>> it's getting ugly. all the lines are down. there's gaps in all the neighborhoods. kumasi: a snow emergency in the sierra. record snowfall. thousands of people are without power or gas in the coming days. a travel warning this morning. jobina: good morning, everybody. it is thursday, december 30. we were watching abc seven mornings live. we are going to start with a look at forecast with meteorologist lisa argen. lisa: i don't know about all of you, but that reminds me of the blizzard of 1977, from the midwest of the northeast. it was something. we could not get doug out for week -- bug ou -- get dug for weeks. traveling there is not going to be advised. the rain yesterday in southern

california. back home, we have partly cloudy skies and a look at the golden gate bridge, where things are moving slowly. 43 in the city as well as morgan hill. upper 30's in santa rosa. it is a chillier start. we have sun to enjoy. we will let you know how long the dry conditions last in a few minutes. kumasi: right now, that record-breaking snow is making for major problems in the sierra. the main highways have reopened. it is still a treacherous journey to get back to the bay area. if you don't have traction control, you are not going to get far in pollock pines. these visitors parked at a gas station and have been digging out for three days. >> we definitely got buried. it was a big winter storm. we did not expect it. kumasi: my goodness. local officials are urging everyone to stay away from the sierra unless it is central to your travel. road crews and emergency responders have been working

around-the-clock to clear the roadways and to restore power, but locals are finding it hard to get gas to fuel their generators. >> we are out of gas. we drove three miles out yesterday, to the other gas station, and they were shut down. kumasi: tens of thousands of people are still without heat, and cannot cook as snow piles up. the biggest challenge for pgn the biggest challenge for pg&e crews is getting access to the roads. >> there is the tree across the road, but then there is snow and you have to get the road plowed. kumasi: for many in colfax, power has been shut down since sunday. the best estimate from pg&e or restoring power in the upper sierra -- get this, january 2. jobina: not pandemic. the u.s. has just shattered its daily case record, averaging 277 thousand infections per day. it is in large part do to the

surgeon omicron cases, but also a soaring demand for tests and backlogs fueled by christmas weekend. the u.s. reported more than 1.9 million cases. that averages out to be roughly three americans testing positive every second. kumasi: here in california, the test positivity rate is in the double digits, at 11.2%. for christmas, it was about 5%. week of thanksgiving, it hovered around 2%. those numbers are forcing bay area counties to make changes to where you have to wear your mask inside again. amy hollyfield joining us live with what you need to know. amy: there is a lot of frustration with this one, especially in the community. gyms must require that everyone wear masks. this comes just as gyms were hoping for a boost and people wanting to join because of those new year's resolutions to get

fit. this is going to be quite a blow for them. it starts today. everyone has to wear masks. some counties had a mask requirement removed, but with rising cases, it is back in place. a quarter of gym members do not like to work out while wearing masks. while officials understand the frustration, they feel we must do this to try to flatten the curve again. >> as was experienced in other cases, the omicron surge had a total quickly. we would be equally responsive in terms of removing any variance in restri in re policies. amy: offices in some counties have been allowed to go mask free if they are all vaccinated, but people will have to put masks back on. health officials say the masks

are a critical layer as they weather the winter storm. this does apply to everyone, even the vaccinated. reporting live, amy hollyfield. jobina: while omicron is rising fast in the bay area, there are reasons to remain hopeful. the top ucf dr. said there are positive trends peeking out. he says we could both be in good, maybe even great shape in six to eight weeks, by early february. it could be more like the flu, with the majority of the u.s. protected by vaccines or antibodies. he said vaccines are preventing hospitalizations, and key treatments like oral antiviral pills are a great help. kumasi: many of us will have to embrace a new way of ringing and the new year in the midst of this covert case surge. the people we spoke with in the bay area are passing on parties, large get-togethers, and big celebrations.

county officials are recommending keeping gatherings of small and short. they also suggest wearing well fitted or surgical masks. they believe in testing before the event. >> we have seen case rates spike after every holiday in the last two years. this variant, we have not seen this type of transmission. kumasi: officials say holiday gatherings account for 40% of new covid cases with a noon -- known source of infection. jobina: new year's eve performances canceled at their san francisco through the end of the year. a breakthrough covid case was detected among the theater group. san francisco canceled its new year's eve fireworks show because of a surge in cases. kumasi: starting february 1, san francisco will require people to show proof of roosters to attend indoor mega-events which are a

thousand people or more. zuni cafe in hayes in hayes in a started its mandate yesterday. this will apply to people who are eligible to get a booster. everyone else has to show proof of original vaccination. the restaurant chef says he is not worried about losing business. >> i'm afraid covid-19 will take business away from us. this is what customers expect us to do. >> it seems like a good way to keep people safe. i'm glad that i got my booster. kumasi: guests guests guests gus outdoors, regardless of vaccination status. jobina: a brand-new study from johnson and johnson on the effectiveness of its vaccine against omicron. two doses were against hospitalization for omicron. a second study found a j&j vaccine work as well is a booster for those with an original pfizer vaccine.

if you have questions, you can ask our vaccine team. you can click on the big blue box. kumasi: another call later today between president biden and vladimir putin, but they won't be swapping stories. jobina: plus, the tiger attack at a florida zoo.

nespresso vertuo. redifining coffee. with one touch. precision brewing technology. a smooth crema. for an exceptional coffee every day. nespresso vertuo. what coffee is meant to be. ♪ don't worry mom, we'll be there soon. "we?!" is this "the one". well... let's say i found the one who takes me to another level... always stays calm under pressure. most importantly, the one that helps me discover the coolest places. this sounds wonderful... come outside, i'll introduce you! they're here. ♪ definitely "the one". ha... ha... introducing the all-new 2022 nissan frontier. ♪

jobina: the department of water resources going -- is going to conduct its first snow survey in the town of phillips, north of lake tahoe. it will measure sierra snowpack compared to where it should be at this time of year. it is a key indicator for our

water supply, especially during our ongoing severe drought. do you know what that might be like? lisa: it is going to be certainly welcome, because it is well above what it should be this time of year. we have shattered so many december records that i think we will be reporting this over and over. hoping that january can bring us some good totals as well. we are looking at january rain and snow headed our way. forecast models, the latest ones are scaled-back a little bit. we will look at live doppler right now. no rain to speak of today. temperatures dropping off after the morning hours. in the low 40's for you. the temperatures are dropping through the 40's as well. five to six degrees cooler out there and we are going to enjoy some sunshine. the temperatures will rebound into the 50's. friday, overnight lows will be

in the 20's. it is going to be cool. we are tracking sunday to have another system arrive. this will be the one that could bring us a couple days of pretty wet weather. this takes you through monday. look at how high the storm trend is. we will hopefully get some of these numbers further south into the bay area. sue: weeee morning look at traffic. it is a little bit lighter because there is no rain out there. but we do have a couple of issues. you can see gaps, traffic moving lightly across 80 into the berkeley curve. here is what it looks like at the bay bridge toll plaza. no metering lights here. traffic is light in this area. we have an accident westbound near treasure island. that may be slowing things. otherwise, a couple of problem spots. our biggest backup is in

oakland, north 880, with the left lane getting by in the accident blocking partial lanes here. we will keep following this when we come back in a few minutes. kumasi: you have probably heard "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." jobina: what about when life gives you a snowstorm? make margaritas? that is what a man in seattle did after a round of heavy snow. cody peterson says he ran out of ice. i don't know about that. he took advantage of the fluffy white stuff to make himself a frozen margarita with a winter twist. he is in luck. more snow is headed to seattle today. i'm just trying to see here -- is he putting the snow in the cup? kumasi: it looks like the snow is in the cup and then he put that mix. i mean, is snow looks clean, but -- jobina: is that healthy?

kumasi: i don't know about that. jobina: i don't think so. it is giving me frozen. kumasi: i guess you really want a margarita. tesla frustrations. one driver is upset and turned to youtubers for an explosive experiment. jobina: adding language to your life. one activity to boost language skills. kumasi: and another scary dog kidnapping, caught on camera.

- [announcer] the more we learn about covid-19 the more questions and worries we have. calhope can help with free covid-19 emotional support. calhope can help with free covid-19 emotional support. cal say hello to 2022 ive chat a with xfinity today. and you'll get fast and reliable internet for only nineteen ninety-nine a month for twelve months. plus, you can get twelve times the speed for the same price when you add xfinity mobile.

you'll save hundreds over at&t. say hello to kicking off the year with this amazing offer. and with xfinity mobile, you can get a 5g phone on us and three hundred dollars back during our xfinity hello twenty twenty-two sales event! click, call or visit a store today! - [narrator] if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673 or live chat at calhope.org today. kumasi: in naples, florida, is due is closed after a tiger attacked a worker. a member of a third-party cleaning service climbed the fence and got into an unauthorized area. this person put his arm into an enclosure to pet or feed this tiger, and the tiger latched on.

when dead, the animal the man's arm in his mouth. the worker who was involved had to be airlifted to the hospital. jobina: the body of archbishop desmond tutu will lie in state today and tomorrow before his funeral on new year's day. lying in state was initially scheduled to last one day, but has been extended to accommodate mourners. the coffin carrying the anti-apartheid icon arrived at his former parish. attendance will be capped at 100 due to covid-19 restrictions. he died last weekend at the age of 90. kumasi: president biden and vladimir putin will hold a second call amid heightened concerns that russia is planning a full-scale invasion of ukraine. according to biden administration officials, it was putin who requested the call.

there are bilateral between the u.s. and russia. the u.s. is preparing harsh sanctions on russia if it announces an invasion of ukraine. an outraged tesla got rid of his used model as with a bang. jobina: replace the car battery for more than $22,000. instead of selling it or calling a tow truck, he turned to youtubers known for blowing things up on camera. the outraged driver let the youtubers rig up his car with 66 pounds of dynamite. the driver got out to push the button. the video has racked up 5 million views. there it goes. tesla has not commented. i just -- kumasi: i mean -- jobina: bothered. kumasi: ok, sir. new at 6:00, if you are looking for a new year's resolution, how

about picking up a book from the fiction section? the more people read books for fun, the better their language skills are likely to be. the language test compared readers of fiction books to readers of nonfiction. they found people who read for pure enjoyment scored higher on the test. i could see that. you were really engaged, you know? it is not like "ok, i'm learning." you are just engaged and having fun. jobina: you had a book that i borrowed. you are like, where is my book? kumasi: you enjoyed it, didn't you? jobina: have you read it yet? lisa: you definitely have to decompress and do something, for sure. today, it may be a nice day to hang out, get some vitamin d, and do a little reading. no green on the screen here. not looking at any

precipitation. as we look at the golden, low 40's. it is chilly out there. we expect an even colder air mass to arrive as we get toward the holiday weekend. overnight, it is four to six degrees colder than yesterday. as we look to the rest of the day today, maybe a few high clouds around, taking you through friday. another system cues up and wants to provide a return to the wet and windy weather of the last few days. tonight dropping off into the 30's. it is going to be cold. as we get into your saturday, upper 20's. the coldest time should be about 5:00, 6:00 saturday morning, as you will all be in your beds. milder afternoons and mornings beyond the weekend. 53 in oakland. 52 in fremont. we had all those 40's yesterday.

planning a new year's eve outside? we will have cool conditions, but no rain. we start out with mid-50's. low 50's by the afternoon. overnight, we will see a lot of stars, and you will certainly need the jackets. the seven day forecast, clear and cold the next few mornings. a level two system. jobina: rob marciano is live with a look at what is coming up on gma. rob: good great to be with you on this thursday, the day before new year's eve. we have lots coming up. elaine maxwell -- ghislaine maxwell found guilty. she could spend 60 years in prison. one of maxwell's victims is going to join us live. also ahead, the record-breaking number of covid cases, now averaging 270 7000 cases a day.

w.h.o. warning of a tsunami of new cases worldwide. we talked to education secretary miguel cardona about kids and covid. is it safe for them to be back in the classroom after the winter break? we are counting down to 2022, with none other than ryan seacrest. he is joining us live with all the details of the biggest celebration in the world, new year's rock and eve. that is tonight as we say goodbye to 2021. you guys looking forward to the new year? jobina: absolutely. we need everything new. kumasi: we do, but you know what? after i was so excited about these last two, i'm going to ease my way in here. whatever comes. i don't want to get too excited. jobina: i like that attitude. let's wring it out right.

jobina: we have startling surveillance video showing a west hollywood man's encounters with a dog neighbors -- with doug -- dognappers beloved bulldog. thieves grabbed his pet, eight-year-old luca, and drove off with the dog. the victim says he tried stopping the bognap -- dognapping, but was badly hurt in the process. he is out of the hospital but determined to find his dog. >> he slammed the door. they sped away and dragged me with them almost 200 feet down a gravel road. jobina: french bulldog thefts are rising. the dogs are worth about $5,000 each. we have seen these dognappings around the state, including in the bay area. it is terrible. kumasi: jada pinkett smith says

she has made peace with her hair loss journey. the actress with alopecia posted on social media. in an episode of her facebook watch a show. she is embracing it. jada: at this point, i can only laugh. alopecia? going to put some rhinestones in their and make me a little crown. that's what mama is going to do. kumasi: alopecia occurs in 12% of women by the age of 30, and 30% to 40% of women between the ages of 60 and 69. her loss can be due to hormones, stress, or an autumn -- autoimmune condition. i saw her at the matrix premiere. she looked good. is this just what you want to do, because this here is fierce.

i did not know it was part of her journey. jobina: i did see the red table talk interview she did. i love that she is embracing it. her daughter, willow, does not have alopecia, and just decided, i'm going to shave. they all did bald together, and they all have face. kumasi: it looks so good. coming up, new at-home tests that could be hitting stores soon. i hope to help unclog the testing shortage. jobina: could it be? radioshack coming back. the company is rising from the dead, but returning in a new, modern way. kumasi: saving your scraps. a new law you want to know about. where you can toss your food waste. what one area city wants you to do. jobina: a live l

a must in your medicine cabinet! less sick days! cold coming on? zicam is the #1 cold shortening brand! highly recommend it! zifans love zicam's unique zinc formula. it shortens colds! zicam. zinc that cold!

>> building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. jobina: top stories at 6:30 -- new year, same mask. the indoor rules kicking in while you were asleep, a full mask mandate, no matter where you are. kumasi: ghislaine maxwell found guilty, convicted on every count but one. her team is fighting back this morning. jobina: first, let's look live outside from our gorgeous exploratorium camera. all those buildings lit up. san francisco drying off from the rain, but clear skies are not going to say long -- stay long. kumasi: it is thursday, december 30, and you are watching abc 7 mornings. we want to start with a check of our forecast with lisa.

lisa: they have moved on for the short term, and as a result we are going to get into some cold nights the next several nights. the rain is in southern california. back home, good visibility and patchy fog. golden gate bridge temperatures in the low 40's. grab the jacket. upper 30's, santa rosa. 40's by 9:00. sunshine by noontime. low 50's arriving by 2:00. by 7:00, it is in the 40's. it will get chilly tonight. we will talk about what we can expect with drier and colder air into the new year. jobina: the full indoor mask mandates are back in effect. kumasi: no matter where you are in the bay area, the rule is now the same. a drastic spike in covid case --

we are all back to requiring masks in any indoor space. the place is not listed here already had that rule in place. jobina: amy hollyfield is looking at who this might be impacting the most. amy: i have been looking at comments online this morning. the reaction is strong both for and against this mandate, with some understanding of why it needs to be put in place. many others feeling frustrated that we are here again. lots of questions about is this necessary. here is a look at what it looks like this morning. people in masks again at the 24 hour fitness. a lot of the frustration is coming from jim owners. about a quarter of the members do not like to work out in masks. this is also the most important time of year, when people make new year's resolutions to get fit, and maybe join a gym >> we need this after two years

of being is impacted as we have been. masks lower the risk, but what really minimizes the risk is maintaining good health. amy: county medical health officials say they understand the frustration. they say masks are a good layer of protection. we need to put them on during the winter surge. they say they hope the surge will not last long and we can lift the restrictions. this applies to all indoor cases, so offices and places of work. it applies to everyone, even the fully vaccinated. reporting live, amy hollyfield. jobina: new guidance from san francisco. the city will soon require boosters for health care workers and anyone attending a main event. it would take effect in health care and other settings. it is similar to enacted rules in contra costa, sonoma, and santa clara counties. a booster shot will also be

required for any indoor mega event, which is an event that has more than a thousand people. shortly after the announcement, chase center said that starting february 1, full vaccination will be required for entry into chase center, including a booster for those who are eligible, and those under 12 years old must show proof of vaccination or a negative test. kumasi: the san francisco city health department reaffirmed support for in person school learning this by the highly contagious omicron variant. officials say multiple airs of health and safety protocols have schools open, and they are urging everyone to continue to follow the recommendations. jobina: new at-home tests could soon be in stores after the fda approved additional brands, but there are questions about how effective the tests are

the sensitivity is somewhat diminished with antigen tests, they are still a useful tool for broad surveillance. dr. george rutherford says antigen tests are reliable, with no variant to variant variability. dr. rutherford: the tricky part is timing. omicron may have a shorter incubation period than the prior variance -- variants, and that is a reason the isolation period has shrunk down. jobina: the fda says studies are underway to understand why the omicron variant might impact rapid tests. if you have questions about how to find a testing site near you, we have a full list available on our website. kumasi: developing news this morning. the defense team for ghislaine maxwell is going to appeal her conviction. the close friend of jeffrey

epstein is waiting for what could be a decades long sentence. a jury found her guilty on all counts of sex trafficking except for one. mona: prosecutors are calling it a great day for justice after a jury found ghislaine maxwell guilty on five charges, including the sex trafficking of minors. maxwell showed no reaction when the verdict was read. she was walked out of the courtroom. she now faces up to 65 years behind bars. >> a unanimous jury has found ghislaine maxwell guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable -- facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children, crimes that she committed with her longtime partner and co-conspirator, jeffrey epstein. mona: it is a stunning fall from grace for the british socialite who once rubbed elbows with royalty. the one time companion of disgraced financier jeffrey epstein was described by

prosecutors as his partner in crime, the government accusing her of being a serial predator who helped epstein sexually abuse underage girls, arguing she learned young girls to epstein's home, and invited them to give him explicit massages, and ending the details right down to the lotion and oils. at the heart of the prosecution's case, accusers who say they were recruited and groomed by maxwell when they were teenagers. one accuser only known by her first name, carolyn, saying satisfaction in the conviction is tempered by knowledge the other co-conspirators have yet to be held responsible for their involvement in this extraordinary criminal enterprise. maxwell's defense claiming she was being used as a scapegoat, questioning accusers' emery's and claiming they were motivated by murder. maxwell's family releasing a statement overnight saying we believe firmly in our sister's innocence. mona because of abdi, new york.

jobina: in sfo, we are still hearing of major flight cancellations nationwide, all because of staffing problems on airlines caused by the covid surge and disruptive winter weather across the u.s. 35 flights have already been canceled at sfo today, must operated by united and united express. nine flights have been canceled at san jose report. jetblue airways has taken the unprecedented move of canceling more than 1200 flights through mid-january. the new york-based carrier says it expects covid staffing problems to worsen, going into the new year. and alaska airlines is asking flyers to delay their travel into after the new year. the seattle-based carrier is been hit especially hard because of heavy snow and its main hub in seattle-tacoma. these are the backlogs of unclaimed bags at seatac airport.

all over the place. this is because of extensive delays and cancellations. one in four alaska flights there have already been canceled today. oakland airport -- this is a more positive story -- will receive federal grant money for several improvement projects. the airport is getting a chunk of money from the recently passed infrastructure law. there are updated restrooms that will account for gender inclusiveness, upgraded heating and air conditioning, and other security improvements as well. kumasi: bart announced it will run trains tomorrow night for new year's eve. if you are in downtown san francisco, the last eastbound train will leave at about 1:30 in the morning. officials say they want to help people get around to celebrate, and help workers get to and from work. parking will be free at bart lots after 3:00 p.m. tomorrow. jobina: buried under the snow in

palisades tahoe, all caught on camera. this gear -- the skier's jumped in to save them. kumasi: another update on markets coming next. jobina: pesky targeted ads online. you have seen it before. searching for one side, hoping to another site, and seeing the same product. the action now being taken to have less of it. lisa: yesterday's rain from san francisco down to monterey, the central coast picked up anywhere from a quarter to a third of an inch. it just wanted to hang out all through the afternoon, with the low-level drizzle keeping the rest of the bay area dampen cold. san rafael, it is 43 in the city, 42 in oakland. 46 in half moon bay. from san francisco, we can see how clear it is.

for 30's, santa rosa and napa. the drmorning lows to drop considerably in the next few days. this morning, we are five to seven degrees cooler than we were yesterday with all the cloud cover. get set for a brighter day today. colder nights are on the way. widespread frost will be with us friday morning into saturday. that should be our coldest time. looking for a dry new year's eve? the holiday weekend looks good. monday, looking at the weather still to stay to the north of us. we have about a four-day day stretch where temperatures will be a little bit shy of seasonal averages, but at least up out of those 40's. it should feel a little bit better today. 53 in oakland as well as san jose and santa rosa. as we look at your new year's eve forecast, bundle up. 50's in the afternoon, 30's in the evening. i midnight, we are into the mid-30's. the seven day forecast, we are

dry today and tomorrow. colder nights. wilder afternoon through sunday. monday, we could see some rain. the verdict is still not out as to how intense, so check back with that. sue: ita lot of folks, and traffic, because the weather has finally cleared -- get all the green. it is pretty light out there. we had a couple of trouble spots. we had an earlier accident on 880 near the 980 junction. traffic has recovered very nicely from that. you can see the backup is virtually gone. we have an accident over the waldo, approaching the robin williams tunnel. it is an overturn, blocking lanes there. expect slow traffic from marin city. and an accident reported at 17 near idlewild, blocking lanes.

say hello to 2022 with xfinity and you'll get fast and reliable internet for only nineteen ninety-nine a month for twelve months. plus, you can get twelve times the speed for the same price when you add xfinity mobile. that's more speed and more value. say hello to kicking off the year with this amazing offer. and with xfinity mobile, you can get a 5g phone on us and three hundred dollars back during our xfinity hello twenty twenty-two sales event! click, call or visit a store today!

jobina: the marriage between arnold schwarzenegger and maria shriver filed for a divorce in n 2011 after schwarzenegger revealed he had fathered a child with a member of their household staff years earlier. it is not clear why the process took so long. financial details of the settlement were kept confidential. schwarzenegger and shriver had been married since 1986. now to changes in internet advertising. we have all experienced looking at one product on a certain website, and going to another website and seeing the same thing. it is called targeting in the advertising industry. we may start to see less of it. we will see about that. here is a reporter with more. >> most of us are familiar with those annoying pop-up notices on a website asking us to accept cookies to continue navigating the site. >> a cookie is a little text

file that websites put in your web browser, and they can tell where you have been online. >> cookies can be a good thing, like when they save your password so you can log in, or keep track of what is in your virtual shopping cart. these are known as first party cookies. that there are major privacy concerns with what is called third-party cookies. >> it is what allows companies to monetize their websites by showing targeted ads or selling information about you. it can ultimately pay for the content we like, what it also ends up spreading your information all over the internet, from places you have no idea where it is going. >> with consumers and regulators getting more concerned about privacy, companies are starting to eliminate third-party cookies, which means fewer instances of online behavior being tracked and shared across multiple sites. to make up for the losses and add income, some companies may start requiring payment to view

their websites. >> whether that is used -- worth the privacy payoff is a question, but it could happen over the long-term. >> even though eliminating third-party advertising means or data passes through fewer hands, it is important to know that companies will be using those first party cookies to collect your data. if you want to better protect your privacy now? >> you can switch to a browser like where fox or one called brave, or even using safari. those all have tools built in to protect your privacy. >> you can also subscribe to a vpn service or download an ad blocker browser extension. kumasi: now for your morning money report. in 2020 two, investors seem to be optimistic about coronavirus and the omicron variant, and expect the economy to continue to recover. the s&p 500 and dow jones set new records. the dow jones picked up by 0.2%

for a sixth straight game. some huge gains for victoria's secret on the stock market. the company reported strong holiday sales and plans to buy back $250 million of its own stock. the company has been working to change its image, it using fewer ads featuring supermodels, and featuring women with diverse body shapes. they are selling maternity wear as well as bringing back bathing suits. the new york stock exchange trade is underway. up about 125 points. jobina: new at 6:00, dare i say radioshack is back? it will not be selling electronics like we all remember. the new company is bouncing back as a cryptocurrency business. the nets mccain on radioshack's twitter's page, it apparently is active again. a miami venture group hopes to

use the iconic brand to draw attention to its new crypto enterprise. two years later, all of its stores closed. kumasi: it appears there is an end to olive garden's pasta bowl. they said business is so good at the chain restaurant, they do not need to do the promotion anymore. this is a pretty good deal. it gave customers a chance to eat unlimited servings of pasta for under $11. there are nearly 900 olive garden restaurants across the country. jobina: talk about a deal. many people in the bay area have been composting for years. everyone in the bay area must start separating food scraps. the city of sunnyvale has taken this one step further, turning scraps into eco-friendly products. 900 tons of garbage comes into the recycling center on a daily

basis. 18% that's diverted from going to a landfill because of a food scraps program started in 2015. extra residents lacing leftovers, trimming from fruit and vegetables, and other food waste in a separate container, all of it will be transformed into eco-friendly products. >> at the smart station, the ste dehydrated, pasteurize it, and make it into usda-approved animal feed. and also fertilizer. we are also able to make the fats into biofuel. jobina: that looks pretty cool. not only is this good for the environment -- it helps save on garbage bills. kumasi: hi, l hi, l hi, l hi, ll hey, hey. jobina: how are you this morning? lisa: doing good. i was thinking about how all the snow in the sierra -- how people are going to try to manage that.

the next couple of days are going to be dry, and folks are going to want to get out there. what you are going to need to know is this snow is going to refreeze on some of the roadways. they have cleared as much as they can. it looks like snow toboggan trails on some of 80 and 50. that will be re-freezing. look at all the snow. 162 percent of average along the central coast. on hundred 58% for the average statewide snowpack. -- 158% for the average statewide snowpack. there are walls of snow. folks are being advised to not go there. the weather is going to with dry conditions until monday. we see the blue sky through san francisco, 42 in mountain view. 38, santa rosa. 39 in nevada. the nights are going to get

colder and colder, especially into friday and saturday morning. dry for new year's eve and the holiday weekend.wet weather wil. if you are thinking of heading to the mountain, we are looking at maybe monday looking dicey on the return. you have to keep in tune with the changing forecast. 53 today in oakland as well as santa rosa. it would be nice to get out of those 40's, all of that weather behind us. with sunshine on the way today, we will be in the low 50's from pleasanton to oakland, and even in the city today. here is a look at the storms that are going to miss us right through friday, saturday, sunday. it could get a little wet into tuesday. we will keep track of it, but overall, it is looking like a nice break and a chilly one. jobina: skiers came to the rescue when their friend got buried in the snow in the sierra. the whole thing was caught in

their helmet cameras. gone in the snow. the group was performing tricks in palisades when jeremy landed deep in the snow. his head became buried, nicking it difficult to breathe. what you see is from his point of view. >> i was trying to blow a hole so i could breathe. that did not work. after 20 seconds, i thought, just chill out. don't use energy. jobina: to came out of the -- the incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of snow suffocation. this type of accident can happen wherever there is deep snow. kumasi: that is scary. we are getting ready to say hello to 2022. new year's rocking eve is one day away. it is ryan seacrest's 17th your

hosting. ryan: for midnigh midnigh journey doing some of their biggest gigs. i'm such a big fan of their music. we have travis barker. we have a live performance in puerto rico. between that and all the action in times square, we will do the countdown live in puerto rico, life in times square, and live in new orleans with billy porter. kumasi: there is a lot happening. you can watch all of it. can watch the ball drop. it kicks off at 8:00 tonight. there is a short break in the middle around 11:00 for the news. jobina: we might be in the middle of peak binge season, catching up on all the movies from the year. marvel is dominating the list of shows. one was the most illegally downloaded show of 2021. fellow disney plus favorites

also made the top five, including loki. even hawkeye made the list, with its season finale airing one week ago. disney is the parent company of both marvel and abc 7. kumasi: did you watch one division? i loved it. i have to find something now that insecure is over. jobina: did you watch the documentary? kumasi: yes. too many tears. [laughter] jobina: i just cannot handle it. i was talking to julian about this yesterday, and he loosely recommended "harlem." kumasi: i've watched that. i watched all the episodes. we are kind of on the same page about that. jobina: i don't have a show recommendation, but a movie -- have you seen "zodiac"? we will talk more about it later. it is really good. it is on netflix right now.

kumasi: get the list ready. up next, seven things you need to know today. jobina: taking a live look outside, showing the embarcadero.

kumasi: seven things to know this morning. number one, bay area residents will have to wear a mask indoors, starting today. alameda, san francisco, and other counties are tightening restrictions with the rising covid cases. jobina: starting february 1, san francisco will require proof of a booster shot to attend indoor events with more than a thousand people. it applies to anyone eligible for the third shot. kumasi: a jury has convicted ghislaine maxwell on five of six charges of sex trafficking. jobina: a verdict in the trial of elizabeth holmes will not come down until 2022. the jury left yesterday without reaching a verdict. the liberations will begin again on january 3. lisa: starting out a little

chilly. you can leave the umbrella at home. temperatures coming up into the mid to low 50's with sunshine. sam: following thursday morning traffic overall, it is pretty light out there. -- sue: we do have a have a have accident starting the clearing phases. kumasi: and hayward is offering a digital gift card with the purchase of an ego car to help support businesses and restaurants. here is how it works. starting on saturday and while supplies last, anyone who spends $20 to $100 for a gift card gets a bonus card to use. you have to use that within the next three months. jobina: i can get behind a restaurant month. we love to eat. kumasi: this is very true. i wish it were warmer, though, because i like to sit outside. jobina: get your coat and make

it happen. let's go. tes good morning, america. guilty. ghislaine maxwell convicted of five out of six counts of sex trafficking minors. >> a unanimous jury has found ghislaine maxwell guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable. >> the jury deliberating for five days before delivering the verdict. jeffrey epstein's confidante now facing decades in prison. overnight, her victims speaking out. what they're saying as one of them who took the stand joins us live, only on “gma” this morning. covid tsunami. the u.s. shattering its daily case record. the nation now averaging more new infections than any point in the pandemic as the w.h.o. warns about the twin threats of omicron and delta driving up cases worldwide. th