abc seven mornings live. this is apocalyptic. >> this is. we've. we've had small fires. nothing like this. >> it sounds like a freight train is coming through the trees. >> struggling to fathom what the damage is going to look like when the sun comes up. >> right now, at five, the firestorm in southern california. three major wildfires, devastating communities from the beaches of santa monica to the foothills of

pasadena. the santa ana winds are so strong right now, critical firefighting aircraft can't even get off the ground. the images coming into our newsroom giving us only a glimpse of the devastation. >> remembering the late president jimmy carter. i'm nicole diantonio on capitol hill, with details on the events happening this week to honor the 39th president. >> and the stage is set at san francisco city hall for daniel lowrey's inauguration. we're breaking down the day of events marking the change of leadership in the city of san francisco. >> good morning to you. it is wednesday, january 8th. >> plenty to get to. i know that we've all had our attention on what's going on in la. yeah, we're feeling some wind up here as well. >> and those winds here locally are going to weaken over the next couple of hours. we're going to talk about southern california a lot today because they are dealing with just devastating winds and fire. winds here locally are still gusty. we're seeing 20 to 40 mile per hour winds right now. but over the next several hours these winds are really going to back off near the surface. it's

not too bad. some spots like san jose, calistoga, seeing winds in excess of 20mph. so we still have a red flag or a wind advisory in effect until 10 a.m. this morning. but we're past the worst of the wind here locally. the winds are going to drop off really dramatically. so you look at our wind speeds throughout the day. they're at their highest right now, and then they really taper over the next couple of hours. so we are through the worst of it when it comes to our winds locally today. lighter winds this afternoon, lots of sunshine, temperatures into the mid 60s for daytime highs. but that red flag warning does continue across southern california through thursday. we have numerous fires that have broken out. in fact, we have three major wildfires. we are tracking the palisades fire, the hurst fire and the eaton fire. 0% containment and the winds in many areas well over 60mph. a closer look at the winds here in a few minutes. let's check in with gloria and see how we're doing with drive times. >> good morning drew. good morning to everybody at home. well, drew has been talking about the wind that could impact

your morning drive today. high wind advisories have been issued for the following areas the richmond san rafael bridge, altamont pass, also the bay bridge. so when you're driving with those high winds, always keep both hands on the steering wheel. also, reduce your speed and looking live at our golden gate bridge camera today. no issues with fog again. we do, however, have a report of an incident on northbound 101 on the connector ramp to central freeway. it is causing a minor delay, but it is not major at this time, so we'll keep tracking that for you throughout the morning. reggie aqui. >> we want to get you updated on the breaking news out of southern california, where three wildfires, as dru just mentioned, are burning out of control. officials report at least one firefighter and several people have been hurt. thousands of people are under evacuation orders. and we do know that multiple homes have burned, but we don't know how many because there are no helicopters up. and of course, so many people are evacuated right now. we may not know for hours what the extent of the devastation is. >> and fire crews are stretched

beyond their limits. right now, we do have new video showing crews desperately trying to stop the eaton fire burning in the pasadena and altadena area. it's at least 1000 acres. >> and let's take a look at a view of the palisades fire. this is from a plane flying out of lax. that fire has burned all the way to the beach, scorching at least 3000 acres, forcing evacuations and burning some of the most iconic places in the country. we're talking about pacific palisades, malibu and santa monica. >> and the third fire. the first fire started in sylmar. it's 500 acres. you can see it on this map. these fires are spread out across southern california. the scope of this emergency just unbelievable. >> the winds are really the biggest challenge that fire crews have been facing. and, gloria, you're at the live desk with a closer look at what people are seeing. yes. >> and you mentioned this a few minutes ago. a major issue has been that the winds have been so intense, they're gusting up to 80mph. the firefighting

helicopters and planes have been grounded. our sister station in los angeles reports they likely will not be able to launch until at least noon today. and that's when we'll really be able to start to understand the devastation of these fires. we know that the palisades fire alone has burned parts of malibu and forced evacuations in santa monica, which is known for its marine layer and being very moist. reporter niku kazu watched as building after building burned down in pacific palisades. >> just devastating palisades high school. we have confirmed just about 15 minutes ago there was a firefighter. that's one of their concerns. but so is the palisades playhouse, which is right across the street that has also burned down. they said their main focus right now is to evacuate the people that were inside palisades playhouse and also nearby buildings. look at this building that's burned to the ground as well. i'm still trying to figure out exactly what this was. i think it was a business because there is a sign

that says 50% off everything. so this obviously was not someone's home. but we do have some homes nearby in the street. this is bode beaudoin streets right across from palisades high school off temescal canyon. so the homes in this neighborhood looks like they are in danger. >> just a wild scene out there on the coast. and we're also learning this morning that the rose bowl in pasadena is being turned into an evacuation center for people affected by the palisades fire who are trying to move large animals. the pasadena humane society is also opening its doors for those with small animals looking to get their pets to safety. just devastating. and we will keep you updated on this, reggie. >> all right. thanks so much, gloria. we are tracking wildfires statewide, and you can too. just look at abc seven news.com/fire map. >> and the other big story today is the change in leadership coming to san francisco. by this afternoon, the city will have a new mayor. abc seven news reporter lena howland is live near city hall with the plans

for today. lena. >> amanda, good morning to you. in just a matter of hours, mayor elect daniel lurie will be here at civic center plaza for his inauguration, kicking off at 1130. and already this morning, we have seen dozens of members of security arriving here, checking in and getting ready for a very busy day ahead. this is open to the public, but seating will be limited to ticketed guests. to kick off the inauguration festivities. lurie took part in an interfaith ceremony under the dome of the congregation emanuel. we saw a procession, a procession of nearly 60 interfaith leaders celebrating lurie the night before he takes office. a portion of the night's program included prayers for our city, touching upon the need for housing safety, our homeless crisis, and an overall renewal for san francisco. even the incoming mayor's own father, rabbi brian lurie, gave his blessing to his teary eyed son. much?

>> and i believe with all my heart that he will be a blessing for all of san francisco, right? >> and it's in solidarity of community and the value of interfaith. >> family. meantime, in chinatown, preparations were well underway last night for an inauguration day night market concert and unity banquet at far east cafe. lurie is the first mayor to celebrate his first day in office in the neighborhood. and once the inauguration wraps up, the entire community will be invited inside of city hall for an open house. organizers say it will include live music, a photo line with the new mayor, and an opportunity to write a wish for the city. live in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> all right, lena, thank you. stick with abc seven news for complete coverage of lurie swearing in. our coverage starts

today at 11 a.m. wherever you watch abc seven news. >> and now a live look at washington, d.c, where former president jimmy carter is lying in state at the capitol rotunda. this is the same building where he took the oath of office in 1977. his casket arrived at joint base andrews in maryland yesterday to a 21 gun salute. and then he was taken to the capitol, where lawmakers honored his life. abc news reporter nicole d'antonio is in washington with a look at the remembrance events planned to honor carter. >> this morning, the nation gathering to pay their respects to the late president jimmy carter, the 39th president lying in state at the united states capitol. the longest lived president arriving in washington, d.c, tuesday afternoon. an air force flight. special air mission 39 carrying the 39th president to the nation's capital. the motorcade first making its way to the u.s. navy memorial, a place he authorized construction for during his presidency. his flag

draped casket then beginning its procession down pennsylvania avenue. echoing this historic moment from 1977, when the carters got out of their car and walked to the white house on his inauguration day. members of all three branches of government gathering under the capitol dome, with carter laying in state on abraham lincoln's catafalque as 11 of his predecessors have. vice president kamala harris saying carter left the world better than he found it. >> jimmy carter's work and those works speak for him louder than any tribute we can offer. may his life be a lesson for the ages and a beacon for the future. >> republican house speaker mike johnson, reflecting on one of his favorite quotes from the former president. >> if i have one life and one chance to make it count for something, we all agree that he

certainly did. so today, in these hallowed halls of our republic, we honor president carter, his family, and his enduring legacy that he leaves not only upon this nation, but upon the world. >> carter, who served one term in office, died at the age of 100 years old. tomorrow, president carter's body will be escorted to the washington national cathedral for a state funeral, where president biden will deliver the eulogy. nicole d'antonio, abc news, washington. >> abc news will have special coverage of the state funeral for president carter tomorrow morning. we'll bring that to you here on abc seven and abc seven news.com 5-10 in the accuweather forecast. >> we'll start you out in san jose this morning with a live look. it is clear out there. we do have a bit of a breeze this morning. winds right now 14mph in the south bay. temperature right now 59 degrees underneath those clear skies. looking lovely from the exploratorium camera. a bit breezy out there this morning. we have a wind advisory in effect until 10 a.m, so we have a lot less wind

coming our way today. a lot of sunshine still with us. yesterday, our warmest areas hit the low 70s because of the wind. since the wind is a lot less today. not as warm, but still very nice out there. temperatures in the mid and upper 60s. later on this afternoon, let's talk about southern california. we have a huge event unfolding with three major wildfires burning right now. we talked about this at extent yesterday. the red flag warning is in effect for this life threatening situation. and the reason why southern california is having so many issues. they have really yet to see a drop of rain so far this year. in fact, our team of meteorologists down at kabc, our sister station, has said it's been about eight months since they have seen rain. that is why we have these three wildfires burning right now across the l.a. county area right now. 0% containment. look at some of these wind speeds, guys. i mean, near some of these fires, the winds gusting close to 100mph. so that's certainly why those aircraft cannot be in the air right now. reggie. >> drew. thank you. we're going to continue to follow the

destructive, wind driven wildfires tearing across la this morning. >> coming up, we're hearing from the bay area crews who are in southern california this morning helping in that fire fight. >> also another step toward making the air taxi a reality. we're taking a look at a new concept, prompting the faa to create a whole new category of aircraft. >> it's that time of year again. girl scout troops are taking your cookie orders, and this year is the last year to get your hands on two flavors. we'll a team can help you plan for your dreams. so your dream car, and vacation home, may be closer than you think. ready to meet the dream team? you can with wells fargo. pete g. writes, "my tween wants a new phone. how do i not break the bank?" we got you, pete. xfinity mobile was designed to save you money and gives you access to wifi speeds up to a gig. so you get high speeds for low prices. better than getting low speeds for high prices. right, bruce? -jealous? yeah, look at that. -honestly.

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(kaz) i got this. (ben) fargo, send kaz $145 dollars with zelle. (kaz) smooth. (vo) learn more at wellsfargo.com/getfargo. we're continuing to track breaking news from southern california. you're looking live from the area that is beinglive burned by the palisades fire. we do have the latest on the three large fires burning right now. the palisades fire, as i mentioned, near the pacific palisades, has burned nearly 3000 acres. the eaton fire near pasadena. more than 1000 acres have burned. the hurst fire grew overnight to about 500 acres, burning near sylmar, south of newhall and santa clarita. several fire crews from the bay

area are in los angeles this morning trying to save homes. abc seven news reporter lauren martinez gives us a better idea of the factors driving the dangerous conditions for these firefighters. >> reporter bay area firefighters are helping to protect structures against the wind whipped palisades fire. five engines from the south bay are in los angeles county. three engines from cal fire's san mateo santa cruz unit and two engines from cal fire santa clara. it's our job. >> it's what we're here to do. >> public information officer chelsea burkett was once a firefighter herself. she says the strike team there must stay alert with the weather. >> every fire is different. that's the biggest thing, is there's no fire. that's the same. and so anytime any of our firefighters are going in to fight a fire, it's important for them to make sure that they're paying attention to what they're doing, because it's not going to be like the last fire that they were on. >> first responders are taking drastic measures to help. at one point, a bulldozer pushed abandoned cars in order to clear a path for fire crews.

>> hundreds of cars on sunset boulevard, and it does appear to get the correct machinery into this fire zone. >> the fire moved quickly, and what officials are calling a highly dangerous windstorm, craig clements, director of the wildfire interdisciplinary research center in san jose, explains, when that is perpendicular or near perpendicular to the terrain. >> and so what happens is the wind is forced over the terrain and it increases on velocity on the downslope side dramatically. and so that's what's happening in southern california. >> peak winds are expected overnight. >> the higher the wind speed, the longer the embers can be transported. so you get farther distances of ember transport and the flame front itself can actually move faster. >> got a lot of unchecked fire on the left flank. >> clements said it's not uncommon to have a large fire in the winter, but this extreme fire behavior is associated with dry fuel conditions. >> all depends on the conditions leading up to the winter season.

the fact that southern california is so far behind in precipitation is really what's leading up to this. you know, firestorm that's happening across the la basin. >> governor newsom said with the unprecedented winds, the state will continue to mobilize resources in the south bay. lauren martinez abc seven news of course, nothing like what's happening in la, but we've also seen some high winds in the bay area overnight. >> new video showing a massive tree that came down on union street in alameda. you can see it crushed part of a car. there was also a power outage along buena vista avenue. that street was dark. caltrans is also working to clear a tree that fell on part of highway 13 at redwood road. >> the restaurateurs behind san francisco's sprawling restaurant china live in chinatown plan to launch a new restaurant. according to the chronicle, george chen and cyndi wang chen plan to open asia live later this year at the westfield valley fair mall in santa clara. the restaurant will see 350

people and offer dishes from east asia, southeast asia and other regions. they're also working on opening an asia live location in the louvre museum in paris. >> the destination, known as the world's coolest taco bell, is temporarily closed. the beloved taco bell cantina in pacifica sits right on the beach. it's a popular destination because you can go on the outdoor patio and look at that great view. the company announced it's going to be closed for about two weeks to remodel. >> ooh, yeah! girl scout cookie season is here. troops are already taking orders. there's even a sign up sheet floating around the abc seven newsroom. better believe it. the popular options are back, like thin mints and caramel delights. i know them as samoas. many of you probably know them as the same tagalongs as well. but starting next year, some of the flavor options are going away. so s'mores and toast. yay! cookies will no longer be available starting in 2026, so s'mores debuted in 2017, and toasties came out in 2021. e

organization didn't say why it's discontinuing the cookies, but the lineup changes often. >> did you try those? >> i don't know what a toast is. >> no, it's supposed to be like, i just looked it up. it's supposed to be like french toast. >> ooh. that's nice. >> there's a filling inside of it. i'm assuming they're getting rid of it because they're not popular. >> you want to get rid of something that people love? >> no. yeah. >> thin mints, that's all i miss. oh, yeah. that's by far the most popular bang for your buck, too. you get a lot of cookies, so you throw them in the freezer? >> yeah. >> do i know there's two sleeves i do this morning outside sutro tower. winds are backing off significantly here. it was quite gusty yesterday. we have a couple more hours of our wind advisory. this will end at 10 a.m, but already the winds are a lot lighter this morning, today and tomorrow we do have the possibility of record warmth. we saw a couple records yesterday that could continue today and tomorrow and the pattern remains dry. the dry pattern remains over the next seven days. so temperatures out

there right now, temperatures are still elevated because we do have a light breeze 61 right now in sonoma. so there is some mild air out there, 58 in the city, but it's down to 47 in fremont where you have lighter winds. you get those colder temperatures this morning. winds right now are a lot lighter than this time yesterday. there are a couple of spots. we're still pretty breezy, but the trend over the next couple of hours are for the winds to become a lot lighter. so here's future weather. lots of sunshine coming our way today. the afternoon will get you back into the 60s. tonight we do expect to see a return of fog around the bay shoreline, so be aware of that today. lighter winds still keeping it sunny, still keeping it dry, keeping it mild with temperatures in the 60s. let's talk about what's happening across california, why it is so windy. we have this strong pressure gradient that's really focusing its attention over southern california. that is why the winds are so strong. and that is why we have seen these fires just develop really rapidly. now you see the size of the acreage on your screen. i would expect

these numbers to really jump with the next update because these winds are so strong. look at some look at this. i mean this is incredible. this is a wind gust right now. this is near the eaton fire near pasadena. the winds are 100mph. this is why the firefighters cannot get in the air right now to attack these fires. these winds are so strong right now. winds across southern california. this is their wind forecast stay elevated this morning. and then they will begin to drop by about midday. and hopefully that's when we get those air assaults up there. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. breezy here. early records possible tomorrow. we'll keep it sunny and dry through early next week guys. >> all right drew thank you. coming up the seven things to know this morning already an eventful offseason for some nfl teams who have no more games left to play. >>

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winds driving the flames are not expected to die down until later today. >> number two. governor newsom has been monitoring the situation in southern california. his office says there are 1400 firefighters on the ground and more on the way. the state has also secured federal assistance to support response to the fires. >> and number three, in the accuweather forecast, we have a lot less wind here today. calmer conditions this afternoon, lots of sunshine, mild in the 60s. we continue to monitor the situation in southern california. a red flag warning continues for that life threatening situation. winds around the fires. right now there are three. they're gusting anywhere from 60 to 90mph this morning. >> number four, san francisco gets a new mayor today. daniel lurie has a full day of events planned for his inauguration. our live coverage begins at 11 a.m. wherever you watch abc7 news. >> number five tesla's remote parking functions are under government investigation after reports of a dozen crashes. the feature is available on roughly 2.5 million vehicles.

>> number six, if you take bart on the sfo line, there's a 20 minute delay between millbrae and sfo. and if you're traveling between the coliseum and the oakland airport on the oakland airport line, there's up to an 18 minute delay there. >> number seven, delta airlines says upgrades are coming to its in-flight entertainment. changes include bluetooth connectivity for your personal headphones. new screens and free youtube premium. you'll see the changes roll out next year. >> flying cars are no longer a thing of the future. this revolutionary mode of transportation is now in its first step there. these are electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. they call them ev talls. i think that's how you're supposed to say it. the vehicle lifts off the ground like helicopters, and then they fly like planes after that. the inventor of the advancement led the faa to creating a new category of aircraft, something that hasn't happened since the 1940s. the creators believe the transport will start out as taxis for high density areas. air taxis still have many steps

ahead before actually having passengers board them, but officials hope to see them in the skies soon. >> ten, maybe 15 years down the road, i believe you will see highways in the sky. there will be hundreds, thousands of these aircraft flying in the individual cities and it will truly change the way our cities are even built. >> president elect trump is reportedly making the air taxis a priority during his presidency. he hopes to get ahead of china in the race to have flying everyday vehicles. >> after a rough 2024 season, the las vegas raiders are replacing their head coach. yesterday, the team announced they would be letting go of their current head coach, antonio pierce. pierce took over as interim coach halfway through the 2023 season, and he was hired full time last year. last year's season had the raiders at four and 13 with a ten game losing streak. this will be the raiders third coach in three seasons. next, at 530, we are tracking that breaking news on the firefight happening across l.a. county this morning.

another look at the effort to put out the fire and the reaction from vice president harris, who has a home

hoods that are going up in flames. >> it is just a see, a massive wall of embers that just get blown across the area. >> now at 530, breaking news a wildfire emergency in los angeles. thousands forced to leave their homes as fire crews are overwhelmed by three fires driven by tremendous winds reaching nearly 100mph. new evacuations being ordered overnight as the flames devour multimillion dollar homes. this morning, we're waiting to see the extent of the damage as the sun comes up. >> president elect trump is doubling down on statements about acquiring new territory for the u.s. how some world leaders are responding.

>> plus a new era in san francisco. the stage is set for daniel laurie to become our next mayor. we're live with the events happening today and how you can take part. >> good morning. it is wednesday, january 8th. >> yeah. all eyes are really on what's happening in southern california. drew. >> that's exactly right. right. these winds have been just dangerously strong. it's breezy here locally, but the winds are going to weaken substantially over the next couple of hours. winds in our hills right now you can see some gusts 30 to 40mph near the surface. it's not nearly as bad. we have a couple of pockets where the winds are elevated, but the theme today is that we have a breezy morning and calmer conditions this afternoon. so the wind advisory here locally only until 10 a.m. the next few hours. but we are certainly past the worst of the winds here today. it's all about sunshine, mild temperatures, light winds. this afternoon we're going back into the 60s, so that will feel nice. let's talk about what's happening in southern california. we have three major fires that have broken out over the last 24 hours the palisades fire, the hurst fire and the eaton fire. we're going to

see substantial growth on these numbers with the next update. all are at 0% containment right now. and a big issue. look at these winds gusting 60, 70, 80, 90mph around these fires. and that's why we can't attack these fires from the air. right now the winds will back off a bit this afternoon in southern california. let's check in with gloria, see how we're doing on the roads this morning. >> good morning. you know, we are dealing with some winds here in the bay area s morning. obviously not as bad as what la is dealing with. however, there are some high wind advisories that have been issued for some areas. those include the bay bridge. and we're getting a live look at the bay bridge right now. also the altamont pass and the san rafael bridge. so if you're driving in those areas, you always want to keep both hands on the steering wheel, drive a little bit slower. just be extra careful, especially if you're driving those high profile vehicles. but you can see here on the bay bridge, the upper deck is starting to get crowded. metering lights are not on yet, but they'll probably turn on any minute now, so of course we'll keep you updated on that. there are no delays from the tolls to

the city at this time. looking at our overall map, you see mostly green, so we're not seeing any big slowdowns throughout the bay area this morning. of course, it's always a little slower from tracy to dublin. right now we're looking at 44 minutesn rafael to san francisco, 15 minutes. antioch to concord 15 minutes. amanda. >> all right, gloria, thank you. and as you wake up this morning, we want to get you caught up on what has been happening in southern california overnight. fire crews have not been able to contain the three wildfires that have grown in size overnight in pacific palisades, sylmar and pasadena. extreme winds have been driving these fires. reporter irene crews from our sister station kabc showed what it has been like during her live reports overnight. >> take a look at that. look at how fast they're moving just across the ground. you could probably hear the wind pick up off of the microphone, but just imagine any one of those embers catching on to some nearby brush or trees and then sparking a whole new fire.

>> terrifying. now gloria is tracking the situation at the live desk, and we know there are new evacuations being ordered. gloria. >> there are. amanda. abc news reporter matt gutman is in the pacific palisades area, and he says it's almost apocalyptic across l.a. around 5 a.m, we learned that people in the city of la canada flintridge were being told to leave because of the eaton fire. and that includes nasa's jet propulsion laboratory. evacuations from the fires have been very frantic. you could see this video right here shows the moment a nursing home was evacuated as the eaton fire exploded. people rushed to a parking lot as flames spread blocks away. here's reporter mark cota robles from our sister station, sharing his personal experience covering the eaton fire. >> and this fire really exploded over the last several hours overnight. i've been here on scene in the upper hastings ranch community for the past few hours, since about 11 p.m. or midnight. these two homes here behind me are burning, but these

are just two. there are dozens. we've lost count. specifically here in the upper hastings ranch community. so we're to the south, still north of the freeway. but the winds were so strong that inside my house, the panels to the attic were blown off. inside the house at the peak of the wind. it was just incredible. very frightening. we got the kids evacuated, so they've left the area. we've been throughout many streets here in this area and again, i've lost count at how many homes have burned. >> and our hearts, of course, go out to him and everybody that's impacted by this fire. we likely will not know about the scope of the devastation until later today when the sun begins to come up and we have a better view of the areas that have burned. los angeles fire officials are planning to have a briefing at 8:00 this morning. of course, we'll get some updated details. then we'll share those with you. but amanda has just been devastating to see. those images of the fire, all those fires and how quickly they are spreading. amanda. >> remarkable. gloria, we're hearing from reporters who have covered that area for so long,

saying they've never seen anything like it. now, vice president kamala harris, who has a home in the brentwood neighborhood of la, was briefed on the wildfires last night. in a statement, harris said in part, my heart goes out to all those being impacted by the devastating wildfires in southern california. we are deeply grateful for the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety to fight the flames and help keep communities safe. listen to local officials, remain vigilant and evacuate immediately if told to do so. we are tracking wildfires statewide and you can too, see fires and air quality at a glance. go to abc seven news.com/fire map. >> the other big story this morning the inauguration of san francisco's new mayor, daniel lurie. he is set to e sworn in at city hall just hours from now. abc seven news reporter lena howland is live, with the full day of events planned for the city. lena. >> hey, reggie. the entire community is invited to come take part in today's inauguration ceremony, kicking

off at 1130. and here at civic center plaza behind me, we are seeing lots of fencing, risers and seating already set up for the busy day ahead. last night, hundreds came together at the congregation emanuel to celebrate san francisco's new mayor elect, daniel lurie. it's an interfaith service. outgoing mayor london breed also participated in at her church. third baptist before she took office. a portion of the night's program included prayers for our city, touching upon the need for housing safety, our homeless crisis, and an overall renewal for san francisco. that's where lurie made this promise back to the city. >> i commit to all of you that i will never stop working. on behalf of all of you and every single san franciscan. thank you, and i'll see you tomorrow. >> the chinese community and us, even me, have high hopes on him. >> and that was kevin chan, owner of legacy small business, chinatown, fortune cookie

factory. chinatown will hold a night market and community festival later today. lori will be the first mayor to celebrate his first day in office in this neighborhood. doors open for the inauguration here at 1030 this morning. once it wraps up, an open house for the public will be held inside of city hall. that's where we are told they will have live music, a photo line with the new mayor, and an opportunity to write a wish for the city. live in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> thank you lena. more on this. now. the new mayor is a new direction for the city. daniel lurie takes over after six years of london breed leading san francisco. abc seven news anchor dan ashley gives us a snapshot of san francisco at this point. >> overall, crime is at a 20 year low. our abc seven data team fact checked statistics sent out by the city. homicides are down 35% in the past year, and auto break ins dropped more than 50%. homelessness is up,

reaching a record of more than 8300 people at last count in 2024. san francisco has the highest homelessness rate per capita in the bay area, but most local counties saw homelessness increase, and it's also gone up around california. the san francisco's economic struggles have been big news since the pandemic, and they're not over. the city's office vacancy rate was at a historic low of 5% pre-pandemic. it's steadily risen since, hitting 35% last year. >> very interesting. our coverage of mayor elect daniel lowery's inauguration begins this morning at 11 a.m. you can see it live wherever you watch abc seven. >> president joe biden is leaving the state, a parting gift before he leaves office. yesterday, the president established two new national monuments here in california. the president designated the chuckwalla national monument in the southern part of the state near joshua tree, which you see here. the other is in la

national monument, north of redding. this is one of president biden's last moves to protect american land and water before leaving the white house. president elect trump, meantime, is trying to acquire new territory for the u.s. the incoming president has his sights set on greenland and the gulf of mexico. abc news reporter nicole d'antonio has the details. >> this morning, president elect trump doubling down on his push to take over greenland and the panama canal. refusing to rule out using the military to do it. >> can you assure the world that as you try to get control of these areas, you are not going to use military or economic coercion? >> no, no, i can assure you on either of those two. but i can say this we need them for economic security. >> trump has suggested buying greenland in the past, but the prime minister of denmark says it's not for sale. donald trump jr visited the territory yesterday but did not meet with government officials. critics

say the president elect should be focused on more pressing issues like grocery prices. as for the panama canal, no is negotiable. panama's foreign affairs secretary saying the sovereignty of our canal is non-negotiable. trump also floating the idea of renaming the gulf of mexico the gulf of america. >> what a beautiful name. >> and it's appropriate. changing the gulf of mexico's name in american documentation is technically possible, but there's no guarantee other countries would go along with the rebrand. nicole d'antonio, abc news, washington. >> and i'm gloria rodriguez with a traffic alert for you. the metering lights have flipped on at the bay bridge toll plaza. you can see a live look at our camera right here. although the metering lights are on, it's not too busy out there right now. traffic is flowing by nicely. they flipped on about four minutes ago and you will have no delays at the tolls from highway four to san francisco. it will take you 37 minutes. however, even though we don't have too much traffic there right now, there is a high wind advisory in effect at the bay bridge and

also altamont pass and san rafael bridge. so be careful when you're driving this morning with those winds. >> and it's a major accomplishment for this department and for the city, because not every department is successful. >> that is san francisco police chief bill scott talking about a major achievement. his department is now celebrating after seven years of work. but first, a check in the weather with drew. >> hey, reggie. 541 this morning, we'll begin with this nice shot from sutro tower this morning. currently 58 degrees in the city, so temperatures are a bit elevated. still have a bit of a breeze out of the east right now at 15mph. keeping us mild this morning. but winds are a lot weaker already compared to this time yesterday. our wind advisory will be canceled at 10 a.m. this morning. so the big story we're past the peak of our winds. a little breezy out there this morning. a lot less wind this afternoon compared to yesterday and it will feel mild once again. expect a lot of sunshine today. temperatures into the 60s. let's talk about southern california. we can't talk about this enough this morning because we have three major wildfires

burning. this is very rare to have a red flag warning not only in january, but to encompass this much land, because this area has yet to see rain. the last storm they have seen was eight months ago. we just got the latest update on the fire. this is one of the fires burning near pasadena. it has grown substantially. we expected that it's now at 2227 acres. the other two fires, the hurst fire and the palisades fire, you can see right there. so. winds right now. this is why we're having so many issues fighting this fire. winds 60 to 90mph. the wind forecast for southern california stays elevated this morning. then finally this afternoon, they get some relief from the winds. look at the seven day forecast here (banker 1) let's hear it! (vo) with wells fargo premier a team can help you plan for your dream. (woman) i have this vacation home... (banker 2) so, like a getaway? (woman) yeah, but... it's also an eco-friendly artist retreat. (banker 3) so, you're expanding your business...

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is the palisades fire. there are three fires burning. thehere are palisades fire has burned nearly 3000 acres. there's also the eaton fire. more than 2200 acres have burned so far. and the third fire is the hurst fire, which grew overnight to about 500 acres. that's burning near sylmar, south of newhall and santa clarita. >> today's gma first look. the bird flu outbreak is causing egg shortages and driving up prices. here's abc news reporter elizabeth schultz. >> in this morning's gma first look. egg shortages and skyrocketing prices. shoppers are scrambling to find store shelves stocked with eggs. >> this is where the eggs normally are in costco. the only thing that was there was a cart with a couple of boxes of mostly broken eggs. >> a surge in bird flu cases is causing egg suppliers to scale back production. egg prices now nearly 38% higher than one year ago. brooke jones says she visited grocery stores in the dallas area in search of eggs.

>> at costco, they did not have any eggs at all other than a couple boxes in a cart, but the eggs were like broken. sam's club they also did not have any eggs. >> and coming up at 7 a.m, we'll have tips on navigating these egg challes to get the breakfast you want without cracking your budget with your gma first look, i'm elizabeth schulze, abc news, washington. >> as the city of san jose prepares to open its largest rv safe parking location next month, it's beginning. an rv and living vehicle tow away program right now. the goal is to clean up the areas around schools and waterways. not everyone supports this. ■starting this week, the city is going to begin putting up signs along chenoweth avenue, letting rv owners know they have two weeks to move or they'll get towed. the city says it will open a thousand new placements for the unhoused to go this year, including 85 new safe parking spots near the berryessa bart station. >> my hope is that it not only gives relief to the residents

and small businesses who have dealt with unmanaged, unsafe rv encampments for months, if not years on end, but that it also incentivizes people to take advantage of safe sleeping, safe parking. >> critics are concerned there's not enough parking spaces for all the rvs. that could lead to many people losing the only place they call home. after seven years, the san francisco police department is no longer under state oversight. yesterday, the california department of justice said the sfpd has successfully reduced its overuse of force and substantially decreased the number of police shootings and installed policies to prevent racial bias in policing. the police chief, bill scott, was brought on eight years ago to help improve the department. >> i was brought here to help lead this reform in, and it's a major accomplishment for this department and for the city because not every department is successful. >> san francisco is not the only police department that has faced scrutiny by the doj. the antioch police department agreed to

state oversight last week, and oakland pd remains under federal oversight. >> you will have to wait longer to start tapping your credit or debit cards to ride public transportation in the bay area. metropolitan transportation commission staffers told the examiner. it's difficult to say whether or not the new tap to pay system will roll out this spring. the system was supposed to launch last summer, but was delayed until april because of problems with the card readers. the mtc says it's still testing the readers, and right now there is no target launch date. super convenient. >> it feels like everybody has this book, right, doesn't it? >> not? new york's has had this for a while. yeah, london's had it for a long time. >> okay. yeah, sure. >> my corner store has this. >> yeah. eventually. eventually. >> you know, like mcdonald's has had this, but we'll get it together. >> okay. yeah, we'll get it together, guys. all right. this morning we are tracking the winds here locally and across southern california. here

locally, the winds are weakening substantially. we are past the peak of our gusts that we experienced yesterday. that wind advisory will continue until 10 a.m. but again, the winds are past their peak. they are a lot lighter this morning and it will be a calm afternoon record. warmth is possible today and tomorrow. we had a few records yesterday. it's just a mild pattern. we're in for much of this week and we remain rain free the next seven days. the dry pattern does continue. temperatures right now depending on where you are, if you have a little bit of a breeze like we're seeing in hayward and sonoma, you're in the low 60s where the winds are a lot calmer, like cloverdale, palo alto, fremont, brentwood. you're a lot cooler in the 40s. winds right now, some pockets of some stronger winds between 20 and 23mph. but for the most part, we are seeing some very calm winds out there this morning. here's a look at future weather as that wind advisory expires at 10 a.m. we'll have temperatures mainly in the 50s. light winds this afternoon. mostly sunny and daytime highs will go into the 60s. so today a lot less

wind. this afternoon. the wind advisory ends at 10 a.m. sunny with temperatures going into the mid and upper 60s later on today. let's talk about the atmosphere and what is occurring across southern california. we have these two opposing forces, high pressure moving into northern california. low pressure over the baja peninsula. that's a strong pressure gradient. it's focused its energy across southern california. that's why the red flag warning is in effect. and the reason why these fires are growing so quickly. one, the winds are incredibly strong. and two, the vegetation is extremely dry. they have not seen rain in eight months across southern california. and that is why we're having these issues. winds right now across these three major fires, i mean winds 60, 70, 80, 90mph. the winds will back off later on this afternoon, and that will help firefighters get to attack these flames from the air. here's the accuweather seven day forecast back here at home. a mild afternoon records are possible today and tomorrow. look at the weekend. sunny skies will keep the dry pattern through early next week, guys.

>> thanks, drew. new at six. a grant for downtown san francisco. how much the cits getting to bring more art and culture to the area. >> but first, an assist from an artificial intelligence tool. the role investigators say a san francisco based chatgpt played in the new year's day (box thuds) (water boils) (packet tears) (tea bag clanks) (water pours) - listening to people that drink bigelow tea is so important to my family, because making that perfect cup, it's the reason we do what we do hi, guys! - hi! - hey! - so what are you guys drinking? - constant comment. - when i'm drinking bigelow tea, it's just a moment for me. it's just me time. - that's what a cup of tea is. - it is. - a moment for you, someone you love. - aw! (customer sighs) - it tastes really great. - yes! it was always bigelow tea - wow! that's what my family hopes for. cheers. - cheers. (bright upbeat music)

in new orleans, the fbi releasing a new photo of the new year's day suspect as they work to piece together what happened. they say this photo was taken months before he drove his truck down bourbon street, killing 14 people. the suspect spotted riding a bike through the french quarter. this was on halloween. the fbi is now asking for anyone who was there that day, between 2 and 6 p.m, to contact them. >> new details in the new year's day cyber truck explosion

outside the trump hotel in las vegas. police now say the suspect used chatgpt to research explosives and what would set them off. here's abc seven news reporter tim johns. >> following the cybertruck explosion outside trump tower in las vegas on new year's day, investigators are now saying they believe the suspect used artificial intelligence. >> we also have clear evidence in this case now that the suspect used chatgpt artificial intelligence to help plan his attack. >> police say the suspect searched history from chatgpt, showed he used the ai tool to look for information on topics such as explosive targets, as well as how far certain rounds of ammunition would travel. the las vegas sheriff calling the suspect's use of generative ai a game changer. >> it's actually the worst case scenario that we that we are afraid of. >> professor ahmed bonafe is a tech expert at san jose state university. he was part of a group of silicon valley leaders who wrote a letter to the white house in 2023 urging president

biden to create guidelines surrounding the creation and use of ai. bonafe says the cybertruck explosion is exactly the type of incident that letter was hoping to stop. >> if somebody is asking about something like this, information is available. but at the same time, this is going to be a flag. either you block that information or you alert the authorities. >> some disagree, though. that includes josh richman, a spokesperson for the electronic frontier foundation. >> we're not sure we see how this is a game changer, given that such information has been available online via traditional search engines for decades and in public libraries for a century before that. >> chatgpt creator openai echoed those sentiments and said they were working with law enforcement. on tuesday, they released a statement which reads in part, we are saddened by this incident and committed to seeing ai tools used responsibly. our models are designed to refuse harmful instructions and minimize harmful content, but with artificial intelligence only expected to advance at an

exponential pace moving forward, bonafe believes now is the time to act. >> we still can catch this early before it gets out of control. >> the suspect in the las vegas incident died during the explosion in san francisco. tim johns abc seven news. >> coming up on abc seven mornings at six, we continue to follow breaking news out of southern california. three wildfires have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes. an update on the emergency and what we know about the situation. >> back here at home, it is inauguration day in san francisco. a preview of the day ahead as the city gets ready to swear in its next mayor, daniel lowry. >> and a meteorologist, drew tuma, in the accuweather forecast. looking live from our sfo camera. a bit breezy out there this morning. a wind advisory with us until 10 a.m, but the winds are substantially lighter compared to this time yesterday. a lot less wind this afternoon. it is mild and sunny with temperatures in the 60s. we'll take you to southern california. we're tracking three major wildfires this morning. there you can see their location. the winds right now are dangerously strong.

between 50 and 80mph. this morning, the winds will weaken later on this afternoon. the news at six afternoon. the news at six is next. a victory that is there for the taking. grab it. now that was a great halftime speech. let's go win. [jim valvano] don't give up. don't ever give up®

now at six.