right now. >> the heavy rain came while many of us were sleeping, and we saw a little more rain throughout the day. now a

second, stronger rain maker is heading our way, triggering flood alerts and wind advisories. good afternoon, i'm karina nova. rain has returned to the bay area and more significant showers are on the horizon. let's take a live look at the conditions right now across the bay area in the middle there. live doppler seven shows the movement of the latest band of rain and. abc seven news weather anchor spencer christian has an hour by hour look at when you can expect showers. spencer. okay, karina. >> we have a lot going on in weather right now. so as you're looking at live doppler seven right now, are you seeing the scattered showers? mainly light rain and showers sweeping through the bay area with breaks here and there. so it's not a continuous or heavy rainfall, but it may produce some wet spots and slippery spots for the evening commute. that's quite likely. so right now we're looking at a level one storm on the exclusive abc seven storm impact scale for tonight and tomorrow, we can expect periods of light rain and showers, breezy at times and a high surf advisory is in effect. here's the forecast animation starting at 6 p.m. this evening. notice

between 6 p.m. and midnight. the intensity of the system weakens and there won't be much going on around midnight. but between midnight and 5 a.m, we'll see that next band of rainfall a heavier band of rain sweeping into the north bay, and that will continue through tomorrow into tomorrow evening. that will produce some significant rainfall. increase the rainfall totals just a little bit, but the more significant and more impactful rain system will come in tomorrow night into saturday. that will bring more widespread rain. it will be heavy rain. it will be accompanied by strong, gusty and potentially damaging wind. but let's talk about the current system first. by 11:00 tonight we'll see rainfall totals generally under 2/10 of an inch, with the exception of the far northern part of our viewing area up around ukiah, about 1.3in and over at clear lake, just over an inch, maybe a quarter of an inch by 11:00 tonight in san ramon. now let's talk about our flood alerts. we have a flood watch in effect for the entire north bay. that will be from 2 p.m. tomorrow to 4 p.m. saturday. flooding is possible and streams, creeks,

roads, and especially in low lying areas and a coastal flood advisory will be in effect from 6 a.m. tomorrow to 1 p.m. monday due to high tides. this is for the bay shoreline and the shoreline of the of the san pablo bay. high tides between 8 a.m. tomorrow, and we're looking at wave heights up to about. i'm sorry. the tides. high tides. up to about 6.7ft. a minor. flooding is likely on roads, parks and lots that are in low lying areas. now move along and take a look at the high surf advisory in effect right now until 4 a.m. tomorrow. we may see breaking waves, waves reaching heights of 18 to 22ft. that's really, really high. and obviously under those conditions there is concern about dangerous rip currents or sneaker waves. and of course, these are dangerous swimming and surfing conditions. now we'll skip ahead and take a look at the longer term forecast animation starting on friday, friday night into saturday. look at the steady,

more widespread rainfall that's going to occur then. and a lot of snow over in the sierra. so this storm on tomorrow night into saturday is going to rank level two, a moderate storm on the exclusive abc seven storm impact scale. and it's going to be accompanied by strong, gusty wind. so a wind watch is in effect, a high wind watch in effect for the coastal areas, the entire coast of the bay area and the santa cruz mountains from tomorrow afternoon through saturday afternoon. we'll see winds out of the south, generally at 25 to 35mph, with gusts up to 45 plus miles per hour. and there's a possibility of downed trees and maybe some power outages with that, that wind event. and over in the sierra until 10:00 tonight, we have a winter storm warning in effect for much of the sierra. 6 to 12in of additional snow above 5000ft. over the higher peaks, we'll see gusts that will exceed 50mph. obviously, these are not good travel conditions. now,

i'll skip ahead and give you a quick look at the accuweather seven day forecast. and we'll have more details on this of course at abc seven news at 4:00. so for our current storm through tomorrow morning it's a level one. then on saturday we get that stronger storm with the gusty, potentially damaging winds. that's a level two storm, maybe even up to a level three. as we look at the impacts accumulating from this system, we get a little bit of a break on sunday, but monday rain returns under breezy conditions with another level one system. it looks like the remainder of next week, or at least the middle part of next week. we will be drying out, but i'll have more details again on abc seven news at four. karina. >> all right, spencer, thank you. and you can stay with abc seven news and abc seven news.com for storm watch as we track the continuing rain. and don't forget to use the abc seven news bay area app to access the same live doppler seven tool. spencer and our entire weather team uses developing news on the franklin fire burning in malibu. l.a.

fire officials say improved weather yesterday helped them make some progress, but winds are picking back up today. shifting winds are expected to push smoke as far east as downtown l.a. the fire is at just more than 4000 acres and is 7% contained. flames have destroyed nine homes. malibu's mayor says the destruction could have been much worse, but the city and county put new wildfire response plans in place following the 2018 woolsey fire. wildfire in l.a. county that destroyed more than 1600 structures. >> one of the big changes that happened in that is, instead of escalating fire response based upon as the fire develops, everything is turned over. now it's now. everybody rolls will back them off if we don't need them. and they were pre-positioned on monday night because of the red flag warnings that the weather service had given us, and they were able to respond quickly and enforce. >> evacuation orders are still in place for thousands of

people, and the power is out for many. 99 year old actor dick van dike says one of his cats was missing when he and his wife left their home. mark hamill, of star wars fame, says he's under lockdown orders. pepperdine university got its power back yesterday and officials say a shelter in place order on campus has been lifted. at its peak, officials say the franklin fire burned areas larger than five football fields per minute. investigators are digging deeper into the past of luigi mangione, the man accused of killing unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson. it comes as they build a forensic case against mangione before he's extradited to new york from pennsylvania. sources tell abc news that prosecutors in new york are already presenting evidence to a grand jury. abc news reporter reena roy has the latest developments in the case. >> investigators say they're building a comprehensive case against the suspected killer of unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson. and now sources tell

abc news prosecutors of the manhattan district attorney's office have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury as they work to secure an indictment against luigi mangione. >> you confident you have the right guy in the shooting of brian thompson? >> well, i'll start by saying, obviously, this is a profound, profoundly disturbing, as we've alleged murder, and we would not charge the person. we didn't think it was the person. and we're prepared to go forward. >> going forward for new york city authorities means getting mangione back to new york. he's currently being held without bail in pennsylvania. >> we will get the defendant here and bring him to justice through our court proceeding. >> mangione fighting extradition. his lawyer says he'll plead not guilty to all charges against him. detectives looking at luigi mangione's past evidence they say he had on him

during his arrest and clues from the manhattan crime scene. according to investigators, mangione's fingerprints match a water bottle and snack wrapper near the shooting, and the gun found in his possession matches shell casings at the scene. investigators taking a close look at that 3d printed gun or ghost gun allegedly in his possession. >> it's something we're seeing more and more in use. >> sources say mangione's notebook reveals an alleged plot to whack thompson at his parasitic bean counter convention, and police believe mangione may have been motivated by his disdain for the health care industry, possibly stemming from a spinal condition and severe back pain. the nypd is concerned that he's seen by some as a martyr. a new law enforcement bulletin obtained by abc news warns many social media users have outright advocated for the continued killings of ceos, with some aiming to spread fear by posting hit lists. reena roy, abc news, new york. >> we will continue to follow the case and luigi mangione, bay

area ties find the latest ■on ac seven news.com and our abc seven bay area app. here's an insurance headline you don't hear often. company is taking on thousands of new customers. it comes as promises are made about sweeping insurance reforms in california. we'll learn what this means for homeowners and renters and have a look at the changes ahead. also, the daetz to know to get that gif

this, with a major insurer changing course, saying it will add more homeowners policies. last year, farmers insurance, the state's second largest insurer, had capped the number

of new residential insurance policies. it would write to 7000. the company said it was due to rising inflation and severe weather events. farmers now says it will increase that cap to 9500 new customers per month, including home, condo and renter policies. yesterday's farm. yesterday, a farmers spokesperson said the expansion is due to new upcoming insurance reforms. let's get more information on those insurance reforms and if that means other insurance providers could expand service in california. we're getting some answers today from amy bach, the executive director with united policyholders, a national nonprofit created to help consumers with insurance. amy, thank you so much for being here. >> my pleasure. >> fill us in a little bit about this decision by farmers insurance. what do these numbers mean and what does this represent? >> so it represents a signal, we hope a signal that other insurers will soon follow. and now that insurers have gotten a lot of their wish list items

that they said they needed to be able to do business again in california and increase consumer options again, that those things that have been done would lead them to come back in. so farmers announcement is a welcome first step. we're hoping to hear similar announcements from other insurers. >> yeah that would be great news. so does this move seem as a win for policyholders across the board then? >> it is a win. it's a small win i don't want to, you know, raise people's expectations too much. but united policyholders and our partners across the state have been working very, very hard to promote risk reduction and to help restore insurers confidence in the marketplace. this is a sign that it's working. the commissioner has said now that the regulations that his agency has put out are being finalized, that insurers would start to come back. so this is the first sign that that is happening. >> that's great, i guess. and in

april, allstate said it would consider writing new homeowner policies in the state. is this the beginning of more affordable and available insurance in california? because we've heard so many people having problems finding homeowner insurance, new home buyers, and people who already have homes. >> so i do want to caution your viewers that this is a this is a sign of increased availability, right? increased options. maybe people won't have as many people won't have to go to the fair plan, which is expensive and very thin coverage. it doesn't speak to affordability. for affordability, we need competition and we need continued rate regulation. the department has committed to continuing to review rate filings, make sure they're not excessive. but what we do need is competition. that's what's really going to get the prices a little bit more back down to earth for consumers. >> we'll talk about that fair plan in just a moment. but our seven on your side team has been

covering this. insurance commissioner ricardo lara's office says it continues, quote, bold insurance reform. are you seeing that and what are some changes the office is making or promising to make? >> well, from you know, they are bold in the sense that we are now going to allow insurers to use what are called cap models to set their rates, which is something that california has not allowed in the past. we are worried that that's going to lead to higher rates. but the department has committed to continue to really scrutinize those filings to make sure that even with those models being used, that insurers are not overstating risk and going overboard. they've also made some changes to the fair plan to reduce insurers burden related to the fire plan. and, you know, those things are significant. the department has also taken steps to expedite the rate filings and approvals, which is one of insurers biggest beefs, that it took too long for them to be able to get their rate increases approved. and in

today's era, with inflation and increasingly severe weather events and wildfires that they need, those rate increases. tough pill for us to swallow as a consumer group. but insurers have made their case, and hopefully we're going to keep moving forward to a restored, more normal marketplace. >> do these changes impact people in fire risk areas, or renters and fire risk areas in any different way now? >> yes, because there is this another thing that the commissioner did was say that in return for insurers being able to use those cap models in their rates, that they have to write up to 85% of their market share in what they call distressed areas. so that will be those wildland urban interface areas, those suburban areas where your lot backs up into to a wooded area, for example. those are the areas that have gotten the hardest hit, and the commissioner is expecting insurers to do their part and step up and write more homes in

those areas. as a result of his sustainable insurance strategy. so hopefully insurers are going to hold up their end of the bargain. >> and, amy, many insurance companies are hiking premiums or they're dropping customers. what are some suggestions you have for those who lost or can no longer afford coverage? >> so number one, you want to bundle. you want to have your home and your car insured with the same company to get a discount there. number two, you want to find out from your insurer all the discounts that they make available, and then submit proof that if you can qualify for those discounts. number three, you want to carry a high deductible. don't file small claims, and then work with a good agent or broker to really shop and find the best deal for you. if you go to an insurance agent and they say nothing for here for you but the fair plan, try at least one other agent before you go to the fair plan, because that may just be a case where that agent didn't have an

appointment with with a company that would be willing to write. maybe someone else can help you. >> amy, thank you so much. a lot of good information there. we will be talking to you soon, i'm sure. >> okay. thanks for having me on. >> of course, tis the season for tipping from babysitters to mail carriers. we're getting tips on who should get

year. those leading the list include housekeepers, child care providers, landscapers, and mail carriers. so how do you figure out how much to give? reporter patrick cornell has tips on holiday tipping. >> reporter it's the season of giving. and when it comes to giving out tips this holiday, who should be on your list and why? >> it's a nice thing to do, but a lot of people depend on it. >> a recent survey by bank rate found that more than a third of

americans think tipping culture is out of control. but ted rossman says holiday tips are different than the typical tips you give out as a customer. >> holiday tipping, on the other hand, seems to be more driven by old fashioned generosity. >> when asked about tipping, 57% of americans say they plan to tip their housekeeper, 55% say they will tip their child care providers. >> we have more of a face to face relationship with a lot of these people. it's not as transactional as it is at, let's say, the quick service restaurant or coffee shop. >> so how much should you give if you're feeling extra generous? rossman recommends to double their weekly pay. also on the list of who to tip, landscapers and gardeners, mail carriers, teachers and trash and recycling collectors. but rossman says some municipalities discourage tips, so double check with your town or city. >> it's best to pool with other classmates families because it takes some of the awkwardness out of, like, how much everybody gave. >> the final tip make sure to

include that money when you are setting your holiday budget. i'm patrick cornell. >> time is running out to finish your holiday shopping and shipping. the usps deadline for ground shipping is december 18th. that's next wednesday. you have until saturday, the 21st for priority mail express. the fedex shipping deadline is december 17th or the 24th with same day shipping. the deadline for usps is the 19th or the 23rd, with next day air. there's a new dining trend in san francisco, and it has nothing to do with the food. our media partner, the san francisco standard,

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i've noticed they're getting smaller. our media partner, the san francisco standard, looked into this in an article titled restaurants are getting tinier and we're big into it. so why is the trend for fewer tables and tighter spaces? joining us live now is sara desmond, substandard food editor who worked on a series of stories about san francisco's restaurant scene and how it's changing. so she's here to explain. thank you so much for being here. first, is this a new trend for restaurants to occupy smaller spaces, or have we been moving in this direction for a while? >> i would say it's definitely a trend that's happening and there's an economic reason for it. and then there's the joy that we experience on our end as diners. the economic reason is that it's less expensive to rent or lease a space that's smaller. and the joy of it for us is that it allows us to feel the energy you feel when you are in a small restaurant. >> and how small are we talking about? can you give us some

examples? >> yeah, yeah. so i think four kings is the example that comes to mind because it just won restaurant of the year from esquire and bon appetit. best restaurants of the year. it's the chinatown restaurant that's a cantonese american restaurant. it's really great. i don't know if you've been there, but it's 36 seats. and so when you walk in, it's almost always full and bustling and it feels great. but, you know, from an economic point of view it's cheaper to rent. but it's also labor is really expensive right now. so you're seeing restaurants try to control labor. and the fewer people you have to serve, the fewer people you have to hire to serve those people. >> right. but does that mean people are waiting to get into those restaurants longer? i mean, what's that experience like? if it's a smaller restaurant, fewer seats? yeah. >> i mean, there's another example, soba katsu, which is a teeny little soba restaurant. and that restaurant, people will wait for like an hour to get in to just have soba. you know, there's that thing of waiting in line. it's actually something people kind of like to do. it's

like sort of a little slightly masochistic style of dining, but i think it creates the buzz and excitement that you're going to get in and you're going to get a seat, and there's a little victory once you get in. >> let's talk about some of your other reporting on fine dining that states these high end restaurants, they're taking over san francisco's and the mid-level restaurants. they're going extinct. is that happening? can you tell us more about that? >> yeah. so i reported this story, and it's something that started when i spoke to craig stoll, who's the chef owner of delfina in the mission district, which, you know, is a pretty seminal restaurant. and he was just saying that the mid-level restaurant, for lack of better words, is sort of a really unsustainable business model at this point. it hasn't always been, i would say in the early 2000, we had nopa, we had state bird provisions, you had liholiho yacht club, rich table, all these wonderful restaurants. and i think those are the kinds of restaurants san francisco has become pretty renowned for, like very well executed but pretty casual restaurants. so in the

past, since about 2019, 2021, there's been about 20 fine dining restaurants that have opened, and they're really shaping the rest of the scene in a very different way. and there's both economic reasons for that and a lot of passion reasons for that. >> okay. and sara, this is a series that you've done on how restaurants are changing in san francisco. can you tell us a little bit more about that and what people can read about? >> yeah, so we dropped eight different stories on monday all at once. and it includes it runs the gamut. so we have 20 best meals of the year that i and myself and lauren sarria, my deputy food editor, wrote, we have a really fun article about why bakeries are becoming like the new cult, like the cult of obsession. so you're speaking of lines. people are waiting outside at butter and crumble. they're waiting outside of the set. all these wonderful patisseries have opened. and i would say that's where the most creative stuff is happening. and then the rest of the articles are some on the small restaurants. and then there's

also one on how restaurants, restaurants without smoke and fire are becoming a more economical choice, but also causing really creative menus. >> lots to read about. i've been one of those people waiting at butter and crumble, but it's worth it. sara, thank you so much. >> did you wait? >> oh yeah, an hour and a half. but it's okay. it was worth it. thank you sara, so much. i look forward to reading all those. and you can check out more of the san francisco standard's other original reporting on their website, sf standard.com. and abc7 will continue to bring you more segments featuring the standard's city focused journalism every tuesday right here on abc seven news at 3 p.m. thank you for joining us. world news tonight with david muir starts now. i'll see you back here at four. tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. abc news learning multiple search warrants have been issued in the ceo murder case. tonight, investigators trying to get into suspect