the car and found a bag of cash in the street. larry: just before 2:00, police started chasing a car on highway 24 in berkeley through a tunnel. police say it was used in robberies last night. the driver stopped on the freeway just past the tunnel, and he and the passengers came out with hands up. this shut down the freeway for a little while and made traffic to contra costa county a huge mess, but it is getting better now. with that, good afternoon and thank you for joining us, i am larry beil. kristen: and i am kristen sze. you are watching abc 7 news at 5:00 on abc 7, hulu live, and wherever you stream. kristen: you are watching "getting answers" live on abc 7, hulu live, and wherever you stream. larry: wildfires are certainly a big problem across the state. at least a dozen major fires still burning in california right now. we're hoping that number doesn't go up. kristen: we have team coverage

on the weather watch and the red flag warning. we will have the fire forecast, but let's begin with reporter cornell barnard in the north bay. cornell: it feels like the critical fire weather is moving in, wins getting up and it is definitely getting hotter. firefighters are gearing up, and in the east bay, some neighbors are on fire watch today. this grass fire breaking out on wednesday afternoon in sonoma county carried by strong winds. . luckily, firefighters stopped it before it reached a burn. the fire department says it is up staffing fire crews for red flag conditions. >> we 10 plus engines around the county on top of normal routine staffing. that allows us to respond quickly to a developing incident. >> the main concern obviously is fire. larry: in the east bay hills, neighbors in kensington are

standing by to be wildfire watchers. >> we take one hour or two for 24 hour watch. cornell: john is part of the wildfire watch, where neighbors take turns monitoring live wildfire feeds. what would you be looking for? >> smoke. you do everything you can to save yourself, and not your things, necessarily. >> we have a lot of older folks here, and if a fire starts in the canyon, w canyon, from seven to 15 minutes to evacuate, so we are looking out for each other. larry: september and ococtober historically are critical for the fire season. >> this is the time of year when we typically see the well scale large fires. thankfully we have had some light rains that have hit our lower elevations.

but the concern is over heavier fuels, especially those upper elevations. larry: firefighters urge homeowners to clear any dry brush around the property and in case of a fire, have a go-bag ready. cornell: if you live in a high fire danger area, firefighters urge you to keep your phone on at night in case of fire comes through. cornell barnard, abc 7 news. larry: now let's turn to meteorologist drew tuma with a look at what is to left of this wildfire drew: it is that time of year, our highest threat for wildfires in late september and moving into october. here is the red flag warning, at 1000 feet is where we will find the winds gusting as high as 35 miles per hour. it begins at 9:00 p.m. tonight and lasting through tomorrow morning. wind gusts picking up especially in napa, 15 to 25 miles per hour.

that continues as the sun rises, but by afternoon, the red flag warning expires and the winds turn on shore. but there is the weather watch through 11:00 a.m. for wildfire danger conditions. some encouraging news, it looks like the west coast will have an active pattern, meaning showers are in the forecast. we have a higher than normal chance of rainfall especially on october 6-8. we are watching that time period closely. the accuweather just released its model and it does follow a l a nina conditions. they are only forecasting 50% to 74% of our normal rainfall during the winter season. larry: drew, thank you. moving onto the latest in covid news developments. the cdc has issued an urgent health advisory for pregnant

women. get your shot, they say, anybody who comes down with the virus and carrying a baby is twice as likely to end up in the icu, and has an increased risk of death. . there have been 130 overall deaths in california from covid -- 30. that is up from 25 yesterday. but good news, the number of people diagnosed with the virus has dropped from yesterday. the nba now saying that any player who elects not to comply with local vaccine mandates, like andrew wiggins so far, will not be paid for games. the mass vaccination site at the mall opened at 1:00 p.m. shots are being given at the old victoria's secret store. they are only serving residents 75 and up and you need to bring proof you received the pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. kristen: travelers could be looking at new restrictions as we embark on the holiday season

one of several covid-related updates for the airline industry. reporter melanie woodrow has a story. melanie: with thanksgiving around the corner and one of the busiest times to fly, senator feinstein said, quote, "we can't allow air travel to contribute to another surge in covid cases. today i introduced legislation requiring passengers on flights to be vaccinated, or fully recovered from an illness. this is an expert. >> if it were to become law, it would be adding restrictions in the u.s. that exist elsewhere in the world and have been working pretty well. passengers may be a bit upset based on what we have seen in the past. melanie: it is not just travelers, united airlines says it is letting go of 600 employees chose not to comply with the vaccine requirement. >> they have to do what they can to protect not only themselves and their passengers, but their reputations too.

>> i actually feel the most safe flying internationally. melanie: he and another traveler recently returned to the bay area. >> i emphasized with the flight attendants on board. she had enforced masks a dozen times, walking up and down the aisle. melanie: he expects passengers will continue to resist restrictions, including wearing masks, with the most extreme being flights with musk. >> if you are given the plane, give the attendants a bit of grace, they are working very hard right now. >> anything to continue encouraging travel in the most comfortable and safe way i think is important for everybody. melanie: new potential guidelines in what is typically the busiest travel season of the year. melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. larry: the u.s. bureau of labor statistics says telecommuting to work is not going anywhere. 50 million workers were forced

to work from home in 2020. in august of this year, 20 million were still teleworking, and that number is expected to stay >> experimentation and learning, the investments we have made into working from home, diminished stigma and lingering concerns around health, it will all continue leading to the push of working from home. larry: industry jobs are leading the employment recovery, but the bureau of labor statistics says nationally, no industry has fully recovered the jobs lost in february of 2020. this year, 17 million jobs were recovered, compared to the 22.4 million jobs last year. kristen: a man has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges stemming from a violent off-duty confrontation. for prosecutors formally charged him for four felony counts, including sexual battery and an 18-year-old woman, and making criminal threats. the incident happened during a house party. the police officer is expected

to be released from jail today, but will remain on administrative leave. is scheduled back in court in november. larry: people living in their vehicles in berkeley are confused and unhappy right now. they have to move out of the government neighborhood in west berkeley today. the city wants them to move into a parking lot it is providing. officials believed it is a cleaner and safer alternative. the lot is on grayson street. reporter laura anthony shows us why some rv dwellers are pushing back. laura: for robert carlisle, this day wasn't supposed to go this way. >> don't touch my stuff. >> you can do it with me or without me. >> don't touch my stuff! laura: he thought he had until tonight to move his belongings away from the rv he shares with a friend. >> i don't understand how you can prevent this gentleman from being able to move his vehicle. laura: back today, city workers started moving them out just

afternoon. >> he says, i am moving your stuff. i said, no you are not, that is my stuff we had an agreement. you are breaking your agreement. laura: as part of its safe parking program, berkeley is offering these residents what city officials say is a safer and clean alternative, in a parking lots several miles away. >> we are helping folks reduce their footprint and get into the lot. this was posted five days ago. folks have been aware of what is happening. we're just here to help assist with that. laura: even with the fencing, the security, and some services, the residents who have been living on the streets in berkeley tell us, that this location, a save par cannot, doesn't serve their needs. >> families who wanted to enter this parking lot are banned from doing so, and a lot of rvs are actually occupied by families. all the amenities we need to power our home will not be given to us.

>> i will agree to everything, provided everybody is on the same date, time frames, deadlines, and what can and can't be done. lauren: those who don't move out by the end of the day will be cited and potentially towed. if your staff collapses, that is our new. laura: in berkeley, laura anthony, abc 7 news. kristen: two schools will close for two days due to a flea infestation. they will be closed tomorrow and friday for deep cleaning. the district noticed the problem in mid-september and believes the infestation was caused by a nearby park and wooded area. the school is expected to reopen on monday. larry: more coming up, including san francisco's parking problems. what a i team investigation uncovered at some bay area parking garages, and where things stand right now. air quality and equality -- why

some people in the poorest neighborhoods are breathing the worst air, and a long-awaited apology from one bay area city. spencer: parts of the bay area are under a red flag warning 4-4 danger. a look at that, and an end of the week warm who doesn't like more? and i mean, like, a lot more.

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the same time. kristen: cars broken into in garages across the city, it ists i team has been invti majorit 'g garage is still remain without officers on-site. the limited staff working tell 18 reporter stephanie sierra they are overwhelmed, as the city faces a sharp spike in car blackberries. stephanie: it happens quick. and if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can even be dangerous. >> needles used to inject in themselves, they use that as a weapon. stephanie: this is jorge, a security officer describing stories of people trying to park in this garage. he said the facility earned that name after security, service contracts at half of the high-volume parking garages during the pandemic.

>> can be 10, 12, 14 homeless persons on different floors. stephanie: in his eight years working in this role, he says he has never seen as many homeless roaming the floors and breaking into cars, or threatening people as they return. >> we are seeing more people in the city now. stephanie: dead free and is director of compliance for marina security services, company that previously provided security at high-volume parking garages. the city cut most of their contracts. now the company only stashed three garages. >>. getting a lot of trespass seeing a lot of people more aggressive than they were before. stephanie: compared to the summer, is it worse now? >> oh, yeah. stephanie: nearly half of the robberies in vehicles occurred since june. >> glad to see the garage is getting ready for the holiday

season and staffing up again. stephanie: before the pandemic, at any time in the morning, day, or night, a security officer or two were present at the parking facilities, working 168 hours per he says since june, the company is only contracted to have one officer inside three facilities, 40 hours a week. that i team reached out to them for further comment. are there plans in place to reinstate security officers at the other remaining facilities? the agency saying, "vehicle break-ins and crime in city garages has been down. off duty police have been deployed, in addition to the already in place customer service representatives and security which we have recently >> that sounds very low, i don't see how that would be possible

especially with the garage is being so busy. stephanie: what do you think the number really is? >> it has got to be 400 or 500. with us not being there, i do know if some of it is not reported. stephanie: the city run agency said they have replaced people with technology, like new audible alarms over the summer. but jorge says, a camera can't do what he can. >> we see it. we hear it every day, every minute, every hour, it is different. stephanie: security officers are also noticing that some of these thieves are using rental cars, driving into the garage is to appear as if they are actually parking, but instead, circling the floors to target vehicles with belongings left inside. so, just another reason to lock up and leave the seat completely empty. kristen: there are so many reasons already. you pointed out that an the contracts were not terminated, but on hold saying they help to

reduce costs during the time when there were fewer customers using the garages. so is this new strategy actually saving money? stephanie: you know, it is a good point. we asked the agency how many customer service reps are resident at each of the city's 22 parking facilities each day and when the last time police officers were deployed to help, but we have yet to hear back. when we first aired this story, it was made clear that this was to cut costs, but marina security services tell as their only contractor to pay their officers, only few at this point, up to $22 an hour. and when off-duty police officers tell us they normally get $100 per hour for doing that type of work. so it is a valid question, is this saving money, and more importantly, how frequently are these garage is going to be staffed as we head into a busy holiday season? justin: stephanie sierra, thank you so much.

larry: the city of oakland will help recruit and retain teachers of color. the mayor hosted an event hailing a progress made by an organization that started last november. the program is now providing subsidized housing or housing stipend to some 18 teachers, allowing them to live in oakland. one of the participants is gustavo, who teaches math at oakland technical high school. >> i wouldn't be here without the support from trio. i have received financial support through subsidized housing. without it, i wouldn't be able to afford living in the bay area. larry: the program will soon be offering a new location to house oakland educators. in addition, treo received its first corporate donation. bank of america committing a multimillion dollar multiyear grant. kristen: after a long break due to covid first friday is back in oakland this week.

we spoke with the oakland mayor about the revival today. >> i am thrilled that first fridays are back, and i assure you that those organizers have worked so hard to make sure that this is a family-friendly event, it is safe, it is fun, and part of being safe is encouraging mask-wearing, even though it is not required outdoors. when you are in a credit situation, you should be wearing your masks. kristen: first fridays is in oakland along telegraph street, telegraph avenue between west grand and 27th street. spencer: i am spencer christian. as the week winds down, temperatures will be rising up. and have your forecast, coming up. larry: and check out this video. there is a dog. you can see the guy hanging onto the dog, dangling from the i'm morgan, and there's more to 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.

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larry: police canine training literally reached new heights today on the east bay. a canine on and helicopter drop. you can see the dark, all part of the rescue training. the exercise helps canines be used to being on a rescue helicopter, which is interesting. there are some humans that would be shrieking, and i would be one of them actually. [laughter] dangling from the chopper there. spencer: so what i.

kristen: i am shrieking a little bit because it is getting a little too warm for my taste. but i am sure people love it, spencer. spencer: and it will crank into high gear in the weekend, look at the pattern breaking us our current weather, you can see on the satellite radar image here, a rather brisk flow of wind from the north which is continuing to the warm-up -- contributing to the warm up especially in the higher elevations. it is drying up the hills and getting gusty especially in the north bay as a result. we have a red flag warning from 11:00 tonight to 11:00 tomorrow for the hills and mountains of the east bay, with a particular focus on the napa county and interior sections sonoma county. winds will be gusting 35 miles per hour or so, elevated humidity, dangerously low. right now the surface is brisk and breezy but not very gusty. it will get gustier in the

higher elevations going into the late-night and overnight hours. 24 hour temperature change shows the warm up has begun already but only minor since yesterday, most locations 1-2 degrees warmer than this time yesterday, with a couple of exceptions. a view of emeryville, a blue sky over the golden gate. 6060 degrees in san francisco. 79 in mountain view. morgan hill also 78. 63 at half moon bay. 81 in both novato and santa rosa. concorde, 82. livermore, 80 degrees. and the view from mount tam onto san francisco and ocean beach. here is our future, gusty winds through tomorrow. elevated fire danger in the north bay and we can expect much warmer days tomorrow through monday. good night as we look at the forecast animation, don't expect

any marine layer. there will be clear skies all across the bay area during the overnight hours and into tomorrow. we may see a bit of a marine layer beginning to build late tomorrow into the evening hours. so overnight under clear skies, windy conditions in the north bay hills. look for lows in the low to mid 50's, highs near 70 at the co 80's and upper 70's around the bay shoreline, up to 90 inland. there will be further warning friday and saturday. sunday, look for highs in the mid 90's, sharply cooler next tuesday and the cooling will continue into mid-week. larry: spencer, thank you this company will be paying homage to creator of star wars, george lucas. fans will be able to take home a six inch action figure of lucas

in stormtrooper armor with a detachable helmet. it is an honor of the 50th anniversary of lucasfilm. you have already sold out, by the way. disney, as you know, is the parent company of disney kristen: abc 7 ways to help farmers and reduce the risk of wildfires. how this company is making a difference. larry: and improving the environment can also

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announcer: building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. larry: abc 7 is committed to building a better bay area and as part of that, committing

diverse communities. this week we are watching "the equity report," a data tool that measures equity in five categories. air quality is always top of mind here in the bay area with the constant threat of wildfires, but it turns out there quality is a way of life all around for many of our communities. the equity report uncovered disturbing truths when it comes to how air quality can differ block by block, and who is breathing the rest of it. our race and culture reporter found people in west oakland have the worst of it. julian. jillian: larry, that's exactly right. the numbers uncovered in the report paint pictures of inequality when it comes to differences in the quality of the air we breathe it really can differ block by block. people of color because less pollution yet they are exposed to more of it, and our children are suffering the consequences. >> the pollution level in west

oakland in the 50 years has really devastated this community. julian: 575 years old, miss gordon, a longtime oakland resident, would know. she has led the fight to clean up her area for decades, all starting with questions. >> why was this on my block? why are we reading this? julian: and concerns. >> two grandchildren who are asthmatic, and right now, it is under control, but i don't ever want to go back to that. julian: nearby martin luther king jr. elementary in west oakland, parents also concerned about their kids' health. >> a little bit of asthma and a bit of coughing, shortness of breath when he is running around. julian:. julian: kids younger than five in west oakland are 1.5 times more likely to be sent to the er with severe asthma than other parts of alameda county, according to public health data,

but why? >> america is segregated, and so is pollution. julian: known as the father of environmental justice for his groundbreaking work dr. bloods says it is an issue of environmental structural racism. >> you tell me your zip code and i can tell you how healthy you are. you can find a zip codes adjacent to each other and find a life expenses the torrential of 10 to 15 years. julian: in west oakland, it is 5.5 years lower than other areas. all you have to do is take a trip on two east bay freeways to see why. let's start with a80. with big rig trucks carrying goods, directx the tracks through the flat land where the exit in west oakland near 7th street, and neighborhood that is stack up install as they makeks. their way to and from the port of oakland, one of the 10 busiest container ports in the

country. diesel particulate matter from the heavy duty traffic is associated with the most half of the cancer risk on only commuter traffic allowed. trucks have been banned dating back to 1950 one, before 580 was even in interstate. trucks heavier than five tons are prohibited on 580 by state law for nearly nine miles. the highway snakes through the east bay hills, home to healthier and white residents with longer life expectancy. >> the neighborhoods on 580 experience substantially less pollution from trucks. that trump has led to a disbursement of pollution into communities of color. julian: according to analysis from our abc 7 data team residents living within 10 miles of interstate 880, have

twice the average cancer risk than those living close to 580, where trucks are banned. dr. adrian jacobs has been caring for patients at this hospital for the last 26. he sees the impacts firsthand. >> it is very, very hard to bear, because there is so much we can do. the number of children going to the er and being newly diagnosed with asthma has gone up. it has gone up. and the question becomes, why? julian: so many people are asking that question. larry something i found especially interesting when working on this story is that tracks being banned on 580, it is actually the only interstate in california that has such a truck ban in place. many are asking if this is

time to change that. larry: we have other industries operating in oakland. are they working on solutions to help cut down on pollution? julian: they are, and they know they have to be a major player in fixing this problem. we have spoken to the port of oakland. we also hear from a san francisco company that is literally mapping out differences in air pollution block by block, so it can be determined which areas need greater i want to point out, this is just a snippet of the 10 minute long report we have been working on on this issue. you can watch the full story streaming right now on the abc 7 news area app, and also on our website. for now, reporting live, julian glover, abc 7 news. larry: thank you. grab your phone right now, we will be tracking this with the equity report. you can see that on our website, where grab your phone and scan the qr code on your screen right

now. there you can find specific data for the 100 largest cities in america. kristen: today san jose is apologizing for its role in discrimination against chinese immigrants. >> the past is not dead, it is not even past. and yes, there have been public pronouncements, but it is really for every generation to reckon with the darkest corners of our collective history. kristen: dating back to the mid-1800s, a number of policies were in place that discriminated against chinese immigrants, that included making it illegal for them to own property. in 1887, san jose's chinatown was destroyed in art arson attack. san jose is the largest city in the country to pass a resolution apologizing to chinese residents and their

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what makes new salonpas arthritis gel so good for arthritis pain? take control of your sight. salonpas contains the most prescribed topical pain relief ingredient. it's clinically proven, reduces inflammation and comes in original prescription strength. salonpas. it's good medicine. stan: so, senator dianne feinstein taking a bold step ahead of the upcoming holidays. today she introduced a bill that will require all passengers on flights to show vaccination proof or proof that they have fully recovered from covid-19, or a negative test. in a tweet, she said "we can't allow holiday travel to

contribute to another surge in covid cases." spencer, you fly a lot. spencer: i do, and i support the mandate of proving vaccination before you board a flight. i want people to be safe and i want everyone to be concerned about the people around them as well. get vaccinated before you kristen: drew, it is similar to hawaii, where in negative test also works. and she acknowledges natural immunity too if you drew: you can still fly, you just have to prove you are negative. we are at the point, 18 months into this thing, where we have to protect people. it is becoming a public health issue, where the majority of people in hospitals. are unvaccinated. of course, the holiday is a huge time to travel and mingling indoors because the weather is colder, so i am all for this, i think it is a good thing. larry: i agree, it is fair and sensible, which is why it has no chance of passing.

drew: exactly, it is never going to pass. [laughter] during the pandemic, many starbucks stores were forced to shut down their places. now they will open 300 pickup only stores within the next 18 months. the new store is on drum street in the financial district. no seating available inside. you will need to download the app or order at pickup-only locations. i am surprised this was not a thing many years ago. because, it is so convenient. if you can find the right location, i think that is the challenging part for starbucks because they are in a lot of downtown areas so it makes it for vehicle traffic. drew, you seem like a starbucks guy. drew: i think pre-covid, starbucks wanted their stores to be a place where you would stay in anger and work there, but this has turned their

business model upside down and they noticed that during covid, their product was still wanted. they realized, maybe we don't need a huge space, we can just have a corner shop here and there were people can just walk up. i think this is a great idea. spencer: ditto what he kristen: now to a new york times review that absolutely obliterates one of the most heralded restaurants in the world. 11 madison park holds three michelin stars and seven james beard awards. in june, it switched to a nearly all-vegan menu, prompting a new review from critic peter wells. he was not impressed. he said one dish tastes like lemon pledge and smells like a burning joint. he also wrote that some vegetables were forced to do so much work impersonating meet that you almost feel sorry for them -- impersonating meat that

you almost feel sorry for them. [laughter] spencer: i have not been there, but now i am kind of curious, i want to go and see if it is really that bad. [laughter] kristen: lemon pledge. [laughter] drew: has the author ever eaten lemon pledge? larry: he smelled it! hey-oh! firstof all , this was very entertaining. but also, they said that if you select a private room for your party, you can still get meant. and people were, like, and no, just because you have money you can still afford to get why would you still serve it to people willing to pay more? spencer: you kind of need to have money to go t to that restaurant in the first place. larry: the jetsons have become

reality. meet astro, the size of a small dog. he can do things like set up routines and reminders or just follow you around and play music or movies on its screen. i really hope he does not give sports scores [laughter] don't laugh, spencer, if he does the weather, you're out too. [laughter] knew then he is not cheap, he costs $1000. he is kind of cute, one of new products released this week by amazon. who wants a little astro? drew just said no. drew: they catch you by being so cute and in a month, they will have all your data. [laughter] hey, at 5:00 p.m., he likes to go to the kitchen and -- they don't know what i like to eat at 5:00 p.m.. larry: i bet you they do. [laughter] kristen: they look like a tripping hazard to me. spencer: i hadn't thought of

that, you are right. kristen: i could be creeped out. but why not. spencer: he is adorable. kristen: you try cuddling up to it. larry: i didn't say i wanted to hug it. [laughter] i just said he looks cute. drew: i will spend money to take a picture of larry hugging it. larry: it could go viral, drew. [laughter] doing it for the gram right after the show. th let me get this straight. you've got an a.i. strategy to deliver a better customer experience, that will help us retain our customers and even grow our business? how much is this going to cost? here's the figure. 59. 59 million? no, five9. as in five9 intelligent cloud contact center. they won't just power our transformation.

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kristen: climate change is one of is issues abc 7 is focusing on as part of our efforts to build a better area. larry: we have a look at how a product that usually goes to f spencer.lping, from farming spencer: there is growing interest in using a substance that normally goes to waste to help fight climate change, and from california to washington state, you could see the benefit soon for everything from fighting wildfires to fighting climate. you could say he is fighting fire with fire. in a special control unit, he and his team at uc merced are turning wasted agricultural byproducts into a substance known as biochar. >> you can get it from waste from trees, agricultural waste, pistachio shells, things like spencer: first, it helps to understand that the material is charged and heated into a course material containing a high

concentration of carbon. researchers believe it could become a weapon against climate change, doing everything from helping to protect forestland from fire, to sequestering harmful greenhouse gases underground. >> in that case, you can actually store this material and put it, say, back in the soil. >> and you could see a huge difference in methane emissions resulting from just a small addition of biochar to these piles. spencer: she has been studying the potential effect of mixing biochar with my new or used as fertilizer, a major source of the greenhouse gas methane. >> methane from manure is a big deal. in california, it accounts for 25% of all our methane emissions across the whole state. spencer: she says early results over the show reductions in methane levels. during the composting process. as promising as biochar may be

in california a different group is looking for another benefit to help prevent devastating wildfires. >> we can walk out on our driveway and show you the burned trees from five different fires. i mean, it is everywhere. spencer: tom and gina live in this valley a mecca for hikers and skiers and lately, a victim of the destructive wildfires that swept the pacific northwest. but the couple is working on the way to thin the fuel from those forests, with a pilot project recently profiled by our partners at the digital nonprofit newsroom investigate west. essentially turning small or unhealthy trees into biochar. >> it is absolutely critical that we make our communities and our homes safer by doing, reducing these fuel levels. spencer: they began converting local ponderosa pine and douglas for using a paralyzed or provided by uc merced.

with a grant from washington state, they are hoping to create a business and eventually a processing plant. but they say the effort is about more than money. >> i would like people to understand that it is our ecosystems that keep this granite habitable, and if we let them collapse, which is what is going on with our forests, we can't stabilize the climate, regardless if we bring our carbon emissions down to nothing. spencer: back at uc merced, researchers have now begun recruiting local growers to study the use of biochar in orchards and farms, where it can help plants: carbon out of the air during growth cycles, helping to create a powerful, playmate-friendly movement that will keep growing as well. while biochar biochar climate-friendly uses for biochar are evolving, there is a lot of history, indigenous

people have used it for centuries for various purposes, including for agriculture. larry: very interesting. alright, last week they were live. kristen: now

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started the new season with a live episode. what's next? for one of the kids, how about going to college? here is a preview. >> my first day in school after 29 years. nice if they had that kind of support. >> [shouting] >> surprise! >> seriously? >> yeah you overcame, drinking and you are starting college at 46 years old. >> she went to rehab and had some intense breakthroughs in rehab, and, you know, is in a different place and has decided she wants to go back to school in her 40's. >> and it looks like her tv dad is getting married again in his 60's. her tv brother hints that it may be a wedding to remember. >> weddings bring out the best and the worst in people because it is pressure-packed and families are coming together, and it makes you reevaluate family and your history. >> we are relatable, and we tell

it like it is, and we also have a lot of fun. and, you know, we are just very intriguing individuals. >> muzzle tov! [laughter] >> you know, jewish rehab. [laughter] we can > also say congratulations to michael fishman. he directed last year's halloween episode and it scared up more work for him behind the scenes. >> it is a beautiful gift. i earned my stripes, so to speak and now i am full-fledged and running. >> great news for him. in los angeles, george penacchio, abc 7 news. larry:. larry: you can catch all new episodes of "the connors" tonight at 9:00 p.m.. also a reminder, you can get our live newscasts, breaking news, weather and more with our abc 7 area on apple tv amazon fire tv,

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>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> one step forward, another step back as one local county lifts its indoor mask california senator proposes new restrictions for covid safety in the skies. thank you for joining us, i'm dan ashley. >> you're watching abc 7 news at 5:00 on abc 7, who live, and wherever you stream. we are tracking covid safety and its impact on your health as part of our commitment to building a better bay santacotye indoor mask mandate.