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cdc confirms the first severe case in the us. good afternoon, i'm kristen z. we'll have the latest on the bird flu in just a moment. but first. developing right out of milpitas, police are about to hold an update after four people, including two children, were found dead inside an apartment tuesday night. police made the discovery inside the touring apartments just before 9:00 last night, and the complex is located across the street from the great mall. investigators say two adults, a male and a female, along with two children, were found dead after officers were called to the apartment to do a welfare check. and that's when they found the victims, all showing what police described as obvious signs of death. police say this is an isolated incident and is no danger to the public. we'll update you as soon as we know more from police. new developments. governor newsom has declared a state of emergency in california over the bird flu. the governor says he's taking the threat posed by the virus seriously. this

declaration will give government agencies extra resources and the flexibility to respond to the virus. and it comes as the cdc confirms the first severe case of bird flu in the u.s. officials say a person is hospitalized in louisiana after exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. it is the first severe case and the first case linked to a backyard flock in the u.s. the cdc says the immediate risk from bird flu remains low. no known cases of person to person spread. heavy fog that caused ground stops at bay area airports this morning has lifted now and is shaping up to be a beautiful day, but it won't last very long with more rain on the way. here's abc seven meteorologist drew tuma. >> it feels very nice temperatures right now in the 40s and 50s, but later on we'll mainly be in the low to mid 60s later on this afternoon with increasing sunshine across the board. now late tonight through tomorrow, we do have a beach hazard statement in effect along our entire coastline. waves are

slightly elevated right now, but through tomorrow we could see breakers up to 13ft. so we do have the risk of sneaker waves and rip currents along our coast. starting this evening at 6 p.m, lasting through 6 p.m. tomorrow. so just be aware of that overnight. tonight we will watch that fog around the central valley sacramento valley try and make its way through the carquinez strait again and create low visibility at times. overnight lows are on the chilly side, 30s and low 40s as we head into thursday. so here's live doppler seven along with satellite. we're finding our storm track still well to the north, but we do have storms brewing out here in the pacific, and some of these will start to enter the forecast over the weekend. but heavier rain is actually forecast for next week. look at the rain outlook for next week. and it's really much of the west coast that is going to see above average rainfall. and really, northern california has a high chance of seeing above average rainfall. and at times we could see some minor flooding risk, especially monday and tuesday as some storms roll

through here. so let's go hour by hour, show you what we're talking about saturday. this is a fast moving storm. it's very light in nature. we're talking about light rain at times, a breeze here or there. another storm enters the picture here on sunday. this is sunday evening at 8 p.m, but it's really monday and tuesday. on christmas eve we could have some very heavy rain at times and some gusty winds. here's a look at christmas eve. this is at noon and it's very wet, not only here locally, but in the sierra. we're likely tracking some snow falling at that hour. looking at the next seven days when it comes to rainfall, we'll add to these totals. a lot of us likely finding 1 to 2in of rain through christmas eve and a little bit higher in the north bay could see 2 to 3in there. here's the accuweather seven day forecast the next seven days for you, showing you increasing sunshine today. mainly dry tomorrow and friday. and then as winter arrives. rain returns here saturday morning. it's a level one. we'll have some evening showers on sunday and then it's monday evening through christmas eve. it looks wet and windy, but

christmas day and hanukkah do look dry. >> the biden administration says california can move forward with its rollout of a ban on new gas powered vehicles by 2035. that's become a model for similar bans in other states and is much stricter than the federal law. however, the state will be required to seek authorization on its rules. it's the most aggressive regulation yet to win approval from the epa. the epa said it found no evidence the new rule would be inconsistent with the federal clean air act. president elect trump has criticized california's emission rules in the past, and he might fight with the state over its plan. a major announcement from the federal reserve today, slashing interest rates for the third time this year, something most economists have been predicting. here's abc news reporter lionel moise. with the new benchmark and how that impacts borrowing. >> some relief for borrowers in the midst of the holiday shopping season, the federal reserve slashed its benchmark interest rate for the third time this year, cutting interest

rates by a quarter of a percentage point. fed chair jerome powell making the announcement this afternoon. >> with today's action, we have lowered our policy rate by a full percentage point from its peak. and our policy stance is now significantly less restrictive. >> this follows a cut of a quarter of a percentage point last month, and a larger than usual half point cut back in september. this, as the central bank dials back its fight against inflation, bringing those borrowing costs down for households and for businesses. >> think about your credit card rates, your auto loan rates. >> while inflation overall has been trending down, americans are still feeling the impact. with two consecutive months of rising inflation. last month's consumer price index showed prices rose 2.7% compared to this time last year. >> remember, it was at 9% in june of 2022. so we're getting closer to the fed's 2% target. food and energy. over the span of a few years, we're still paying a lot more for. and that's and that's a consideration for the fed.

>> this was the final interest rate decision before the inauguration of president elect donald trump, who has been at odds with fed chair jerome powell since his first term in office. trump has said the president should have a role in setting interest rates, which would be a major shift from the norm of the federal reserve being politically independent. lionel moise, abc news, new york. >> the supreme court says it will hear arguments next month over banning tiktok. a federal law could ban tiktok in the u.s. if the chinese parent company does not sell it. on january 10th, the justices will be discussing whether that's constitutional. tiktok has more than 170 million users in the u.s, a stunning reversal on capitol hill this morning, the house ethics committee has secretly voted to release their report into former congressman matt gaetz. we should see the report before lawmakers leave washington for the holidays. the report was issued after a multiyear investigation. gaetz was nominated by president elect trump to be attorney general, but ultimately withdrew his name

amid accusations of sexual misconduct, drug use, sharing inappropriate images on the house floor and other ethical issues, all believed to be detailed in the report. in a statement posted onto x, gaetz wrote my 30s were an era of working very hard and playing hard to. it's embarrassing, though not criminal, that i probably partied womanized drank and smoked more than i should have earlier in life. i live a different life now. a holiday tradition that helps people in need across the country actually originated in san francisco. we're talking about the salvation army's red kettle campaign, but that's not the only work the organization does in the bay area. abc seven news reporter lena howland shows us one program that some call a second chance gallery. merry christmas. >> being out on the street had a different meaning just a few months ago, for 61 year old timothy stewart smoking crack cocaine. >> like i said, living on the streets, not taking showers,

being 61 years old, life is getting shorter. and i realized that. and i didn't want to die out there on those streets. >> but life took a turn four months ago when he ordered a cab without a dollar to his name. >> i got in the cab and i went to close the door, and i heard the voice say, talk to the man, talk to him, and i started crying. i said, sir, i don't have any money. and he said, well, where are you going? and i said, i'm on drugs and i need help. i'm trying to get to detox at harbor lights. he said, close the door. >> i'll take you to the salvation army. harbor light center serves as a six month treatment program for drugs and alcohol. lieutenant andrea finch says it exemplifies the salvation army's mission. >> everything we do is motivated by the love of god to meet human needs for suffering humanity without discrimination. and so everything that we do with our social services, our emergency disaster and our treatment programs all stems from that. >> and for stewart, the program has made all the difference.

>> it was nothing but love. absolutely it was. and i felt it instantly. i felt it instantly, i felt it, and i still feel it until this moment. the opportunities that they're giving me, they're giving me a second chance at a first class life. and i'm going to take advantage of it. >> he's just a really grabbed hold of joy, because really, joy and hope is going to be the key to success. >> now sober, just blocks away from where he used to buy drugs from. he's ringing a bell for the red kettle campaign in san francisco's famous union square, collecting change to help other people fighting through similar struggles. >> it's not about me and the people before me went out and rung the bell and due to me being here, i get to reap the benefits of them standing out there. so the people who come behind me, i want them to reap the benefits. >> in a few months, he'll move on to the next program at the salvation army, and eventually he has high hopes to serve as a drug resource counselor.

>> when you hear those bells, just know that your change is making a change in someone's life. >> in san francisco. lena howland abc seven news. >> yes, the salvation army harbor light center has two red kettles set up right now, one in union square and another at the san francisco costco. all proceeds go right back to the harbor light center. they will be out every night, bell ringing through christmas eve. encouraging news for women having trouble getting pregnant. the world's first baby is born after being conceived using a revolutionary fertility procedure. we'll talk about the pros and cons of this process

women of childbearing age have trouble getting pregnant. that's why in vitro fertilization is big business. ivf has been fairly successful at raising the live birth rate. however, it is a difficult process. that's why it's getting a lot of attention this week when the world's first baby born in peru, after being conceived using a revolutionary ivf procedure. fertility is a process developed by boston based company called gamito, and it uses engineered ovarian support cells to mature eggs outside the body. joining us live more now to talk about this process. the pros and cons. doctor josh klein, ob gyn at the icahn school of mount sinai in new york. doctor klein, thanks for joining us. >> thank you so much for having me. >> yeah, this is getting a lot of attention worldwide, for obvious reasons. but explain to us the key differences between this new ivf procedure that resulted in the baby in peru and traditional ivf. >> absolutely. yeah. this is a very exciting development. you

know, ivf has been in existence since the late 1970s, but in certain ways there's been many advances, and in certain ways we've been slow to advance in terms of the requirements for patients to achieve ivf. one of the most challenging parts of the ivf process is for women to take injection medications for about 10 to 14 days to help eggs mature inside the body before we remove them, in order to fertilize them and create embryos. the breakthrough here is that the technology developed, called furlough, enables us to reduce the medication and the time needed for the eggs to develop by about 80%, and so it can really have a huge impact on how burdensome and costly the process for ivf is, which, of course, can help a lot more women to access fertility care in a way that currently hasn't been available. >> so it sounds like it is more convenient and more comfortable and an easier process, if you will. right? for the eggs. but

what about in terms of ultimately resulting in a fertilized embryo and birth? are the rates any different? do we have that data yet or not yet? >> well, it really cuts both ways because i think that to on the one hand, as you just said, by reducing the amount of medication, the amount of time and the whole experience for the patients, it's a big advance on the experience. at the same time, routinely during ivf treatments. today, about 20 to 30% of eggs on average are immature, and they're essentially a write off. each egg that we retrieve is really, really precious, and egg is a ticket to a baby. and so by leveraging this technology, the more that we can use laboratory technology to mature eggs outside the body, the more we can boost the opportunities for women to have success with ivf and fertility treatment. >> which groups might benefit most from this new procedure? >> well, i think it's a broad based advancement in the entire

industry. i think that the two main categories of fertility treatment, whether it's going to have the most obvious impact, is traditional ivf, meaning for women who are struggling to get pregnant, as well as egg freezing. egg freezing has become a major driver of what we do day to day in the world of fertility. and for egg freezing women who are trying to plan their future fertility, the ability to retrieve a higher number of eggs with less medication is really, really crucial. cost is such a barrier to treatment, and the experience is a barrier to treatment. and by reducing those barriers, a lot more women will be able to achieve success in the future. >> are there any downsides or side effects to consider here? >> yeah, no. that's a super important question. and this is a technology that's not currently available in the us for clinical application. my colleagues at extend fertility in new york city have been a clinical research partner for the company that's developing

developing the technology. phase three trials are planned for next year to help make sure that we understand the full implications for the safety and any potential downsides. but what they've been able to do thus far is really lay the groundwork for the idea that the technology works. the eggs that are matured outside the body seem to be in every way that we can measure, equivalent to eggs that have matured inside the body. and so thus far, the data have been really encouraging that this is something that can bring a lot more opportunity without any known specific downsides. >> so this sounds like there are a few more steps. so do we have any sort of a sense for a timeline for when it might be a process we can do here in the us? >> yeah. what's amazing is that this has really been a technology that's been on the fast track. i mean, we've been doing some of the basic studies over the last couple of years, and there's going to be most likely a phase three trial data coming out in the next 1 or 2 years. so in the world of medical research, i mean, that's

a pretty fast timeline. so hopefully within the next couple of years, this may be entering the mainstream of clinical fertility care. >> so does this bring down the cost? >> absolutely. the medications are a major driver of the cost of fertility treatment. and if we can knock down the cost of medications by even 60, 70 or 80%, i mean, that's going to really, really change the calculus in terms of cost being a barrier to access and care, right? >> i mean, this is, you know, something that not every insurance plan covers. so we'll see if this changes that. finally, in the 30s we have left, is there any other exciting new procedure or process in the future in terms of fertility treatments in the bigger picture? >> yeah, i think we're very fortunate to be living in an age where we're seeing a lot of advances, you know, sort of the generation one, generation two of ivf and fertility treatment are now behind us. but we moved on to a lot of genetic testing in the laboratory. and there are hopefully other developments that are forthcoming with regard

to medications, because that's a big area of burden in the world of fertility care. and that's something that we hope to continue to see that we'll be able to innovate in that, in that direction. >> all right. >> doctor josh klein, thank you so much for coming on today to share more about fertility. we appreciate the information. >> thank you so much for having me. >> up next, sweet georgia brown will soon be playing in bay area arenas. we'll talk with one of the harlem globetrotters about their upcomin

we're talking about the harlem globetrotters. next month, you can see them several times in the east bay and the south bay and the city. on our midday show today, abc7 news anchor julian glover talked with joey hotrod, dela rosa from the globetrotters. >> you think globetrotters? you instantly get excited. you think back to when you got to see them for the first time as a kid. yeah. talk to us about what

you're doing in the bay right now. >> i don't know, just, you know, going out there letting everybody know, hey, the globetrotters are coming to town. you got to get your tickets. make sure you go out there and see the harlem globetrotters. this is not your average basketball game. you're going to see some amazing tricks. you're going to see some trick shots. you're going to see some slam dunks. but i can't tell them everything. >> you can't. >> they gotta come. they gotta go to the website harlem globetrotters.com january 19th at the chase center 3 p.m. and if they can't make that, we'll be up the street in san jose january 18th, a day before we have two games up there at the tech q arena, and it's at two and 7 p.m. if they can't make the chase center. so i think it's pretty cool. you should they should definitely come out. >> they definitely should. and the tickets are really affordable too. i looked at them online. they're about 50 bucks i don't know. >> i don't deal with ticketing. so but i know they're affordable. yeah, it's a good late christmas gift. it is for sure. and it's something it's family friendly like it's not. you don't have to be a kid to come to a harlem globetrotters game. you can be an older a young adult, or you could be

somebody elderly. and it brings back memories, because i know a lot of these older people, they say, i remember watching the harlem globetrotters in 1966, and i'd be like, well, do you remember me from 1966? because i haven't aged a bit. >> you all make it such a cool, family friendly environment. it's always fun. you all are always showing out a trick shots too. but i got to brag on you a little bit because right now you're like, just doing stuff in the bay area, going to schools, meeting and greeting with the kids. tell us about how inspiring that is and what that does for you all. >> for the for me, for me. a quick story about myself. julian. when i was nine years old, the harlem globetrotters came to my school on 183rd street in the bronx in new york city. you're from new york? yes, of course, most definitely. no. you're from new, of course. and they was doing all these fancy tricks that i go out there and do today. and i was like, wow. later that day, i had to tell somebody. i told my mom, i told my dad, and i said, mom, i'm going to be a basketball player. my mom is like, joey, you're so

short, you can't be a basketball player. i said, mom, i just saw these guys coming to pearson elementary. you were short. i was short back then i was short. >> you're like seven what? >> 77171 now? and i said, mom, that i was inspired to play the game of basketball. i went on to play at mount vernon academy, which was the number one high school in the country for basketball, where i had the opportunity to get recruited by colleges, and then from there go on and play overseas. so a lot of full circle moments. but to answer your questions, i know how much of an inspiration it is for me when i go into these schools and these hospitals and i do these tricks and i'm talking to them and telling them to stay positive and keep that good energy up, like i know i'm inspiring them in that very moment. >> you can't have a bad day when you're, you know, hanging out with someone from the harlem globetrotters because you all, again, are just so much fun, uplifting. it's like a breath of fresh air when you all walk in the room, for sure. okay, let's talk about these trick shots, because obviously that's what you all are known for. i read online that your favorite trick shot is the skyhook shot. it's a

skyhook. i don't know that we have enough space in the studio right now for you to do the skyhook, but tell us about that, and then maybe you can show us a trick or two. >> for me, it's definitely about the skyhook. for me, i feel like it's the most efficient and effective way to score the ball. as a big guy. i'm seven one, i'm close to the basket. i just skyhook it or jump hook or shot hook and it's there. >> if you miss a layup, we're gonna have some problems. >> oh no, no, i ain't missing no legs. i guarantee you that. i guarantee you that. there it is. i learned that a long time ago. but definitely for me that's my favorite. you know, basketball shot. yes, sir. some people say it's a trick shot just because of the way you have to shoot it. but some people shoot the skyhook, like from half court like us as harlem globetrotters, because shooting it right there, five foot away from the basket is regular. >> yeah, anybody can do that. steph curry could do that. right. >> exactly. but can he shoot it from half court going like this. you know. so that's my that's my favorite trick shot. >> we got about 30s left in the studio. you got something you can show us that doesn't take

the for sure for sure. >> so definitely right here the space is limited. there it is. so i'm gonna bring the ball and i'm gonna give you the iconic ball spin. so right here, give me a sec. >> there it is. there it is. >> you see me? >> and that's the thing that gets every kid that sees you on the school motivated, wanting to go to a game. joey, we got to give folks the information one more time. we have a graphic that will put up on the screen now, letting everyone know where and when they can check you all out. so oakland arena, friday, january the 17th, 7 p.m. we got down in san jose. you're going to be there january 18th, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. so two chances and then also chase center. sunday, january the 19th. >> all right. looks lik

and abc is your home to watch your favorite artists in one place. abc is bringing you the heart radio iheartradio jingle ball 2024 tonight. the annual concert has an incredible lineup of performers this year. it's hosted by ryan seacrest. >> i love this show because it really does kick off the season. this is the time of year we have so much fun this time of year, and we have a chance to bring on artists that we've known for a while and new artists to. >> this year, the lineup includes meghan trainor, katy perry, 21 pilots, gracie abrams, shaboozey, benson boone and paris hilton. you can watch it right here on abc seven at eight. if you missed it, you tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. the two major storms moving in, just as millions now begin their holiday travel. also tonight, the plane crash, the pilot saying, "we are out of control