>> this is abc 7 news. >> flush with cash, i am -- a major cash surplus. from covid carer to prices at the pump, we are following the money. >> you are watching abc 7 news. we are tracking the governor's budget announcement and the impact it will have on the economy. it is part of our commitment to building a better bay area. california has a record-breaking $286.4 billion budget. liz joins us now with a look at

how the governor plans to spend it. >> he broke down his budget into five key areas which he calls california's greatest existential threats, the pandemic, climate change, homelessness, economic and quality -- inequality, and immigration. >> california is heading into 2022 with a surplus. the governor outlined his proposal on how he wants to spend it. one major announcement is a plan to tackle the high cost of living by creating universal health care coverage. it would provide health care to all low income californians regardless of age or immigration status. >> california is poised to be, if this proposal is supported, the first state in the country to achieve universal access to health coverage. >> it also includes $2.7 billion

to fight covid-19. 750 million dollars to tackle drought and money to combat wildfires. he also proposed a climate workforce including a plan to hire people to cap oil wells and a plan to replace all diesel school buses with electric ones. >> we are putting 1.5 billion dollars into this charting stations, electrify schools. >> he also proposed what he calls a modest holiday for the state gas tax. the state would delay the annual increase in the tax, currently set for july 1. another area of focus is safety. 255 million dollars for local law enforcement and a new smash and grab enforcement unit. yes also -- he is also working on a gun buyback program and

working to increase prosecution. >> the budget is nearly 400 pages by the way. there's also many towards education, high-speed rail, homelessness, and behavioral health. the governor wants to focus on reforming conservatorships. this is only a budget proposal, much of this has to be approved by the legislature and we will get a revised budget in may. >> given the hugeugeugeugeugeuge about money they could possibly be coming to californians? >> the governor did not rule out stimulus checks, that is an open ended question. the state surplus is $2.6 billion over what is known as the limit and if the surplus is over that limit, the law says half of the additional money codes -- goes towards education and the other half goes back to

the taxpayer. the state is over the limit, there could be some kind of monetary relief for taxpayers. . >> for more i i i our website, we have broken down eat -- each section of the plan of where the money will be going. >> let us move to the latest the coronavirus pandemic if it for the omicron search to peak -- as we wait for the omicron surge to peak. sky seven was over a testing site at seventh and brandon where the line started forming early this morning. thousands of people have been on the hunt for a covid test site. others who are lucky to find open slots are having to wait hours to get tested. we were in a number of cities across the bay area to see firsthand what is causing the delay. >> thousands of people started their week waiting in line to

get tested. >> 5.5 hours total. they finally let about 15 cars in. i was the last car that they let in. i got very lucky with that. >> the line a stretch for over two miles while many hoped to get tested, volunteers had to break it to number of people that the site had to close sit after a system failure. instead of closing at their,, another site began registering sows of people by hand. -- instead of site, another site began registering thousands of people by hand. >> my housemates tested positive. we found out yesterday. a bit of a challenge to find testing today. we have gone around to a few places.

we started looking for at home tests. we could not find any. >> he drove to san francisco where six sites had to close. they said our team is actively working to resolve the situation. we will restore service at these locations as soon as possible. for anyone whose have been postponed, we will be in touch with options. san francisco is not contacted -- connected to colar. we open at 9:00 p.m. the demand for testing is crazy right now. >> this woman and their daughter were glad that they made it to the front of the line. >> we have been waiting five hours to get tested. it is too much. >> i could not go to school

because i have two do a covid test. -- to do a covid test. >> several preschools have reported positive cases and had to close. they are encountering unexpected costs. >> the nursery school on redwood road is quite after administrators made the tough decision to temporarily close. two kids tested positive for the omicron variant and the other little ones were exposed by siblings who attend schools elsewhere. >> we felt it was our due diligence to make sure that with so many cases that occurred over a saturday and sunday period, that we had to close. >> the decision is hard on peers who work full-time. this is a video from july 2020 when the nursery reopened.

like most childcare centers, they had closed for two months with the pandemic first hit. the nursery school says the health system is so overwhelmed it is still waiting on guidance from them. the other pressing issue is the cost of testing. unlike public and private schools, they get no outside funding. they cannot afford weekly test kits for their 120 kids. >> that is 120 tests tests tests every sunday. >> our youngest children are not able to get vaccinated. >> resources are available to help out care centers whether this new storm -- weather this new storm. >> there are resources and programs that they can apply for. the need to visit chi

ldrenscouncil.org. >> they hope that this will be short-lived for the benefit of the children. >> it is hard to go back and forth. to get into the routines that they are so used to. >> vaccines are still our best protection against coronavirus. the vaccine team is here to answer your questions. head to abc7.com/vot >> the impact on indoor driving -- dining, we look at the industrywide challenge. >> with self-driving car's that are assertive, how you can get reimbursed first psoriasis, then psoriatic arthritis. it was really holding me back. standing up... ...even walking was tough. my joints hurt. i was afraid things were going to get worse. i was always hiding, and that's just not me.

not being there for my family, that hurt. woooo! i had to do something. i started cosentyx®. i'm feeling good. watch me. cosentyx helps people with psoriatic arthritis move, look, and feel better. it targets more than just joint pain and treats the multiple symptoms like joint swelling and tenderness, back pain, helps clear skin and helps stop further joint damage. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections—some serious —and the lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. tell your doctor if your crohn's disease symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. it's good to be moving on. watch me. move, look, and feel better. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx.

>> generous, funny, sincere, through words used often today by those who knew bob saget.

he was found dead in his bed at the ritz-carlton yesterday in orlando. a comedian opened for him and shared his memories today with abc 7. >> the first of our work with him, he gave me his cell phone number. he just gave it to me when we were in l.a., give me a call. i really did not think that bob saget had given me his cell phone number. >> the medical examiner's says that there is no foul play or drugs involved. >> diners are -- restaurantsresa struggling to stay open. abc 7 reporter has the story.or >> having to cancel reservations tonight. >> i cannot tell you the level

of stress both personally and in our industry. it is unbelievable. >> closed for the evening after staff members tested positive for covid-19. >> one was my executive chef. >> here is the leader of the golden gate restaurant association. men are feeling the impact. -- many are feeling the impact. >> you are having to make decisions on can you pay staff who are not there. >> this man is tomorrow after covid forced him to close for 10 days. >> i am sick, and i want to ensure that everybody is fine before that they can come back to work and allow enough time to get well. >> the only silver lining is that the restaurants were closed on one of the slower weeks of the year. it hits the bottom line. >> financially, it is a big

blow. >> they will have fewer tables and stools at the bars to keep employees and guests safe. >> they have seen an increase preference for outdoor dining and take orders again. >> you have to assume a closed space, if you are there without a mask and other people without a mask, undoubtedly, somebody has covid. it seems a little bit too risky for me. >> when this owner reopens, he hopes someone will come in. >> commodity these days. you can get reimbursed for them. >> this is brand-new, let me start by telling you that there is no exact start date for the free covid self test promised by president biden. according to the new york times, starting next week, you will get

reimbursed for the cause of rapid tests. insurance companies are going to be the ones picking up the cost for eight at home tests per person per month. the free tests are spaded to be distributed through an online portal and health clinics focusing on the underserved communities. the sooner you file your taxes, the sooner you get a refund. many wait to hear from the irs on when they can file. this year, it will start on january 24th. the deadline this year will be april 18. the usual deadline is the 15th but there is a holiday, emancipation day that is observed in washington dc on the 15th. when you thought tesla and its founder cannot be more assertive, major reports came out about new testing of tesla's

self-driving software. beta tests of tesla's program that has an assertive mode that may perform rolling stops. a critic of self-driving vehicles have said for years and a computer programmers and car companies should not be the only ones at the wheel when self-driving software decisions are being made. >> thank you. coming up next, a father-son duel on an adventure to remember. -- do well o a

what are you recommending for muscle pain? based on clinical data, i recommend salonpas. agreed...my patients like these patches because they work for up to 12 hours, even on moderate pain. salonpas. it's good medicine

>> it is not a site you see every day, alpacas running down the street. the community came together to get the creatures back home. >> how

see here. -- on a story you will only see here. >> as if corralling alpacas was h,magi longer ordeal these two went through this happened. but he and his son -- -- -- -- - his son decided to go on the run. >> we are having our coffee and i saw them on the hillside in the park. abc>> they dashed und they dasha underpass and into a nearby neighborhood. known for more suburban creatures. >> i was concerned for their safety. and also, motorist safety. >> they happened to be driving -- >> i was so surprised! >> they posted it to next door

to spread the word. >> i got 100 people who on. >> some thought that they had escaped from the zoo came out in droves to assist. >> oakland animal control was really helpful and really kind. >> after traveling four miles for more than two hours, a new book crawled -- corralled the duo with a rope. >> they are hard to catch. it is ridiculous! these guys had a great day. >> it was a good day for the east oakland community. >> we talk about the challenges we face your boy came together and people care about people here -- challenges we face face people came together and people care about the people here. >> they are great! >>

you can watch them all day. a beautiful sight to see in the south bay, check out this mustard bloom. just stunning. it has been a great day to get outside. >> apparently it is spring already. >> we are just fast forwarding ahead of winter. i want to show you another lovely view. those pictures are amazing. look at this view from our camp. . you can say that the coast is clear. it is absolutely gorgeous. here is a look at the temperatures. 59 in san francisco. a live look from our tower camera, visible along the downtown san francisco. from santa rosa to napa, 59 degrees in concord.

temperatures are up five degrees warmer in santa rosa, up three degrees in san jose. the lack of rain, i know that we need the rain, unfortunately, the climate prediction center is saying that we will not see any. next week looking like a dry pattern out west. 30-50% chance of below average precipitation. we are still in la niña. we are expecting it to we get in the next few months. we see server temperatures -- surface temperatures the same, la niña is supposed to continue through march. it could result in an overall pattern that is well below where we should be for this time of year. the start of winter was pretty good. we will ss. blue skies, increasing clouds overnight. most of the week, mild pattern through the holiday weekend.

you are seeing a lovely view, go to moderate air quality the next four days. go enjoy the weather, it is going to be good, you will breathe a little bit easier. it is going to be a cool one, not as cold because of the high cloud cover. upper 30's to mid 40's will be your temperatures. afternoon highs in the south bay, 66 in san jose. really mild for january. downtown san francisco is 62 degrees. from sonoma t t t t t t oakland is 62 along with union city. ensure that you have the sunscreen, 62 in livermore. it is a mild afternoon, above average highs, by wednesday evening into thursday, the focus back. temperatures drop on thursday,

then we see a minor warming trend for the holiday weekend. even for martin luther king jr. day, it is looking dry. we cannot change it. might as well into it until we get some rain. >> police officers are keeping watch on a daly city neighborhood this evening after residents spotted a motto line in her yard today. she made -- a mountain lion in her yard today. she made the discovery today. >> as i approached the tree in our backyard i noticed the long bushy tail. i looked up and there was a huge mountain lion looking down at me. i ran and screamed and i was able to get the docks back inside and slammed the door. -- dogs back inside and slammed the door. >> experts say it is not a great idea to hunt away from a mountain lion, it is best to make yourself as big as possible

and backup slowly. residents are being asked to keep pets and childr

>> san jose city council is

considering a requirement for all u.s. citizens to vote. there was a news conference this morning to expand voting rights. >> this is our moment to declare that we are not dispensable. we contribute, we raise our children and we deserve to vote on our city leadership. >> san jose's city council is scheduled to vote on the measure tomorrow. it follows a nine-month review by the commission. it would recognize the contributions of the most marginalized communities. >> steph curry has something else to back about -- brag about. he is on gq's global sports issue. it talks about the warriors success so far this year. >> such an underachiever. >> world news tonight is next,

we push it your time. we push it your time. entresto is the number one heart failure brand prescribed by cardiologists and has helped over one million people. it was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto.

tonight, in new york city, the new images from inside that horrific apartment fire. the mayor now saying at least 17 people were killed, including eight children. the deadliest fire in new york in 30 years. the charred walls, twisted metal. reports of people found throughout the building trying to get out. and what they now think might be to blame for the fire. we're on the scene tonight. also tonight, the stunning nw numbers just in on children and covid in this country. and now hospitalizations for all patients at an all-time high since this pandemic started. and news tonight on the masks you're wearing. how long does it take to get infected in a room with someone who has covid depending on the mask you're wearing. we'll go down the list. temperatures plunging across much of the country tonight. ten states from michigan all the way to the east.