right now. >> oh. cloudy skies will soon become rainy skies. the first of several storms is winding up offshore and is about to hit the bay area. good afternoon. i'm kristen sze. it's going to be a wet couple of days as several

storms line up to bring a good amount of rain to the bay area. so let's get to abc seven news meteorologist drew tuma for a look at when this rain will start today. >> here's a look at the abc seven storm impact scale. a level one tonight through tomorrow morning. the rain is widespread. rainfall totals between half of an inch and an inch. and of course, we're monitoring our coastline for that high surf. here's live doppler seven along with satellite. the wider view showing you those light showers in northern california. this area of low pressure right here is responsible for the widespread rain later on this evening. so future weather, 4 p.m. it's pretty quiet, but watch that rain really fill in here later on this evening. by 8 p.m. we're tracking light rain early tomorrow morning. we're talking 1 to 3 in the morning. we'll likely find some scattered downpours out there as this system moves through. rainfall estimates about a half of an inch to an inch, and it's over about a 24 hour period. so not really worried about flooding, but be aware at night you may encounter some standing water on

our freeways. so today we have those cloudy skies. rain moving in tonight. upper 50s, lower 60s. tonight it stays pretty mild with those showers moving through. we're mainly in the low and mid 50s, so the accuweather seven day forecast shows you widespread evening rain wet and breezy. tomorrow morning. we'll keep those scattered showers through the weekend into next week. what a different picture sunshine. a nice dry start to the new year on wednesday. >> all right. today a new ordinance in santa clara county takes effect to clear homeless encampments near creeks and rivers. the valley water department passed the ordinance last month to clean up 300 miles of waterways and the surrounding areas. last week, san jose's mayor joined an outreach effort to tell about 1000 people living in encampments about these new rules. san jose is spending $27 million on cleanup and housing for people being displaced. >> they come in different forms. this is safe parking and safe sleeping. prefabricated modular units converted motels. most of the units will be rooms with a

door that locks. >> enforcement of this ordinance will not begin until january 2nd. people living in encampments will have 72 hours to relocate or face a misdemeanor charge with a fine. firefighters deliver toys to a local hospital this week with young patients who don't, who can't be home for the holidays. the story of how one of those patients ended up in the hospital made headlines this month after a frightening fire. abc seven news reporter zach fuentes spoke with him and his mother about what this special delivery means. >> thank you for saving me. saving me? >> ruston houston and his mom, holly nelson, have a lot to be grateful for this holiday season. after this fire destroyed their home. it happened earlier this month. their home sat just above the brookdale post office in the santa cruz mountains. it happened while the family was asleep. some of them made it out quickly, but ruston was still inside. >> i was terrified, i didn't know what to do.

>> holly and her fiance were frantic outside. her fiance busted a window trying to get ruston out, injuring himself in the process. each second agonizing. >> any mom's like worst fear is something like that happening. like i never, ever experienced that. i don't ever, ever wish that for anybody, especially if you have kids. >> holly says it was a ben lomond firefighter who saved her son's life. >> nick burgess is the firefighter that pulled him out and i just wanted to tell him, thank you so much. >> that gratitude extended to all local firefighters, including the santa clara county fire department, who delivered toys to ruston and other patients at santa clara valley medical center. youth patients who can't make it home for the holidays. >> the support that we got from the community and from from everyone, and now the firefighters is just overwhelming, so amazing. we're just so grateful for everything that christmas. >> ariel, the firefighters are just as thrilled by the special day.

>> very heartwarming. you know, it's definitely a little emotional, but and we're just very excited that we can do this for these children today. >> ruston is still recovering from burns and smoke inhalation. the family is without a home and will be staying in a local hotel. still, ruston and holly are grateful that the rest of their loved ones who escaped the fire are out of the hospital, and ruston is excited about joining them. >> i really feel like there was somebody watching over him that night in san jose. >> zach fuentes, abc seven news. >> lyft is accusing the city of san francisco of overcharging the company by $100 million in taxes over the past five years. bloomberg first reported that lyft is now suing the city, claiming its tax calculations incorrectly include a driver compensation as part of its revenue. a spokesperson for the san francisco city attorney's office told the chronicle they are reviewing the complaint and will respond accordingly. the legal battle is part of a broader debate over how gig economy companies like lyft should be taxed, given their reliance on independent

contractors rather than traditional employees. today was the final day for people to stop and smell the roses, as they say at the san francisco flower mart in the south of market. the market is moving to a smaller venue in potrero hill. abc seven news reporter gloria rodriguez spoke with vendors about this big change. reporter. >> the san francisco flower market opening for the last time at its soma location thursday. next week, it's moving to a new spot at 16th and mississippi streets in the potrero hill neighborhood. for some, it will be hard to say goodbye. after nearly six decades on sixth and brannan streets. >> melancholy. it's. i feel like i grew up in this market. there's a lot of folks that have mixed feelings right now. everyone. everyone loved to stay here. no one likes change. we've been in this facility since 1956. we've been in this city since 1912. this is the fourth

move that we're making in our in our existence. and it's a little sad, but it's also really positive. >> caitlin davenport buys flowers there for events and is looking at the positive. >> it would be nice to see it in a new location. a little bit more convenient. >> 96 year old william nava agrees. >> i have a lot of nice experience and made a nice living in this business, so i'm happy now to see it moving to more efficient building. >> he and his family were growers and he is now a wholesaler in the industry. >> because i'm the only one surviving from the opening day of the market. >> so you're here opening day and closing day. >> i was here, yes, i was here. opening and closing. >> san francisco flower market executive director jeanie bowes says 23 of the current 35 vendors are moving to the new location, with some retiring. >> we're becoming a 501 c3 to support floral agriculture in

northern california, to suppress the rents for the vendors here and keep the prices stable. it's a very tricky business to do in a city as expensive as san francisco and as expensive as california, it's hard to be a grower of any kind in california right now. so we are here to support an industry that employs a lot of californians. >> the new market opens on january 2nd in san francisco. gloria rodriguez, abc seven news. >> today is the first day of the week long celebration of kwanzaa. kwanzaa was created in 1966 as a non-religious way for african americans to reconnect with ancestral roots. it is celebrated every year from december 20th 6th to january 1st. a candle is lit each night on a seven branch candelabra called the kinara. the candles include one black, three red, and three green to represent the people, the struggle, and the future. the san francisco city

hall will also be lit up in those colors in celebration tonight. in the spirit of the season, the humane society of silicon valley found a way to turn tragedy into triumph. abc seven news reporter monica madden tells us some families received a special christmas delivery from the shelter. >> come on over. sometimes the best christmas gifts are the ones you won't find under the tree. it's for you guys. >> really? yes. you heard what? you're in shock. >> so, wait, are you guys, like, here? yes. we're serious. this is real. >> these south bay parents are surprising their kids with perhaps the best gift of all. a brand new puppy delivered right to their door. >> they said, oh, we're going to go check the mailbox. >> oh, a christmas miracle made possible with a little outside help. >> santa's elves reporting for duty. >> thanks to the humane society of silicon valley's holiday delivery special, connecting fosters directly with adopters so that the dogs go from one home to the other and never go back to the shelter.

>> jack, are you excited about the new puppy? yes. >> a gift blessing other south bay families this christmas morning. >> we're very excited. completed the house today. >> the serendipity followed. setback. >> we just had a very huge fire at humane society. it was really tragic. and half of our facility is ruined and will need to be completely renovated. and everybody showed up to pitch in and we were able to get over 100 animals adopted this week into great homes. and we're just trying to keep the faith. >> luckily, last week's fire at the shelter didn't hurt any volunteers or animals, but made adoptions all the more important. >> if you are ready to adopt a puppy or kitten, come to humane society in milpitas and all of your adoption fees will be covered. >> this year, the gifts bringing glee to more than just the families. >> best christmas present to us too, as volunteers. being able to see animals go into great homes and being able to know

that we bring joy as well with the work that we're doing. >> furry friends bringing comfort and joy. thank you joy for many more christmas seasons to come. >> merry christmas monica madden, abc seven news. >> some last minute christmas magic helped save a holiday meal program for seniors who are not able to leave their homes. every year, the salvation army relies on volunteers to deliver meals to seniors who can't leave their homes. well, this year they had 4400 meals to deliver, but they were dozens of volunteers short. to make matters worse, thieves stole the batteries to two of their delivery trucks, but a call for help was answered. volunteers stepped up and somebody paid to replace the car batteries. >> this feels like a hallmark movie. it's a christmas miracle. people came through. we got the batteries. we? we've got the volunteers. they came in. we know that when we put the word out to this community in the bay area, they just step up. >> the salvation army also dealt

with another setback. gunshots shattered the front door of their bay view location. fortunately, that damage is already being repaired. up next, fish that can grow as big as humans. venomous snakes. we'll see how local scientists are helping federal authorities deal with exotic animals

travel around the world performing critical work to keep global environments healthy and climate ready. but in some startling cases, creatures from those environments unexpectedly come to them, landing right here in the bay area. and as abc7's dion lim learns, that's when the work begins. >> so we're offering tilapia and

earthworms today. >> it's dinner time for some hungry young fish about to hit a monster growth spurt. the specimens, called arapaima, were plucked out of the amazon in peru and illegally imported into the u.s. biologist kelsey pauling is teaching them the aquatic table manners they'll need when they're moved to a bigger tank at the steinhart aquarium at the california academy of sciences in san francisco. that's where they'll grow to roughly the size of a human. >> so having the hoop. we're hoping that when we move them into a different system, they'll still recognize this as where they get fed and they'll come up to the surface. >> she says the academy got the call after the arapaima were intercepted by u.s. fish and wildlife in l.a. wherever they were heading probably wasn't good. >> they are not good pets because they grow up to 6 to 8ft in length. they live 20 plus years, or they can and potentially cause environmental havoc if they're released into a non-native environment. >> but it's not an isolated incident. for years, the california academy of sciences has assisted fish and wildlife

as they patrol sfo and other entry points in the state, combating everything from illegal smuggling to bad decision making. >> oh for sure. i mean, there are people that are quite naive with respect to what is a poisonous animal or a plant, for example, or something that's noxious. there are people that are quite knowledgeable and can tell things apart, and still decide that they want to have those kinds of things, so they will bring them into the country. >> charles delbecq directs aquarium projects at the academy. he says their biologists routinely identify protected exotic corals illegally poached from the aquarium trade. this reptile exhibit is home to a gila monster hiding in the background between the similar beaded lizards. >> they're venomous and they will bite and they will not let go, and they slowly pump the venom into you as they do that. >> back at the office, we see the legacy of species already exploited before they even arrive in the u.s. so any products that are made from endangered species are not allowed to be brought into the country either. everything from snake skins to seahorses to

crocodiles. >> the crocodilian skull that was brought in this one actually has a strong odor to it, probably because of the way it's been coated with something. so that's why it's in this jar. >> the academy takes in many of the confiscated animals, and works with zoos and aquariums around the country to help find homes for the rest. the work can be as rewarding as it is unusual, even in the case of a soon to be giant predator. >> we also really try to focus on not only animals surviving, but also thriving because they can't go back into their native habitats. >> in san francisco. dion lim abc seven news. >> and researchers say occasionally an animal will be too large for them to handle in their current exhibits and will need to go to another facility that includes a live crocodile seized from a car in a parking lot in sacramento. okay. is your air fryer cooking up more than dinner? coming up, air fryers that could recor ♪ home sweet home ♪ there's no place like the road home. receive a $5,500 bonus on a

new 2024 audi q5 plug-in hybrid during the season of audi sales event.

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the problems with an azerbaijan airlines plane right before it crashed yesterday in kazakhstan. abc's perry russom is following new developments, including the recovery of the flight data recorder. >> a day of mourning in kazakhstan and azerbaijan. as investigators search for the cause of this deadly christmas day plane crash. new video from inside the plane shows passengers wearing oxygen masks. there appears to be damage to the plane's left wing. video taken from the ground shows the azerbaijan airlines flight in its final moments in the sky. the plane falling and rising erratically, at one point appearing to aim straight toward the ground before leveling off. about a minute later, the plane starting its final descent before crashing into a ball of fire, killing dozens. rescue teams racing to the scene searching for survivors. more than two dozen people found alive, some pulled from the plane's tail section that landed upside down, some able to limp away from the wreckage. >> one thing that is apparently clear is that the pilots were having trouble controlling the airplane, and that's probably one of the key factors in the

crash. >> of the 67 people on board, at least 38 are dead, including both pilots. russian news agencies report the plane was headed to russia and was rerouted to kazakhstan because of fog. kazakhstan authorities say a bird strike may have led to engine failure. the wall street journal reports some experts are questioning whether russian air defenses connected to the war in ukraine may have played a role in the crash. the kremlin was asked about whether russian air defenses shot at the plane. a spokesperson for the kremlin says it would be wrong to speculate before the investigation is complete. russia has been defending that area from ukrainian drone attacks. perry russom, abc news, washington. >> it was a chaotic scene last night inside the phoenix airport as a family dispute turned into a shooting. it happened at terminal four, at a restaurant outside the security perimeter. investigators say members of a family were arguing when somebody pulled out a gun and fired. three people were injured. one of them, a woman, is in critical condition. police detained two people in the parking garage, including a man

who suffered stab wounds. >> all five individuals that are involved in this incident are all known to each other. no community members or visitors were injured. >> phoenix airport operations are back to normal today. an appliance known for frying might actually be spying. experts say certain air fryers and other app connected appliances are harvesting users data. a recent report from a consumer watchdog group claims popular fryers from echostar and xiaomi are not only sharing data with companies like facebook and tiktok, but also storing users data on chinese servers. some experts are even speculating that the devices are recording your conversations. >> the chinese companies, when you load in their application, they're effectively asking for access to your microphone. now, they've produced a few excuses as to why they're asking for this information, but it's very, very suspect. >> experts say do your research on a company's data collection. read reviews when downloading the app. limit as many

permissions you give as possible. a san francisco founded retailer is downsizing significantly. the personal styling service stitch fix is shrinking its office space at one montgomery street in the financial district. stitch fix is offering 96,000ft■!s for sublease in its most recent sec filing. according to the san francisco business times, that's around 70% of their 134,000 square foot headquarters. a holiday tradition for many people in san francisco could be coming to an end. for 41 years, clancy is in the inner sunset has welcomed families shopping for christmas trees. but earlier this year, the san francisco board of education approved using the land near lawton and seventh avenue for potential site for teacher housing. the undeveloped lot that's owned by san francisco unified goes unused most of the year. it's unclear how long it will take for the housing project to actually break ground. up next, what defined 2020 for a social media catchword? a color cargo

shorts. we'll look back

christmas eve. the bald eagle has been a national emblem for nearly 250 years. appearing on official documents, the presidential flag and the great seal of the united states. but it was never officially the national bird until now. the bald eagle is indigenous to north america, from taylor and beyonce to demure and delicate to pink and green everything. 2024 was a year of obsessions in tonight's prime time special. the year 2024. abc's juju chang

taps into our passions of the year. take a look. >> oh, hello. baby. >> oh, very demure, very mindful. >> demure may be dictionary.com word of the year, but what comes to mind when thinking about our 2024 obsessions? glorious. >> glorious. oh, the year 2024. are you kidding? >> i think we are obsessed with obsessions. >> one of the most important questions in 2024 what kind of summer did you have? >> and you're gonna ask me what? brat summer was charli xcx not only went up the pop charts, she went on the pantone color chart as well. >> i think the apple is rotten right to the core and back in style. >> 90s fashion. cargo shorts are back. it's my time. >> i recognize my place in it all, and it is to not go back to wearing capri pants. >> people did go back to movie theaters in 2020 for maximum effort, especially when two of the biggest comic characters joined forces deadpool and

wolverine. >> it grossed over at the box office. >> oh come on, i blew it. after all that, the only thing they're going to remember is that godawful dismount. >> if you were to finish the sentence, moana is moana's legacy moana's soul in the just in the dna. >> moana two is a mega hit. >> finally, we're back making a splash and making history with the best thanksgiving opening ever. >> and inside out two with heightened emotions, it should be nothing but smooth sailing from hello, i'm anxiety, where can i put my stuff? and even higher box office numbers, making it the highest grossing animated movie of all time. >> i will say my butt is in seats to see new hotties in gladiator. >> we're not going to talk about gladiator two and not start with

denzel washington. girl girl girl girl girl girl girl girl girl. >> there's a rhino, there's a rhino. they flood the colosseum and there's sharks. i'm not even kidding. >> and for anyone that grew up as a theater kid, this is a golden age of cinema. wicked is finally a hollywood film. two, one action. >> can i call you elfie? well, it's a little bit perky, i know, and you can call me glinda. >> that is your name. >> let's not quarrel. >> if last year was barbiecore, this year is pink and green. starbucks, mattel, legos, you name it. there's a wicked collaboration involved. >> oh, wicked flew in with the best opening of any broadway movie adaptation ever, making it clear this year pop culture defied gravity.

>> so much, right that we enjoyed watching the year 2024 at 9:00 tonight, and on monday you can catch the niners very last home game of the season right here on abc seven. it's rematch of last year's nfc championship game at levi's, with the lions facing the 40 niners. coverage starts at five, followed by after the game. that's going to do it for now. thanks for joining us. world news tonight with david muir starts right now. and i'll see you back here at 4:00. tonight, the urgent investigation after another unticketed passenger is found on a delta flight just before takeoff. millions brace for severe weather and a major winter blast. and a russian anti-aircraft system is now suspected in the deadly crash of a passenger jet. first, that stowaway caught