s your moment to get vaccinated. building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 news. >> hi there, i'm kristen sze. you're watching getting answers. live on abc7, hulu live, and where you stream pick ask experts your questions every day 3:00 to get answers for you in real time check today, a top medical expert is talking with us about the turmoil on capitol hill, the gop giving the acts to one of their top party leaders, another turning point towards aligning more with former president trump.presiden. also, an intense battle over high school playoffs in the south bay. some parents, coaches, and players, are now threatening a lawsuit, thing what's happening is so unfair. but first, the very latest in the reopening of the bay area. the entire u.s., more masks soon to come off, and more

busiback (tode cdc giving sligh detail on when whfully vaccinated amerin take off their masks. this is after the big announcement yesterday that made it seem like in most places, it is going to be fine now if you are fully vaccinated. all right, so now you can remove them at grocery stores, restaurants, bars, friends parties, i guess that means small, mask mandate is still in effect in california, that is very important to note. again, all of these places, the cdc today clarified, you can take off your mask, for fully vaccinated people only. and again, nothing changes right away here in california. but still a lot of confusion. let's get you some answers now as we move closer to reopening and loosening our own mask mandate. joining us right now is dr. yvonne maldonado with

something we should talk about here. let's start here. thanks for joining us, by the way. really good to see you again. >> thank you.thank you.thank yo. >> will start with the cdc mask guidance clarification. the san francisco apartment a public health sent us the statement saying, quote, as we recently did with the new guidance on outdoor masking for fully vaccinated people, we must wait for the state to adopt the updated guidelines, before making changes to the local health order. so, how does the cdc guidance apply to us here, you know, in the bay area and in california? like nothing really that different today from yesterday or the day before, right? >> well, it is a little bit of head snapping, people said. a kind of went from one stage to another without an interval. i do think we have to wait for not only the state, but each of the counties are going to have to weigh in as well. so we need to be a little careful about jumping right into it. i do think what the cdc told us though, they are giving us a signal that we are heading into a period where we are feeling more confident about low

transmission rates, low overall positivity rates and higher vaccination rates, but we are not out of the woods yet. >> all right, but does the clarification today, right, they mentioned grocery stores, but at the same time, trader derose is dropping it mandate to align with the cdc. those two things tend to conflict, what we do? can you take your mask off there, if you are fully vaccinated? >> you know, we are on chun uncharted territory here. i don't know the answer. i tend to follow what happened in my county, when i'm in my county, and the state when i'm in the state. that is the best guidance i can think of. i would imagine that the, you know, chain stores are going to have to comply with what is going on in their own state. for example, the big national pharmacies actually, they have their own guidance nationally, but they have to comply with each of the states they work in. so i would imagine the stores have to do the same.

>> okay, do you expect the bay area will certainly have, you know, counties here in the public health officer is here, and they keep more mandates in place, like more restrictions longer? >> you know, i don't know, i think there will be certain places where they will keep the mandates longer. clearly, as you know, we cannot, this is not applying it all to places like healthcare facilities or other areas, where there is high risk of disease and potential transmission. but i think the real question is, what's going to happen, as you mentioned grocery stores and the bars, where you really aren't going to build ask the person standing next to you whether they are vaccinated or not. so it is going to be a risk mitigation issue for each individual, and i think the counties, if we are lucky, they will do what they did a year ago, and they may come in as a block and say, this is what we all believe, because in fact, these boundaries, they are not

real boundaries. we move from one county to the other. so, if we can can can guidance, that would be the best thing for us. >> that would be nice. at least here in the bay area, right? moving with one directive. otherwise, you might you might really just confrontations, when people, you know, say hey, show me your proof. and other people say, no, i don't need to. and today, as you know, on the congressional floor, are bay area congresswoman, he had his mast on, right? he was confronted by an aide for marjorie taylor greene, the representative aligned with q and on. the aide said hey, take off your mask and representative well all said, no. he said something else too. but i mean, you get into that kind of thing, when the mandate is kind of fuzzy. >> that is the concern. my other concern area, i'm not so worried about the grocery stores, et cetera, although will happen, i'm worried about the blunt airplanes. you are in a confined space. i'm not worried about the safety on the plane. i'm just worried about any kind of a confrontation in a

confined area, where you want it to really be a controlled situation. but, this might actually be, you know, the time to start dealing with some here locally, so we can start becoming more attuned to this idea that we are less likely to be infected. that is true, but at the same time, a lot of us are not going to stop, and i don't think we should be told not to stop, just like we aren't going to be allowed to ask others whether there vaccinated or not. >> right, the other big piece of news today, of course, 12 to 15-year-old here in the bay area getting their vaccinations, and i know you've done a lot of work, mainly your work on studying kids in their health. so what are you seeing so far? so far the ones who have gone the shots, do you feel like they are doing fine and are the side effects they're reporting pretty much the same as the adults who have gotten the pfizer vaccine? >> welcome as you know, a really just started yesterday, so we haven't gotten any major

reports or problems, what i'm hearing from the counties is, they were already booked up wednesday night, before anticipation of the thursday start. so they were getting lots people ready to get their children vaccinated. i do think that there is a real sense of relief among a lot of families, because they are worried about the kids this summer. it just so happens, we also have another virus floating around called rsv. it's the normal respiratory winter virus, but for some reason, it just started popping up this month, probably because of, you know, the unusual cold season, but that virus can cause fevers and flulike symptoms or cold symptoms as well. i think parents are just nervous. they want to get their kids vaccinated. >> sure, right now is 12 to 15. if you are under 12, that, you know, a few months down the line. what's the advice you would

give to families considering a family vacation this summer? and maybe in that party, in that family, someone who is eight or nine and has been vaccinated? >> well, unfortunately the risk of infection, you know, if you have a fully vaccinated family, except under 12-year-old, the risk to that one child should be pretty minimal. again, depends on where the child is and if they are involved in school right now, we are not seeing high rate of transmission, even in schools, because the kids are masking. i do think the risk would be low. i would get the whole family vaccinated and have them go out and have their vacation. i would keep any child to go and over who is not vaccinated, they should still be masked because they are not vaccinated. that's the one group we do know will be vaccinated. so just to keep themselves safe, you know, we do know that covid is not insignificant in children. we think that it is a siis

disease and little kids, but it is actually one of the top 10 causes of death in children in the u.s. in the last year. so it's been important. but, otherwise, the rest of the family, probably doesn't need to be masked, if they don't feel uncomfortable doing that. >> professor of pediatrics and health research at stanford university, dr. yvonne maldonado, thank you so much for your time we appreciate your insight . >> thanks a lot. >> we will take a short break. we come back, conversation on the future of today's republic and party, ousting one of their when it comes to flooring, i'm hard to please. so, i go to floor & decor where they don't just know the difference between products, they live for it. from american hardwood to spanish porcelain to italian marble, i'm looking for inspiration from every part of the world. so, when it comes to discovering every imaginable tile, wood, laminate or stone without compromising my design, one aisle doesn't cut it. i need an entire store. now, i've got one. explore floor & decor in person or online at flooranddecor.com i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv.

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mccarty, of bakersfield, after she opposed former president trump false claims of a stolen election. definitely an interesting shift in the parties dynamics. joining us today, to address some of the, lanhee chen, medical expert, and fellow at the hoover institution. it's been a while, good to see you. >> good to be with you again. >> all right, so much going on this week, trump loyalist, now stepping into that position, the number three position for republicans outside. what should we make of her ascension? >> a couple of things. first of all, i have known her for many years, she is very talented, very intelligent, and you know, she clearly understands the political dynamic of the time? she felt that she was going to be an alternative to liz cheney, position herself as such, was able to ascend to that position, and so i think, you know, she finds herself obviously in a tremendous opportunity to influence the conversation around republican

politics. in terms of what it all means, i think it is that president, former president trump still has a significant amount of influence over the conversation and the dialogue. and the republican party is going to have to see, going forward, how it can be viable, in places where frankly former president trump maybe less popular. and i think that dynamic is going to be one we will have to continue to watch. >> it strikes me as interesting, because if you look at the voting records of liz cheney versus elise stefanik, janie is actually much more quote unquote conservative, so, you know, the fact that republicans, the congressional reps have put their trust in stefanik, does that mean that conservative ideology is not what's driving that? >> we are a little bit of up his up-and-down is down right now. i think you are seeing that certainly with respect to what you are saying about janie is 100% right. if you look at her voting record, she is a conservative. she voted with donald trump probably 85 or 90, maybe more

percentage of the time, probably more than elise stefanik did. so this is not about the policy situation anymore. this is really about how people interact personally with donald trump, when he was in office, and in particular, toward the tail end of his term. that's really what i think a lot of us, a lot of this has become. you know, unfortunately, i think allegiance to one man does not tend to work all that well for political parties. i think political parties work best when they are large coalitions, when they are able to account for multiple voices, and the republican party is going to have to struggle a little bit with this question going forward, about allegiance to one person versus legions to broader values or a bigger tent. >> do you believe there is a chance, 100 republican lawmakers could break away and form their own party as, you know, some have threatened? >> no, look, america is a two- party system. it's been that way for many years, because our system of government, many of the laws

around the country, basically make it very, very difficult for third parties to form, for independent movements to form. so people are going to have to operate, in my mind, for the most part, within the context of these two political parties. certainly it's the case that those people who are disaffected with reporting party now are going to have to figure out, can they change the party from the inside, because i think is going to be their best shot at viability going forward. >> we know you have something else on the schedule, do you have one more minute? it's okay to say no. >> unfortunately not, but always great to be with you. >> okay, that was very tactful. nice way to kiss me off. no problem, lanhee, next time. >> you know always be nice about it. great to see you, thanks. >> bye. we come back, a heated battle in the

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school athletes. seemingly not getting their shot in their league playoffs this spring. the santa clara valley ccs play in just about 10 minutes, the league is actually meeting to reconsider their stance. if they don't, they could face some swift legal action. joining us right now is charles goldberg, who is organizing a gofundme to raise money for legal fees, to perhaps take this sports battle to court. charles, thanks for >> thank you for having me. >> all right, so the issue is santa clara valley athletic league has decided not to participate in ccs playoffs, that is kind of like the holy grail, right? for high school es to be in ccs playoffs, become state champs and all of that. tell me what is your view, with regard to the league having decided, nope, no playoffs for our athletes? >> well, it is disappointing. it's disappointing for the student athletes. they spend a lot of time and

effort and blood sweat and tears to prepare for the opportunity to first qualify for the ccs championships, and then participate in them. so for it to be taken away them was really disappointing for them. >> okay, so what are you asking for this point? because the decision had been made, right? they said we are going to focus on the regular season, you know? the pandemic, we are already getting to play on a which is what we wanted to focus on, let's not worry about the playoffs and people kind of, you know, went on with the season that way. so now, what are you asking for? >> well, we are asking for the same thing that we had been asking for since before the season began. actually going back to january, what we are asking is, for the board of managers to reverse their decision not to allow student athletes to participate in the championships. >> okay, and the reason for that, is it that some kids are worried about may be losing out

on scholarships, or is it more like the memories, especially for the seniors? >> well, i think it's a combination of all of those things. it's the experience that the kids have andhave andhave and playing together at that level, and for that, for that high of an honor, if you will. but there are other ramifications, not the least of which is the potential to be seen by both college recruiters, as well as, in some situations, professional scouts. as you probably know, on one of the participants in ccs last year was one of the top drafts in last year's baseball draft. so there are a number of ramifications that really run the gambit. those scholarships and professional opportunities are

really limited to a few. but the experience is really there for everyone. >> so is the league actually meeting right now to decide if they will change course? i mean, are you being heard there? and if it doesn't go your way, are you really going to go forward with a lawsuit? >> yeah, the board is meeting at 3:30. it's unfortunate, they have scheduled this meeting during the middle of practice and games for most of the student athletes. all of their prior meetings have been at 9:00 am. this one happens to be at 3:30. again, that is in the middle of practice and gametime. but the meeting is to revisit some of the topics from the last meeting, which they which articulated that they are doing in part because of potential violations of the brown act. but, in addition to that, they are revisiting that. so we are hopeful that they will reverse their decision, but if the decision is made to

continue to prohibit the kids from participating in the ccs championships, we are prepared to file a lawsuit this afternoon. >> wealth, time is of the essence. playoffs begin next week, right? i know that different sports with them, and a little bit later. so you might have a fighting chance. all right, thank you so much for your time, and please do keep us posted. we appreciate that. >> we will, thank you for covering

i see, i tonight, right here on abc7, they are the exclusive prison beforeott onw trial, almost 2 decades after his

wife, laci, and their unborn son were found in san francisco bay. now, abc's 20/20 has picked up new interviews with those claiming his innocence. abc7 news anchor reggie hickey spoke with the chief legal analyst about the gruesome case, and what to expect in tonight must watch special. >> dan, as you are aware, people in the bay area know the story very well, because it happened right here in the san francisco bay. but, this was so many years ago, and when you review the case, the scott peterson trial is so fascinating, because as far as i can tell, if i'm remembering this correctly, there's not a lot of physical evidence that actually ties him to the death of his wife. >> that's right. there's not a lot of physical evidence, which i think has led to continuing questions. prosecutors and others would argue that there is a lot of other types of evidence, circumstantial evidence, where

the body was found, where he had been that day, comments that he had made himself, and of course, comments he had made to a woman he was having an affair with at the time. this is what i think has led this case to continue to have this intrigue around it, why people are continuing to be interested in it is because, you know, you can ask a lot of questions. you can question his own accounts, et cetera, when you don't have that kind of definitive physical evidence that you might have in another type of case. >> so you are going to let us hc frompeterson's attorney, and what is there new information that they are r polly anhetrial gets here? >> lk, i don't know how much it potential what just be in regard to the death penalty. what the scott spears and supporters would say is new,

additional information about a robbery that had occurred across the street from laci and scott's home, and what connection that could have two laci's disappearance. now prosecutors would say to you, we are very familiar with that robbery. we arrested the people who were involved in it. it has no connection to this case. but that is certainly what the supporters of scott peterson are hoping people will focus on. >> so what is the chance that scott peterson could not only go through a penalty phase again, because it actually starts all over again with a new trial. >> i think it's pretty unlikely at this point. i think that the california supreme court deciding just to send back the issue about the death penalty in the case, based on the way the jurors were selected, i think is a big message from that court, i think it is very unlikely that scott peterson will be getting

a new trial on his guilt or innocence. >> is there any insight on what scott peterson is thinking at this point? do they offer any sort of opinion, or give you any sort of story about how he is doing all of this? >> you will see janie peterson interviewing scott peterson in prison. and, you get into scott peterson's head a little bit, as to what he is thinking, how he's feeling, et cetera. but again, it's going to totally depend on what your prism is, through which you are viewing it. if you are viewing it as scott peterson is a guy who is clearly guilty, it's just going to sound like an effort to sympathize, if you are going to think that it's a guy who was wrongly convicted, you are going to feel for him and listen to his words carefully. all right, if this interests you, you can watch the two hour 2020 special inside the mind of scott peterson tonight at 9:00 pm, and then abc7 news at 11:00 pm.

we want to thank you for joining us on this interactive show, getting answers. we will be here every weekday 3:00 on air, and on lifestream, answering your questions. definitely going to get the very latest right now on abc7news.com, or your abc7 news app. but today at 4:00, don't go anywhere. a half hour, we are coming back, we are dedicating an entire hour to abc7 listens, a bay area conversation. stop the hate. learn what you can do to help protect our api communities, right here on abc7. we are going to have russell jong, cofounder of stop api hate with us, not view police chief chris chung, a lot of community resources and advocates who are seeking solutions together through allyship and social media. a lot of great conversation also addressing mental health. we will see you at 4:00. tricks for joining us. we will see you at 4:00 for

this important conversation. tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. the mask confusion. just 24 hours after the cdc said vaccinated americans no longer need to wear a mask indoors or outdoors with few exceptions, tonight some businesses and grocery stores across this country saying they would still like customers to wear them. some asking, how do we know who's been vaccinated and who has not? but tonight, many states moving forward following the cdc's new guidance. tonight, some of the common questions being asked by americans who aren't convinced. and nen that headline involving the yankees. eight people including coaches, staff, and one player all infected. all eight say they had been vaccinated. what the team's gm is now saying