i know the importance of taking care of myself. how are you doing between practices? i feel pretty good. surrounding myself with a great team. de'aaron we're going to take a quick look at your knee with ultrasound. everything is looking great. but not just for me. for them. it's great to see you again man. thanks jb. for all that is me, for all that is you, kaiser permanente. holiday season when they come to shop at our businesses here locally in oakland. that they are safe, that their vehicles are safe from san francisco to oakland. >> the priority is clear making sure holiday shoppers feel safe.

good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us tonight. we have details on how both cities are ensuring that shoppers will be safe. and we begin with abc seven news reporter suzanne fawn, who explains the new campaign just launched in oakland today in time for the holiday season. >> yeah, have a good day. all right. thank you very much. merry christmas. >> the season for giving kicks off with plenty of shopping. oakland resident karen brooks has a few more gifts to get. let's see. and she's got uncle george avenue in oakland's rockridge neighborhood. the stores and the restaurants are bustling. >> it's a great walking neighborhood, but like in many bay area communities, there's an underlying safety concern. >> near cole hardware store on college avenue in rockridge, thieves broke into two cars early thursday morning. >> there's one in front of the store door. i barely saw it. i heard the pop sound and i saw someone actually go into a car and steal a bag and run off. >> you just have to be careful. it happened over at trader joe's a few days ago. i think somebody

bashed in the window there, too. >> this holiday season. the mayor of oakland wants everyone to shop local. to that end, she helped launch the think oakland first campaign with a goal of supporting small businesses to says that initiative begins with safety. >> we've increased police deployments in the business corridors all across the city. >> the mayor says from now until january 2nd there will be more foot patrols in oakland's shopping corridors and business districts. >> business districts, which include the downtown jacqueline square, kono, piedmont avenue. >> officers will be out seven days a week. foot patrols, traffic motor squads and community resource officers. but that's not all our violent crime operation center and our ceasefire units will be conducting high level operations. >> some of them undercover in the business districts in the hour we spent in ridge. >> abc7 did not see an increased presence, but shoppers and businesses say they're happy

with the plan. so i'm glad to hear that. >> i think the first patrols in the presence of the police would be make people feel safe. >> of course more needs to be done, but i hope it's working. >> karen brooks says smash and grabs and car break ins won't stop her from shopping in oakland. >> i would hope that other people will come here and will shop and in other neighborhoods in oakland as well. >> in oakland, suzanne phan abc7 news. the san francisco police department says retail thefts are dropping dramatically. >> thanks to its undercover efforts. chief william scott says more than 300 arrests have been made in the past three months. he says the department's blitz operations have led to a 30% drop in retail theft over that same span. >> some of them repeat offenders, some of them first time they've come on our radar. but the bottom line is many of these offenders are very, very prolific. they are responsible for a lot of the issue that we see in our city. >> chief scott says the city plans to come down hard on repeat offenders. he hopes the

arrests, which include 17 people at one store in the mission district this week, will send a message to would be shoplifters. now to new developments in the case against nima momeni. >> the man accused of killing tech executive bob lee today was supposed to be a basic court appearance to set a trial date, but instead turned into much more. well, many attorneys are now demanding a change of venue. abc7 news i-team reporter melanie woodrow has covered this case from the start, joins us live from the newsroom with what the latest is tonight. melanie. >> i'm a fireworks today because of a san francisco standard article that featured four pictures of nima momeni in his jail cell. the pictures were taken by a freelance photographer in august who was working on a different story for the la times and recognized momeni. he then sold those pictures to the sf standard. now, the judge in the case says the sheriff's office is looking into it all. nima momin's attorneys calling for a change of venue in the bob lee murder trial. >> obviously, the media publicity, okay, the reputation of the defendant, the reputation

of the victim, whether or not a person can get a fair and impartial jury adding fuel to their argument. >> a san francisco standard article published november 28th, which included four photos of momentum lee in his jail cell, is so inappropriate and next level ugly is the best term that i could use that we felt compelled that we had to kind of expedite our motion to change venue. in an emailed statement, the san francisco standards editor in chief writes, quote, a freelance photographer had permission to take photos inside the jail. and nima momeni gave the photographer permission to have his photo taken. we contacted momentis legal team prior to publication and they did not raise objections or concerns about the publication of the images. the standard believes the images were entirely newsworthy. >> nima didn't agree to have his photograph taken. we didn't agree to have his photograph taken. this was a hit job and there's going to be ramifications. >> it looks like he's smiling in some of the photos and almost posing. that's just happenstance. >> what they did made this not a

fair and impartial system. what they did was disgusting. what they did was illegal. what they did was civilly response able. and someone is going to be held responsible. >> in an email statement, the san francisco sheriff's office writes in part, quote, regrettably, the l.a. times photographer violated our established media rules while the l.a. times did not publish any unauthorized photos. its photographer proceeded to monetize the unauthorized photographs with other media outlets, resulting in a further violation of our media rules and a blatant disregard for the agreed upon conditions. moomin's attorneys also filed a motion for a rule to show cause related to mohamedi's vehicle, which was supposed to be released from a lot with no fees. they refuse to do so. those motions will be heard in january with a tentative trial date set for march. nima mumini sister, hazara, was arrested on dui and hit and run charges in san francisco on monday, the night of lee's murder. hasan texted lee just wanted to make sure you're doing okay because i know nima came way down hard on you.

her mother had no comment about her arrest. >> how is hazara doing? following monday's arrest, don't answer any questions right now, and neither did nima's attorneys. >> we're not going to answer anything from an object standpoint, though. >> i mean, it was a big story on monday. >> optics standpoint. you look terrific. >> has our moment was not in court today. she has been there in the past to support her brother. also very interesting in this motion for a change of venue is allegations by nima momentum's current defense team against his prior defense team. they are alleging that his prior defense attorney, paula canny, gave hazara momentum cell phone to the lead sfpd investigator in this case without a warrant or a court order by text. canny told me none of that is true in the newsroom. for the it melanie woodrow, abc seven news. >> there'll be a lot more to come on this melanie thank you very much. in antioch the mayor is hosting a healing vigil in the wake of the city's tumultuous and tumultuous police scandal. the event is set to

begin at 630 tonight. mayor lamar thorpe decided to exchange his annual state of the city address for tonight's inter-religious observance. it comes after a year of federal indictments accusing antioch officers of abuse and racism. mayor thorpe says the revelations shocked the community and brought threats of violence. and he hopes this vigil will help restore a sense of unity. former san jose mayor sam ■liccardo has taken a major step toward a run for congress. >> he hasn't made an official announcement yet, but today liccardo filed the paperwork to run for the house seat. anna issue is about to vacate. liccardo served as san jose's mayor from 2014 to 2022. and as you said last week that she won't be running for reelection next year. santa clara county supervisor joe semitic announced his candidacy for the seat yesterday. >> blue versus red. tonight, governor newsom is set to face off in debate with florida governor ron desantis. this highly anticipated debate is also highly unusual for a number of reasons. abc7 news reporter zach fuentes has a preview.

>> there's a really hyper partizan culture in the united states of red versus blue that's manifested in florida versus california. and tonight the governors of those states meet face to face. >> governor gavin newsom in florida, governor ron desantis face off in georgia. it all comes after months of negotiation over when and how it would happen. newsom is backing president joe biden's reelection in 2024, but he's talked about eventually running for president and recent trips to discuss foreign policy in israel and china are raising his profile. meanwhile, desantis is in the current presidential race, but he's facing an uphill battle against the top challenger, former president donald trump. all factors some political analysts say, give both governors something to gain from the debate. i think ron desantis is clearly going to try and separate himself from donald trump and try to elevate his presidential campaign throughout this debate. >> gavin newsom is going to have to walk kind of a tighter line. i think he's going to have to be an advocate for president biden, who's part of the party, but also try and sell his own brand

and his own presidential ambitions. at the same time. topics are said to include crime, the economy and the us-mexico border. >> desantis could hit newsom with numbers that show a declining population. here in california state estimates show that the state has lost more than 800,000 people since 2020, while data from florida shows its numbers have stayed positive. one of many points desantis supporters have highlighted leading up to the debate blueprint that he has in florida seems to be working. >> the economy is good down there. >> on the flip side, the san francisco democratic party, said newsom, will highlight the strength of california's tech based economy and hit desantis on issues such as abortion and lgbtq rights. >> we're talking about providing the basics like health care, infrastructure, new jobs, energy . >> but there is one thing many agree on this will be a highly watched event. >> increasingly treated our politics like entertainment. and think something like the governor of california versus the governor of florida is something that audiences find entertaining. it's the pro wrestling version of democracy. guess fuentes, abc7 news.

>> still ahead, envisioning the future of transportation in east contra costa county. we're going to tell you about these on demand autonomous vehicles and how they could help cut down on congestion and emissions. abc's seven news at five. but his vision dimmed with age. he had amd. i didn't know it then, but it can progress to ga, an advanced form of the disease. his struggle with vision loss from amd made me want to help you see warning signs of ga. like straight lines that seem wavy, blurry, or missing visual spots that make it hard to see faces like this one, or trouble with low light that makes driving at night a real challenge. if you've been diagnosed with amd and notice vision changes, don't wait. ga is irreversible. it's important to catch it early. talk to your eye doctor about ga and learn more at gawontwait.com

just 28 miles and will connect for east bay cities. abc7 news reporter anser hassan has the details. >> the road to the future is coming to contra costa county right now. >> first and last mile is one of our biggest challenges here in contra costa county. and so we want to we want we don't want people have to drive to the bart station. tim hill is with contra costa transit authority. >> for the past few years, its been working on the dynamic, personal micro transit system 28

miles th will connect pittsburg, antioch, brentwood and oakley with autonomous vehicles. >> the vehicle is small, the vehicle is only five feet wide, you know, and so that reduces a lot of the infrastructure cost as well as operational costs. and the vehicles also electric. so it's also sustainable. >> zero emissions and using an app, users would show up at an access point similar to a bus stop or bart station get in and off to your destination. the exact pick up and drop off locations are still to be determined. it takes you from, say, pittsburg directly to a bart station or to the downtown community center or to a university or a school like los los medanos college. >> all those really important points of interest to the community. >> eastern contra costa county has a population of close to 300,000 people and growing. the county estimates that 79% commute to work in other parts of the bay area. most using highway four. one goal of this new system is to reduce traffic

by using a closed circuit roadway and help california meet its zero carbon emission goals. >> we also want to get people off of cars. that's the most important. think element here, which is how do we reduce our carbon footprint? >> it's a public private partnership which includes glide ways. it provides the tech and the vehicles which are being tested at gomentum station in concord, a ride that takes you 25 minutes will now take you predictable all the time. >> 6 to 7 minutes. >> the cost $450 million. but still less than the billions, for example, to expand bart. next comes design and environmental review. if the timeline holds, the first glide cars would be operating within 3 to 4 years with social equity in mind. >> so we want to make sure that the fares are going to be consistent with the public transportation system to make sure it's equitable and accessible in the east bay anser hassan abc7 news. >> all right, coming up here, take a look at this friendly face. that's exactly the idea behind his addition to the santa

rosa fire department. you're going to hear from his new colleagues about his work with them, especially in critical incidents. stay with u both simple and life-changing. what's not a choice? addiction to opioids like fentanyl. but even with opioid use disorder, you still have a choice. by choosing treatment, you choose family, your career and your life on your terms. choose change, california, and find medically proven treatment options at choosechangeca.org.

we've experienced a lot since the 2017 wildfires. abc7 news reporter cornell bernard has the story. >> oh yeah. let's go, buddy. >> fire crews are meeting the newest four legged recruit at the santa rosa fire department. this is maverick, a one and a half year old lab mix. we got matched up on the 20th, so the week of thanksgiving. let's go. captain cory rickard is maverick's handler. he's on the job with cory as the department's new therapy dog. part of the behavioral health program for fire staff in fire departments. >> firefighters are going through stress just like the general public. what we're seeing, traumatic events on top of that.

>> captain rickard says therapy dogs like maverick have the ability to break down stress barriers. so they have dogs for diabetics, so they sense low blood sugar. >> and then in this case, we're hoping that maverick is going to sense a rise in cortisol levels. so that stress hormone. so when you start to feel more stressed. maverick will be able to come and engage with you. >> maverick is all business when he's wearing his therapy vest. no time for toys. there goes the fire alarm and the dorkiest fireman in town is right on his toes. >> chief is his name. gone are the days of firehouse dogs like this. >> now they have a new role at the station. >> my current position, he's able to come to work with me. he's can sleep at the firehouse. he can go on calls. he can be engaged. we can go visit fire stations and firefighters after catastrophic wildfires hit the north bay. >> therapy dogs were often brought to fire stations to help first responders cope with trauma. you know, everything that we've lived through here in santa rosa since 2017, with all the different fires we've had,

having that tool available and having a resource available that comforts them and calms them down and allows them to talk better and be part of our peer support team is just it's just another added bonus. maverick comes from the national institute for canine science and training, paid for by the nonprofit santa rosa fire foundation. maverick is a really critical part of being able to take care of the people who take care of us. well, maverick won't be the only firehouse dog for long. another therapy dog. okay. okay. we'll be joining the department in the next year. >> i knew that this is a huge response ability, but also, this is a really good dog, and it's really fun to be around him and have him with me. >> in santa rosa, cornell bernard, abc seven news. maverick is a great dog. >> right. all right. good job to do all right. it is time now to check on the weather forecast for you. >> yes. abc seven news meteorologist sandyha patel is here. saw a man flying a kite on the embarcadero today. sandhya good day. >> you know what it is? windy

enough to fly a kite, that's for sure. ama and dan. let me show you a live doppler seven right now. it is certainly looking more like winter uh- up in the mountains this is what it looks like from the sierra nevada where they are seeing snow. and that is going to continue. also some thunderstorms there. look at that disturbance that is driving the winds in and it's a northwesterly wind. that's why we have been dealing with the gusty conditions as we head expected. but certainly more snow coming to the sierra nevada, up to five inches. donner, kirkwood through saturday. as we look at live doppler seven right now, there are a couple of drops showing up right around point reyes. isolated showers will continue through tonight, gusts to 33 right now in oakland and not quite as strong across the entire region as we saw earlier in the day. but still going to remain gusty. 6:00 tonight, 10 p.m. over 30 mile an hour winds along the coastline will be breezy as we head towards tomorrow morning. and then the winds will let up for the afternoon hours. so if you're really not a fan of the windy

conditions, just hang in there. temperatures right now in the 40s and the 50s. today's high temperatures were at or a few degrees above average coming in in the upper 50s to mid 60s. look at this gorgeous view from our walnut creek camera right now. a few clouds going through isolated showers and gusty winds. tonight. winds ease tomorrow, there's a slight chance of showers, lingering spotty showers on saturday and milder weather greets us next week. so we go hour by hour, 11 p.m. tonight. still the possibility of a couple of showers coming through here tomorrow morning, some fog and then tomorrow afternoon, evening clouds will increase once again. and we have the potential for a pop up shower or two. the best chance will be in the north bay. but then saturday, that chance shifts to other parts of the bay area. so saturday morning, 5 a.m, you will notice the focus is still the north bay into 8 a.m. then look what happens at noontime. could see a few showers crossing other parts of the bay going into the early afternoon. and then this system winds down. it's not a game changer. you'll need the umbrellas. but here's what we're expecting. anywhere from nothing

measurable through saturday night to about a 10th of an inch at most. but ukiah picking up close to a third of an inch of rain. your morning temperatures in the mid 30s to the upper 40s. yeah, it's going to be a chilly start tomorrow afternoon. you're looking at highs in the 50s and 60s with cloud cover increasing thing and we're looking at atmospheric river this weekend going into next week early next week. that is just going to dump on the pacific northwest. several feet of snow expected but look at the rainfall projections. a half a foot or more of rain up there. flooding is a concern. but, you know, they've been dealing with the drought over three inches in eureka. and as we take you through thursday, could see some measurable rain here in the bay area as well. the accuweather seven day forecast isolated evening chance tomorrow. it's a level one for saturday. spotty showers expected it's really just going to be a lingering chance in the north bay sunday morning before we go with a milder pattern next week 60s even some 70s. and then thursday we bring in another chance of rain. so dan and a little

variety for everyone. yeah. yeah. >> friday's nice nice thanks andy. >> today is native women's equal pay day. it highlights the disparity in compensation between native women and their male counterparts in the american workforce. house speaker nancy pelosi is highlighting the day with this post on x. she writes, native women earn just $0.55 for every dollar made by white men. pelosi also wrote about senate republicans blocking a democratically backed paycheck fairness act that aimed to close the wage gap. >> happening tonight, an important fundraiser for will be held in san francisco on the eve of world aids day. the event, called light in the grove, is scheduled to begin in about 30 minutes time at the national aids memorial grove at golden gate park. it will feature pathways lit by colorful displays, along with dance and musical performances. organizers say it really is a magical celebration of reunion remembrance and renewal. all proceeds directly support local

programs ranging from scholarships for young activists to outreach in memory of the lives lost to the aids epidemic. we'll be rig entresto is the #1 heart failure brand prescribed by cardiologists. 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.

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hiding behind those yellow sand bars. you can see its little head there. and look. this happened around 8:00 this morning on southbound 280 near mission bay. officers were able to. it's a caught the animal off the freeway with the help of chp and san francisco police. they say it appeared to be in good health. so they just made sure that it got into an area that they thought it could survive on its own before letting it just run away. poor little guy must have been so scared. >> at least it's okay. all right. we still have a lot more news ahead. that's right. >> let's get to abc7 news anchor karina nova for a look at the stories that are coming up at 530. karina >> thanks, dan. and tonight, governors gavin newsom and ron desantis face off in an unprecedented debate that we'll get some insight from abc7's phil matier on this, why it's happening, what we can expect and the political implications for each governor post debate night. plus, we have a story about dynamic ocean organisms

living in the san francisco bay. how going underwater can help with the health of our planet. join us for those stories and much more at 530 on abc7 bay area streaming tv. dan ama. >> all right, thank you so much, karina. all right. >> you can download the abc7 app or head to abc7 news.com to join karina in two minutes. >> yes. if you're watching us on tv, world news tonight with david muir is next for sandhya patel. all of us, thanks for being here. i'm ama daetz and i'm - i'm lea. and we live in north pole, alaska. - i'm a retired school counselor. [lea] i'm a retired art teacher. [steve] we met online about 10 years ago. as i got older, my hearing was not so good so i got hearing aids. my vision was not as good as it used to be, got a change in prescription. but the this missing was my memory. i saw a prevagen commercial and i thought, "that makes sense." i just didn't have to work so hard to remember things. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. my late father-in-law lit up a room,

but his vision dimmed with age. he had amd. i didn't know it then, but it can progress to ga, an advanced form of the disease. his struggle with vision loss from amd made me want to help you see warning signs of ga. like straight lines that seem wavy, blurry, or missing visual spots that make it hard to see faces like this one, or trouble with low light that makes driving at night a real challenge. if you've been diagnosed with amd and notice vision changes, don't wait. ga is irreversible. it's important to catch it early. talk to your eye doctor about ga and learn more at gawontwait.com with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt.

tonight, breaking news. the hostages just released. where are the americans? in the u.s., the deadly home explosion. the crater in the ground. and the arrest warrant at this hour for a buffalo bills star in dallas. first, the new images coming in tonight. eight hostages freed by hamas. 30 palestinians released by israel. among the hostages freed, a 21-year-old daughter rushing into her mother's arms. she had been seen in that video reley