still looks pretty. i see, like, people frolicking through and trampling, trying to do too much. i'm glad people are respectful. >> i would say get there real

quick. >> yeah. before people take over. >> yeah, people always ruin everything. >> seriously though. >> yes, please be respectful for the rest of us, please, who can't quite get there yet. it is absolutely gorgeous. that's what's really noticed during the pandemic, taking walks, not only all the hidden trails around my town that i live in, but also all the beauty nature has to offer as we went from spring to fall and now back to spring again. so this weekend will be a good time to get out there and look at it. 48 from the east bay hills camera. cloudy today, mild and dry this afternoon. but tonight we have light rain and drizzle with milder lows and the weekend will have a little shower activity saturday morning and then sunshine comes out saturday and the warmth begins sunday. for today, how about 60 to 66 degrees, except for at the coast, 58 to 62 there. if you're thinking about doing outdoor dining, sprinkles in the north bay by 8:00. for the most part, a couple of degrees milder, in the 50s,

compared to yesterday. thanks to the cloud cover. tonight you can see the green. that's the rain that is come through. 1 on the storm impact scale. light rain and drizzle and milder temperatures mid-40s to low 50s. here is a look at tomorrow night, so if you're heading out tomorrow evening, for outdoor dining, it is going to be cooler due to the lack of cloud cover. this storm is moving even faster. and has even less rain. by 5:00, saturday morning, it is almost gone. and for sure by 9:00, any leftover showers are dissipating. more sunshine developing in the afternoon hours. rainfall estimates for tonight, we're less than .2 of an inch. tomorrow night, less than a tenth of an inch. rain on the peninsula, north bay, once it passes, there is nothing else as far as rain in the accuweather seven-day forecast. you're looking at monday and tuesday, low to mid-70s for a couple of days. spring in the air. at least those two days. all right, we got a little bit of snow up in the sierra this weekend. couple of inches.

let's find out more about that by going over to jobina. what's going on, jobina? >> well, mike, thank you very much. it is time for our toyota tahoe traffic report. the big headline here, no chain requirements for any major roadways up there. squaw alpine north star and heavenly, taking about the same amount of time to get there. heavenly the longest with 3 hours and 19 minutes. checking in on our other resorts, sugar bowl, sierra at tahoe and kirkwood, kirkwood taking the longest to get there with 3 hours and 26 minutes. and the most snow i see here is at sugar bowl, 71 inches to 115. so it should be a nice ride as you head up there for the weekend. over to you, reggie. this morning, questions about the future of american tennis star serena williams after she lost in the semifinals of the australian open. third seed naomi osaka knocked off williams in straight sets and ended the 39-year-old's quest to tie margaret court's

all time record of 24 grand slam victories. williams stopped before leaving the court to soak in the crowd's applause before waving as she went to the tunnel. in her post match news conference she was asked if having her hand on her heart was her way of saying farewell. williams responded if, i ever say farewell, i wouldn't tell anyone. and shortly after that, she got emotional. >> it was just one of those bad days at the office. >> i don't know. i'm done. >> she later posted on instagram telling her australian fans she is forever in debt and grateful to each and every one of them and she loved them. happening today, it is a first of its kind celebration in san francisco. it is called bridging diverse communities through art and culture. the event will celebrate both black history month and the lunar new year and will feature performances from asian and african-american communities. all of it kicks off at 6:00 tonight. and you watch it live on the

city's youtube channel. upcoming fund-raiser is counting on food to bring people together. a virtual cook along is set for saturday to raise money for good, good eats. that's an oakland group that helps bridge divide -- the divide between black and asian communities. participants will learn to make chinese dumplings, a co-organizer says the event was inspired by feelings of helplessness and anger over the recent attacks in chinatown. >> dumpling fund-raiser is to create an environment where we are fueled by the anger that we have all felt because of the attacks and increased racism and tension between two communities, but put it into a place where we're all sharing a space together in the spirit of unity and cooking together and eating together. >> the dumplings for unity event will include discussions about lunar new year, and black history month. >> i like this idea. now, friend, do you have your tea thing together today? >> i have my official abc 7 mug. >> you know, i'll get back to that. i'm over here living a charmed

life. >> you are basically living in bridgerton right now, do you understand that? >> pretty much. >> and there is nothing wrong with that. >> not a thing. >> coming up next, the seven things you need to know today. >> look at you. here is a live look outside at 6:55 and we'll be right back.

it is 6:57. if you're just joining us, here are the seven things to know this morning. in the east bay, some parents in oakley want school board members to resign after a virtual

meeting catches officials making light of students still being at home. one board member says parents just want their baby sitters back. number two, in person learning set to resume in berkeley next month. the district and union reached a deal contingent on vaccinating teachers. number three, democrats on capitol hill are expected to introduce their version of president biden's immigration reform bill. it includes creating an eight year path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented people in the country. number four, millions of people in texas without power following this week's winter storms. texas governor greg abbott says power should be restored to a million homes by tonight. subfreezing temperatures continue today for those folks suffering. i feel so bad for them. for us, a pretty nice day, albeit increasing clouds ahead of our next storm. but temperatures will be mild in the 60s. tonight, through this time tomorrow, we have a chance of light rain and drizzle, a 1 on the storm impact scale. number six, a sig alert i

was following in san francisco has cleared, but you can expect delays heading eastbound on 80 before the 7th street off ramp. and number seven, it is landing day for nasa. the perseverance rover is set to complete its 300 million mile journey to mars this afternoon. the rover will be searching for signs of life on the red planet and it will be bringing back samples for research. mike, we know you're going to be watching. what is the plan? >> the plan is to sit in front of the tv with some popcorn and just watch. >> i can't stop thinking about this. >> really, friend? >> right. >> this is the krispy kreme doughnut that they're only selling today. and, you know, i don't like a filled doughnut. i don't like frosting, and i hate chocolate doughnuts and yet, why do i still have it on my mind? i had it on my mind for an hour and a half. >> are we going to get some? >> right next to this picture is

an order button. do i press it? >> yes. >> all right, crisis in texas. hundreds of thousands still without power or water. >> this is no longer just an emergency. it's clear that it is a disaster. >> the deep freeze bursting water pipes, freezing this car, destroying homes, causing ceilings to collapse. texas hospitals on the brink. empty grocery store shelves in dallas, and hundreds lining up for much needed supplies in austin. others resorting to boiling snow for water. the mayor of hard-hit galveston joins us live. snowstorm on the move. warnings stretching all the way up the east coast, florida to massachusetts on alert. overnight, record snow in arkansas and tennessee. and this morning, the south bracing for er