>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> it's so busy. we've never experienced this. >> we don't usually fly before thanksgiving for this reason. we usually stay local, but we decided to fly, and it's not. -- nuts. >> it is. we are tracking the conditions at the airport and on the roads. good evening. i'm ama daetz. dan: i'm dan. nearly 55 million americans are traveling and 49 million of those will be driving. ama: the area with the worst

traffic is interstate 80. this is a live look at the corridor through berkeley. you see the cars backed up. the biggest triple -- trouble spot is between maritime street and san pablo dan road. peak congestion is between 4:00 and 5:00, so maybe we are at the tail end of the worst of it. it is an 80% increase from typical conditions. dan: here's a live look at the conditions in the east bay. interstate 680 is unknown trouble spot. the headlights heading north to concord, taillights are southbound toward walnut creek. ama: in the south bay, this is a live look at the 101 near the 880 connector. the traffic is southbound. the taillights. just a short time ago, conditions were backing up. you see it backing up a little bit now, but northbound traffic looks pretty good. dan: for those flying out of town, the airports are also very busy. all three of our major bay area

airports expect to see the highest passenger traffic since 2019. where officials say the peak thanksgiving travel period kicked off last friday and from then tuesday, san jose expects more than 438,000 passengers to pass through. ama: let's take a live look in the east bay from the exclusive abc 7 oakland airport camera. from today through sunday, they are expecting 170,000 passengers to use the airport, at 10% increase over last thanksgiving and more than 90% from the prepend affect traffic benchmark -- pre-pandemic traffic benchmark. dan: everything was crowded from sfo's pickup to drop off for security lines -- to security lines. depending on how much time people allowed, there were mixed reactions to the holiday travel rush. >> we've never experienced this. >> if we don't usually fly for thanksgiving for this reason.

we usually stay local. we decided to fly, and it's nuts. >> we were planning a bit longer trip. there doesn't seem to be a crowd, although there's a few people down that way. dan: sfo officials expect about 5 million travelers to pass through the airport between thanksgiving and new year's day. they say that's about 85% of the 2019 holiday travel season. ama: let's find out more about the holiday travel forecast across the state and nationally. dan: sandhya patel is here with details. sandhya: today is a great day in terms of weather to travel. nationally, you will see some snow showers across the rockies, the southern tier states. there are some showers on live doppler 7, but nothing major. no local flight delays due to weather. it's zero in terms of weather-related delays. same thing back east, except for new york's. 30 minute -- new york's

laguardia, with 30 minute delays. tomorrow will be a different story across the south. . the southern rockies will be looking at snow. could see some issues. 75 los angeles. the sun is shining. 53 in tahoe. down south, they do have red flag warnings and wind warnings going up because the fire danger will be increasing. i will be back with a local look at the thanksgiving forecast. ama: don't forget to download the abc 7 bay area news app for all of your holiday information. the app is available wherever you stream. dan: the santa clara county public health department has reported its first flu death of the season, a man under the age of 65 with other underlying health conditions. he had not received the flu shot. >> the single most important thing is to get vaccinated right now, so that they had into the rest of this winter season -- they head into the rest of this winter season protected.

dan: most local pharmacies are offering flu shots for free. ama: oakland's mayor elect addressed the city council today. she will become the 51st mayor when she is sworn in. >> we choose oakland over and over and over, and i'm here to tell you that i will deliver on making sure that oakland comes first all the time. [applause] >> the oakland mayor elect beat out loren taylor by less than 700 votes in rank-choice voting. wednesday morning, she laid out her priorities for the city. >> safety, homelessness, and of course cleaning up our streets. so that means city hall must and will reopen. >> she talked of filling vacancies at the oakland police department as well as doubling down on violence prevention -- violence prevention programs.

>> it means addressing the root causes of crime by creating more jobs and more opportunities for oaklanders. >> she was once homeless and lived in her car with her infant son. she says housing is a priority. >> we will have an aggressive housing policy that protects renters, fights displacement, and treats are un-housed with the dignity they deserved. >> the form of dignity -- former mayor praised her plan. >> she is going to market the city economically. i don't think we going to do that -- we've done that for a while. >> a city councilmember says she takes over with the backing of the majority of city council, which will help her unify a fractured city hall. >> it shows that we are moving away from the status quo into something that will definitely benefit the city of oakland a lot more deeply than it has been over the last eight years. >> outgoing mayor libby schaaf, who endorsed thao's opponent,

says she leaves the city in better shape than when she took over. >> field partnerships -- build big partnerships, sometimes with people who don't agree. >> thao will be sworn in in january. dan: the current oakland mayor announced new public safety initiatives for small businesses, shop save oakland and welcome back downtown. the new plans include a series of grants that will go to oakland's retail districts amid the increase in burglaries during the pandemic. this funding will provide more ambassadors, security surveillance, and rapid window repairs if break-ins do occur. the owner of e14 says having people support local retail could decrease crime. >> the more people that are out in the community, supporting local, the less likely that, you know, crimes are going to

happen. dan: chinatown, jack london square, downtown, and other related areas will receive this funding. the mayor will bring the new items forward for a vote in a special meeting next tuesday. ama: as inflation hits a 40-year high, food insecurity is worsening across the bay area. 600 neighborhoods across the san francisco metro area have low food access, also known as food deserts. our reporter shows us the most vulnerable county and the people impacted. >> happy thanksgiving. >> this thanksgiving, carmen has a choice: pay rent or put food on the table. >> we can't go out for groceries because the prices are too high. >> the san francisco senior shares a studio in the soma district. a majority of her social security stipend goes toward rent. >> food and medicine. how can you survive? >> through inflation into the

mix, she is forced with another choice. >> limit the portion. >> she lives in a food desert, where at least 1/3 of the population lives at least more than a half mile away from a supermarket or large grocery store. we found it is one of 171 low income neighborhoods that have low food access across the san francisco metro area, the most reported in alameda county. >> it takes two to 3 miles to get food. >> natosha lives in oakland, off of 14th st. we profiled her last year. since our story, the food bank added food distribution sites areas known to be food deserts, now offering a total of 400 sites across the county. >> you will see a lot of our food is going into those cities, in order to ensure those gaps are met. >> according to the california health interview survey, over the past five years, more than 1/3 of adults 18 and older

living below the federal poverty line in alameda county haven't been able to afford enough food. last year, around 57% of those impacted were hispanic or latino, nearly 40% were black, 22% asian, and 20% white. >> the need is on par with the height of the pandemic. >> even the food bank is struggling to provide as the agency's holiday budget is up 50% this year. >> on an annualized basis, we are probably looking at 7% inflation. typically, the fed likes to sit around 2% inflation. >> this professor says rising prices will soon start to level off, but warns not to get comfortable. >> that doesn't mean that prices are going to drop back down. we are going to have to get used to higher prices. the idea is to just not have them increasing as quickly. >> leaving people like carmen -- >> struggling. >> left to worry. for a closer look at the neighborhoods that have limited access to food across the bay

area, had to -- head to abc7news.com/iteam. dan: after the break, a north bay district attorney, now facing allegations of discrimination. the offensive photo and a lawsuit. ama: plus, could police robots be allowed to use deadly force in san

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and get a medicare plan with zero compromises for you and your wallet. hot cinnamon apples would be coaxed with a spoon on the fluffiest french toast with red currants on top we wish you a happy holiday, only at ihop. new gingersnap apple french toast, part of our new holiday menu. try all three flavors. ama: in the north, a former debt dsa -- deputy assistant attorney says he was fired after complaining about his unfair treatment. this comes as another group of employees says a photo of a staff member in blackface created a hostile work environment. >> would you please call her and let her know that we have served her with a lawsuit?

>> this civil rights attorney served the marin county line district attorney and other staff members with a discrimination lawsuit. >> there's a pattern and practice of retaliation. >> the suit, filed by the former deputy da, cameron jones, claims he was fired after filing a complaint with human resources about workplace discrimination. jones says he was subject to scrutiny and job reviews that his white coworkers were not asked to complete. >> i think i was terminated because i was speaking out on how i was being treated differently. and the color of my skin. >> the suit claims a manager who spoke out against jones's termination also faced retaliation. >> and one of the major managers afranmerican, protested the way they were treating mr. jones and they told the d.a. that this was violating the policy.

she ignored this advice and retaliated against that manager. >> other employees of color were subject to a hostile work environment in the das office after a staff member put up an offensive photo of them in blackface. the photo, near a shooting range target with bullet holes. >> the district attorney was informed this was offensive, yet she refused to take any action. >> the da says she cannot comment on the lawsuit but adds that diversity and equity are the core missions of the da's office. in a statement, she said, i want to make it clear to the people of marin county line that i find -- of marin county that i do not condone presidents -- prejudice or racism. cameron jones wants the da to resign. >> where do i go from here? continue to fight this. >> cornell barnard, abc7news. dan: a draft proposal going before the san francisco board of supervisors would allow

police robots to use deadly force. the proposal stems from a new state law requiring policies on the use of military weapons by police forces. according to the draft, it will only be an option when risk of loss of life to the public or officers is imminent and outweighs any other force option available. an sfpd spokesperson says the need to deliver deadly force by a robot would be rare and exceptional. ama: coming up, thanks giving day preparations were in full swing today. we will show you just how long some people waited to pick up their orders from the honeybaked ham store. >> looked at the line. it's all the way around that building. >> it's not worth it. >>

dan: ' tti for many, waiting in line at the honeybaked ham store. the line stretched pretty far. the line was moving fairly quickly.

people waited 30 to 45 minutes. and it's not just hams. you can also get a honeybaked turkey. ama: just in time for the holiday shopping season, amazon has opened a new location, expected to get your package to you even quicker. it launched its newest same-day facility in richmond. it will help customers in the east bay receive packages within hours. >> once fully ramped, we will carry more than one million units of inventory. we have hundreds of associates to higher still, and we are also -- hire still, we are also ramping up for the holiday shopping season. we are inbounding a variety of products. pet, baby categories are very popular. small electronics. we're preparing for a busy week ahead. ama: this is amazon' first mey t dan: faster and faster. let's turn our attention to the

thanksgiving forecast. ama: meteorologist sandhya patel has it for us. sandhya: it's looking fantastic. i want to show you what you can expect first thing tomorrow morning. it's going to start off cool, patchy fog, upper 30's to 50's. right skies at noon -- bright skies at noontime. clear and cooler by 7:00 in case you want to step out and walk off that meal. satellite and radar showing you why we saw warmer weather. high pressure. temperatures five to 12 degrees above average. this storm is picking up the swells -- kicking up the swells. there's a beach hazard statement 10:00 a.m. tomorrow until the afternoon on friday. there will be the increased possibility of rip currents and sneaker waves. enjoy the coastline.

temperatures in the 50's and ng,ry win. patte h. 'ss' seen sevel offshore wind events in rece aware as you enjr holiday weekend. i'm going to step aside so you can get a full view of a foggy golden gate bridge. look at the gorgeous shot from san jose to oakland airport. our exclusive airport camera. santa cruz is just starting right now. -- just stunning right now. gusty in the hills through the morning. we are looking at scattered light showers for monday. first thing in the morning, numbers in the upper 30's to low 50's. there will be some fog along the coastline, so just be aware that if you do have travel plans in the morning. visibility is down to three

miles along the coast. san jose and the south bay, 72 degrees. gilroy on the peninsula. 69 san mateo. 68 in half moon bay. lovely day in san francisco, 68. 65 in daly city. napa 74 -- 74 in santa rosa. 73 in fairfield. as we check out what's ahead for the weekend, it's dry here in the bay area. monday we have showers coming through. sierra will get some snow that could impact travel. wednesday night, there could be another system coming in. seven day forecast, a bright, mild thanksgiving after the morning fog. dry for shoppers friday. we cool off the second half of the weekend going into next week. a light system brings showers monday, not a whole lot. chilly, frosty mornings ahead. dan:

ama: this week marks 53 years since native americans took over and occupied alcatraz island. it started in 1969, when a fire destroyed the american indian center.

native american activists set their sights on the rock to reclaim it as tribal land shortly after the prison shuttered its doors. they took over the land for 19 months, in hopes of developing a cultural center and school. the occupation gained national attention. in 1970, the u.s. government passed several laws supporting tribal rule and returned millions of acres of land to native american tribes. you can watch our award-winning documentary, escape to alcatraz, on our streaming app or on our website, abc7news.com. dan: there are major discoveries being made in egypt's valley of the kings, thanks in part to patrons of a well known bay area museum. soon, we make it a much more complete look at the tomb of ramses the great. a journey of discovery, in more ways than one. without realizing it, these visitors are helping to unlock secrets buried for thousands of years.

discoveries being made right now by archaeologists working in ramses tomb, supported by ticket sales from the exhibition. >> the tomb was cleared for the first time, and they found out it was the largest tomb in the valley of the kings. dan: almost 700 feet long, archaeologists -- this archaeologist is directing excavation of the tomb, which was badly damaged by a flood. they are restoring scenes inscribed on the walls, coming back to life. >> for the first time, scenes of ramses ii, we began to see books like the book of the gates showing the sun god in front of him. dan: he says the team may have also discovered a tunnel running between ramses's tomb and that of his son. support from the visitors to the

deyoung is critical. >> these are ongoing exercises, but they are expensive, so it feels really good we are able to give back to egypt during this very exciting moment. dan: an entire team of archaeologists is working at the egyptian site, and organizers say their progress is stunning, revealing new secrets that could soon be shared with the public. >> i have a team of almost 30 people restoring, excavating, clearing the scene for the first time. i really believe, within two years, this tomb can be visited by the people. dan: adding to the understanding of this magnificent period of history. i get to the world made possible in part -- a gift to the world, made possible in part by this museum. we will keep you updated on the progress. ama: world news tonight is coming up next. dan: for all of us here, we appreciate your time. see you in half an hour. ama: that's right.

good luck in traffic. ♪ [christmas music] ♪

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tonight, on the eve of thanksgiving, authorities are on the scene of yet another deadly mass shooting in america. the terror inside a walmart in chesapeake, virginia. a store manager accused of killing at least six people, then taking his own life. a survivor describes in chilling detail how the suspect walked into the break room, opening fire without saying a word, shooting at everything that moved. a bullet whizzing right by her. what we're now learning about the killer and his victims. jay o'brien is in virginia. and the first court appearance for the suspect accused of shooting and killing five people at an lgbtq nightclub in colorado springs. the suspect slumped in a chair with injuries to the face and head. and what we're now learning

about a disturbing facebook post from the suspect's mother just hours before the shooting. matt gutman in colorado. the thanksgiving travel rush. as we me