only at jack in the box. >> every day, over 100 we have turned away. >> a big test of the vaccine mandate over the weekend. >> more evacuation orders downgraded. homeowners near lake tahoe finally able to go back home as better weather conditions help firefighters on the front of the caldor fire. >> in east bay, business owners are hoping the end of unemployment benefits means a boom in potential employees. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> thank you for joining us. >> you are watching abc seven live. today, millions of people lost some federal unemployment benefits and more than a million left without any unemployment

competition at all. 2.7 million more people lost a $300 a week federal supplemental unemployment payments. in the bay area, some employers hoping the end of the benefits might compel more people to return to the workforce, but there are also hiring barriers to consider. we have the story from the east bay. reporter: they are pretty much everywhere you look, help-wanted signs in the windows of bay area stores and restaurants. even with reopening, it has been difficult for small businesses to find and keep employees. >> people did not want to come back, nobody wants to interact with people anymore, people are scared. we have lost a lot of people, had a lot of turnover. it is a competitive hiring market for good candidates. reporter: now the federal government's enhanced benefits are ending, meaning 8 million americans will no longer receive

weekly unemployment checks. >> september 6 was the timeline, and that is when the $300 end s. we don't need it consistently across the country. reporter: one big challenge for business owners, customers are back but employees are not. the hope is that will change going forward. >> for sure we will get more because they have to work. we will find more people, for sure. reporter: however, getting more people back to work is about more than money. other barriers include concerns over the delta variant and the scarcity of affordable childcare. small business owners must be creative when competing for qualified workers. >> we try to be really flexible, work with students and moms and make sure we can be flexible as our perk. even if we cannot pay them a ton

more or even match what they are getting in unemployment. reporter: in the east bay, laura anthony. ama: better weather conditions helping firefighters on the front lines of two huge fires burning in northern california. containment has increased on the caldor fire to 44%. the fire has escorts more than 206,000 acres. evacuation orders for south lake tahoe downgraded to warnings last week. on the frontlines of the dixie fire, containment has increased to 57%, it has burned more than 910,000 acres in northern california. you notice the qr code on your screen during our air quality and welfare coverage. you can scan it using your cell phone camera and it will take you to our wildfire tracker. you can follow the major fires and see air quality. dan: while we are talking air quality, a spare the air alert standard through tomorrow for the bay area. ama: spencer joins us with more. spencer: the wildfire smoke

continues to filter into the bay area, thus the alert for today and tomorrow. we expect improvement over the next few days. currently, only green and yellow, moderate to good air quality, whereas earlier we had some orange. as we look at what is causing the situation, we have a big ridge of high pressure over the bay area. the clockwise circulation pulling a lot of smoke down to the santa clarita -- santa clara valley. the high-pressure traps smoke at the surface. that will not last long, as we look at the air quality forecast, although tomorrow will be another spare the air day, on wednesday and thursday and friday, significant improvement, good to moderate air quality. i will have the complete forecast a little later. dan: thank you. the labor day weekend is bringing more visitors to the bay area. it has been the first true test of the vaccine mandate for many

indoor activities in san francisco. cornell barnard is live along the embarcadero to see how things are going. cornell: we have seen a lot of people on the waterfront today, a lot of crowded restaurants and enforcing the vaccine mandate in san francisco seems to be working for a lot of businesses, but not all. >> it is so pretty. >> amazing. cornell: these european terrorists loving the sites -- tourists loving the sights of san francisco, but you cannot leave home without vaccinated. have you had to show your card yet? >> yes. i think it is good because you feel safer. cornell: since august seven, it has been the law in san francisco if you want to shop or dine indoors. they check at the door. >> i think it will encourage more people to get vaccinated. >> politics aside, it is about

community and doing what is right. cornell: but the mandate has been complicated for this woman traveling with friends and relatives from santa barbara county. >> not everyone is vaccinated in our group, so it is difficult finding seating arrangements to accommodate all 28 of us. cornell: what did you do? >> we had to go to denny's because they did not ask for vaccination cards. >> every day, it's been in the hundreds, over 100 we have turned away. cornell: this supervisor says the vaccine mandate has not been good for his fisherman's wharf restaurant. >> it has been challenging to say the least. some people are diehard, we will not get the vaccine, it is phony. most people are very understanding about it. cornell: the golden gate restaurant association reports a few issues with the mandate so far. >> all of our members we have talked to are very supportive of this. do we want this to go forever? we don't, we want to get out of

the pandemic and go back to not having to do this, but for right now and until kids get vaccinated, i think it will be around a little while. cornell: we don't know how long the mandate will be around in the city. dan: what are you hearing in terms of any indication more tourists are returning to san francisco? cornell: it certainly seems that way, and we checked the hotel council of san francisco, they save things are up this holiday weekend for the first time in a long time. what's more, hotels are doing some hiring. certainly good news for the economy going forward. dan: absolutely, thank you. according to johns hopkins, daily covid-19 infections are up 316% from labor day last year. daily deaths are almost twice as high. with crowded airports, stadiums and beaches this holiday weekend, there are concerns the current surge could get worse. >> nobody is masked and people

are like yeah, it is all open and free, and it is devastating. >> i am expecting a bump. i'm hoping it won't be a major spike, but after every holiday we have seen a bump in infections and hospitalizations and deaths. dan: the cdc urged on vaccinated people not to travel this weekend. more than 3.5 million people were screened at u.s. airports on friday and saturday, about the same number of labor day travelers in 2019 before the pandemic. ama: protesters rallied outside the home of oakland athletics owner, concerned about union jobs. >> ♪ whose side are you on whose side are you on ♪ ama: those protesters say the plan will destroy tens of thousands of longshoremen jobs at the ports. they also took issue with the team demands for hundreds of millions in subsidies.

fisher is the son of the family that founded gap. we reached out to the a's but have not heard back. dan: coming up next, buddies without borders. ama: the bay area teenager connecting classmates with refugees around the world. reporter: i am on a desolate stretch of beach with the mystery of a dead humpback whale. whale. yeah, i mean the thing is, people like geico because it's just easy. bundling for example. you've got car insurance here. and home insurance here. why not... schuuuuzp.. put them together. save even more. some things are just better together, aren't they? like tea and crumpets. but you wouldn't bundle just anything. like, say... a porcupine in a balloon factory. no. that'd be a mess. i mean for starters, porcupines are famously no good in a team setting. geico. save even more when bundle home and car insurance. your heart is at the heart of everything you do. and if you have heart failure, there's entresto.

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dan: the taliban is claiming total control of afghanistan tonight, saying it has taken the last rebel stronghold. meantime, one group says the taliban is blocking flights from coded planes trying to leave the -- from planes trying to leave the country. alex: the taliban claiming total control of afghanistan. they say they have taken the last rebel stronghold to the

north of kabul. the fighting group there, called the national resistance front, denies the claim, but the taliban have been posting celebrations on social media they say show them in control. if true, it is the first time that area come along resistant to taliban control, has volunteered elsewhere, -- has fallen. elsewhere, resistance continues. women demanding equal rights from the taliban and meeting a violent response. the race to evacuate for those in the country continues good the state department saying four american citizens safely evacuated across the land border. the u.s. facilitated the journey, the first of its kind for -- it's kind. at the north afghanistan airport. >> they were in good spirits when they went up there a couple of days ago and now like i said, they have had to switch locations because they were in danger. alex: paul, who works for a

u.s.-based charity for women, trying to get afghan girls out of the country. these satellite photos reportedly showing charter planes waiting to take off but being blocked by the taliban. abc learning there are americans in the group, but the state department would not confirm that, saying we do not have personnel on the ground, we do not have air assets in the country. the white house saying there are about 100 americans in the country trying to evacuate. the secretary of state arrived in qatar to thank the country for its role in evacuations. general milley warning that afghanistan could soon fall into civil war. ama: a bay area student founded a club to help refugees from afghanistan and other countries. we are introduced to the young man leading the charge to make more buddies without borders. dion: conversation between two

teenagers have a world apart. >> since last school year, i have been talking to him on a weekly basis. dion: this is a senior at design tech high school in redwood city. he founded the buddies without borders club, which helps connect his classmates with refugees from around the globe viewed this as a refugee -- around the globe. this is a refugee from afghanistan. >> his family used to own a farm in afghanistan. dion: at first, he had reservations about helping his friend learned english, but wanted to try, knowing the struggles of his great-grandparents, who survived the armenian genocide and became refugees in syria. >> what if we don't like each other and it is awkward? dion: pretty soon, through regular chats and even watching disney plus movies together, and transformation. >> when i first talked to him, it was mostly broken english but

now he is able to talk really well and understand most of it. dion: these connections about more than a lesson in english. it is a lesson in perspective and what is happening in the world today. >> they recognize the courage they have, living in the bay area and the access they have, they see it on the news and are inundated all the time, what is happening outside the bay area and the u.s. dion: dozens have joint the club and he helps to make the world a better place by amplifying buddies without borders to schools across the bay area. >> just seeing that, it makes the job worthwhile. dion: in redwood city, dion lynn. dan: president biden is expected to visit the northeast tomorrow to get a firsthand look at the aftermath and devastation of hurricane ida. the visit come shortly after the president approved major disaster declarations in several states. earlier today, senate majority leader chuck schumer toward parts of queens, where he called

on insurance companies to do their part to help those affected either catastrophic storm. >> we've got to get the insurance companies to really step up to the plate as well. they cannot duck it. this is a personal disaster, and major disaster. we need the insurance companies to join with federal, state and city governments. dan: he also stressed the importance of bettering denver structure after sewer issues were linked to flooding in several communities. ama: in the north bay, the mysterious death of a humpback whale under investigation. wayne freedman has the story. wayne: on the subject of what ot washes in and eventually out, the mystery remains shrouded in fog one mile south of the left parking lot on 10 mile beach. they could not see it so could not know that what looks like a rock has a more organic side and fragrance to it, the remains of a humpback whale that washed

ashore friday. when a whale washes ashore these days, it is a must a default that we humans wonder we are to blame -- was it a ship that hit it, something environmental we caused? thus far, no evidence of those. scientists take a whale death seriously, which explains the neatly cut sections nearby. a necropsy was done yesterday, and they can tell the whale was about 35 feet long, not quite an adult female. they will examine what it ate, the state of its blubber, blood samples, look for signs of trauma. all normal so far. finding a cause of death might take weeks. while endangered in the 1970's, humbug wills have recovered well. we have seen several year. four from ship strikes, the others undetermined. and now this one, a massive

street just south of a busy beach, hidden in the fog. wayne freedman, abc 7 news. dan: muni is asking for service restoration in 2022. they posted details of alternatives for service last year -- next year. familiar would restore the all-day routes that have not been running since the start of the pandemic, frequent would restore height ridership lines, and balance would be a balance between the two. they will hold three q&a sessions online to discuss all of this and get input the first will be september 18 at 11:00 p.m. if you would like to weigh in. next, your accuweather forecast. ama: as we take a live look ama: as we take a live look outside, with wildfires is still ♪ ♪ ♪ ama: as we take a live look outside, with wildfires is still ♪ ♪ ♪

hey google, turn up the heat. ♪ ♪ ♪

i don't just play someone brainy on tv - i'm an actual neuroscientist. and i love the science behind neuriva plus. unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva plus fuels six key indicators of brain performance. more brain performance? yes, please! neuriva. think bigger. ama: a louisiana man who tried to pull a fast one on the owner of a tesla forgot the cars have cameras.

he did not realize that when he walks behind one of the cars and took a phony fall as the driver backed up. the driver drove away, man claimed he was a victim of a hit and run. he was committed to the light. police tech -- tracked down the driver and video ruined the story. most cars have a camera. dan: not an academy award-winning performance. ama: but he stuck with it, something to say about that. spencer: he would not make it to the wwe without fall. let's take a look at the warm spell we are having right now, 24 hour temperature change showing host bay area locations 2-5 degrees warmer than yesterday. yesterday was pretty warm. looking at the surface wind speeds, breezier near the coast

than inland. a little of a marine flow near the coast, keeping temperatures from rising very sharply they are, but it is hot inland. here is a look over san francisco. only 67 in the city, 91 91 91 91 jose. here is a view of the golden gate, the thin, low clouds getting lower. 97 degrees in santa rosa right now. napa, 89. 107 in fairfield an hour ago. 100 in concord and livermore. really hot inland. there is the haze from the east bay hills camera. inland heat persist for two more days, spare the air alert, tomorrow. a color pattern at the end of the week. overnight, lots of high clouds passing over and haze and a thin

layer of low clouds near the coast line, not a significant marine layer. it will be milder. tomorrow, or haiti sunshine -- more hazy sunshine. mid to upper 50's near the coast , but inland, both inland east bay in south bay, with lows around 60-62 degrees. quite mild. i've tomorrow, 69 in half moon bay. mid 90's at napa and santa rosa. farther north, upper 90's tilde 100 -- to low 100. 90 in san jose, 100 at morgan hill. air quality will not be so great tomorrow. here is the air quality forecast, another spare the air alert tomorrow, air quality expected to be poor to moderate, but we expect improvement on wednesday, thursday and friday. if this forecast holds up, we will be looking at green and yellow and maybe even more green toward the end of the week.

the seven day forecast, you can see the hot weather inland will persist through wednesday, another day of triple digit readings in the warmest inland areas. low 80 is around the bay shoreline. lows on the coast coast coast ct the coast in the low 70's. thursday, minor relief from the heat, for the heat, further relief on friday and it gets white a bit cooler into the weekend with high temperatures dropping below the average for this time of year. dan: just a hint of fall. thank you. next, a new camping opportunity in the bay area. ama: we will sho

ama: a reminder you can get our live newscast, breaking news, weather and more with our app on apple tv, fire tv and roku. just search abc 7 and downloaded -- download it. dan: music and dancing at golden gate park this weekend, with a free labor day concert. this is the 139th season. you can catch a few more free

concerts this year on sundays through october 1. ama: sounded great. dan: finally tonight, bay area residents have a new place to camp without having to venture far from home. ama: the dumbarton cory camp ground is open at the foot of the dumbarton bridge. the site is close to the bay and features 63 campsites with full-service hookups for rvs. there are also showers, a playground and easy access to hiking and biking trails on the shoreline. >> bay area people that live on the concrete all the time, this is a good opportunity to see what it is like to cook your food on a stove and maybe have a little campfire. some kids don't ever know anything about that. ama: that is so true. the site includes three drive-in tent sites with more coming. there also plans for tent cabins like yosemite, a store and more amenities. dan: lots of amenities and a

great resource. world news tonight is next. we appreciate your time. ama: thanks for joining us.

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