it's right now. >> the indictment itself is chock full of allegations, but it is not chock full of

evidence. and that's what we're going to prove. >> the attorney for former oakland mayor shan tao responds after she was indicted by a federal grand jury on bribery charges. good afternoon, i'm kristen z. the fbi and federal officials announced the eight count indictment this morning. it alleges tao participated in a pay to play scheme that also involved her long term romantic partner, andre jones, and two prominent east bay businessmen, david duong and his son andy duong. they face charges including bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud. abc seven news reporter lena howland has more. >> seven months after the fbi raided former mayor xiang yu's house in oakland, we are finally getting some answers now. this 22 page indictment alleges that tao and her partner, andre jones, accepted $95,000 worth of bribes and left a money trail to show for it. now, this is video of andre jones showing up to the oakland courthouse ahead of his

arraignment. he didn't take any questions from us, but yesterday his attorney told us he was planning to turn himself in. today, we also watched as andy duong arrived at the same courthouse in a white suit. right before this happened, federal prosecutors held a press conference detailing the indictment. they said the illegal scheme began in october of 2022, just a month before the mayoral, before the mayoral election. and the indictment alleges that tao made commitments to take official action that would benefit the duong. that includes an agreement to purchase housing units from a company owned by the duong family. her agreement to ensure a contract extension that the city of oakland had with a recycling company owned by the duong, and her agreement to use her influence to appoint a high level city official to benefit the duong in exchange. >> the duong allegedly provided payments to tao and jones in various forms, including the

financing of a negative mailer campaign targeting tao's political rivals and providing jones and tao with $95,000 in direct payments disguised as wages for a no show job. for jones. >> chen tao committed to extend the contract of the recycling company and buying housing units from business owned by the youngs, while andre jones received these payments as often the case, the accused left a money trail from their deceptive acts of corruption. >> federal officials said this case was originally referred to the fbi by the oakland ethics commission. they say the indictment was a coordinated effort across the fbi, the u.s. postal inspection service and the irs criminal investigation in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> tao has consistently denied wrongdoing in the case. take a listen to what she said back in june after the raid at her house. >> and i want to be crystal

clear. i have done nothing wrong. i can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. sorry, sorry. >> so in court this morning, she entered a plea of not guilty. she was ordered released on a $50,000 secured bond or unsecured bond. the judge said she must stay in northern california and surrender her passport after the proceedings. tao walked with her attorney outside the court, who then issued the short statement. >> the case is built on allegations from an unknown coconspirator that we believe, when the evidence is revealed, will show that my client has committed no crimes. >> if convicted. tao faces up to 95 years in prison. in just a few minutes, abc seven news insider phil matier will join us with his thoughts on these latest developments, so you'll want to stay with abc seven for more on this developing story. the abc seven news i-team taking a look at the election mailers that were a big part of this

investigation, check out dan noyes story on that controversy on the abc seven news website. the popular social media app tiktok could go dark this weekend after today's supreme court's unanimous decision. the justices upheld a law that forces the app to sever ties with its chinese parent company or be blocked here in the u.s. abc news reporter lionel moise has the latest. >> what am i supposed to do? >> tiktok users watching the clock. >> they're going to take away tiktok. >> the supreme court today upholding a congressional nationwide ban on the popular social media app, with more than 170 million users in the u.s. alone. the chinese owned tiktok had challenged the sale or ban law on grounds that limits free speech. but the justices unanimously upheld the law, saying it did not violate first amendment rights. the bipartisan law passed last year banned tiktok unless its chinese owner, bytedance, sells the company, citing a national security

threat. >> tiktok is a threat to our national security and ought to be sold, not banned, but sold by the chinese. so they stop surveillance, illegal collection of information about americans and representing a threat to our national security. >> many tiktokers are flocking over to the app. >> read no hello tiktok refugees from the u.s. welcome to red notice. >> it's also chinese owned, and intelligence officials have warned it could pose a security risk. a presidential executive order could delay the tiktok ban, which goes into effect sunday, one day before president elect trump is sworn into office. the biden administration says it's up to the trump administration to implement the law. president elect trump today telling americans to stay tuned for his decision. tiktok ceo today thanking trump for his commitment to find a solution. >> rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives as

your online home for limitless creativity and discovery. >> also worth noting, tiktok ceo is one of the many tech leaders who will be attending trump's inauguration monday. invited by the administration. lionel moise, abc news, new york. >> a big change to president elect donald trump's second inauguration. the ceremony is now moving indoors because of frigid temperatures expected in d.c. next week. the wind chill on monday is expected to be in the single digits. trump will now take the oath of office inside at the u.s. capitol rotunda. this is video from his first inauguration. the last time cold weather moved the inauguration indoors was in 1985. the parade for ronald reagan was also canceled. no word yet on any changes to trump's inaugural parade. we'll have live coverage of the inauguration monday morning. it starts at 6 a.m. right here on abc seven. that's expected to go until two in the afternoon. some of your favorite shows, including the view, midday live,

gma3 and general hospital, may be preempted. parts of monterey county remain under evacuation order after a fire broke out yesterday at one of the world's largest lithium battery plants. now, let's give you a live picture from the scene. you can see that smoke there at the moss landing power plant. thick black smoke is coming from the fire still burning, and you can see some of the flames. the plant is located between watsonville and castro valley and just north of the city of monterey. an area near the power plant has been evacuated. those allowed to stay are being urged to stay indoors, keep their windows closed and turn off ventilation systems. the air quality is horrible there. the problem is the tens of thousands of lithium batteries stored at the power plant. at an emergency meeting of the board of supervisors today. fire officials said they have no option but to let the fire burn itself out. highway one at moss landing remains closed. all schools in the north monterey county school district are closed today. cool, dry conditions continue for us here

in the bay area. let's get the weekend weather now with meteorologist drew tuma. >> the accuweather headlines. the first one is this pattern of morning fog to afternoon sunshine and cooler temperatures is sticking with us through the upcoming weekend. so saturday and sunday temperatures throughout the day will max out in the 50s both afternoons. next week it is windy. we're tracking periods of gusty winds on monday afternoon and then likely again on wednesday afternoon, and then by the end of the month. this is a nice change to see in the forecast. rain is possible as we round out january. this morning you're noticing a lot of haze in the atmosphere. air quality is moderate. it's a mixture of emissions and also wood burning. this morning gets trapped underneath the marine layer. so that's why you're seeing that moderate air quality this morning. and that will continue into the afternoon. here's future weather. we'll keep it cloudy along the coast all day today. increasing sunshine away from the coast. but your daytime highs this is about it. mid and upper 50s later on. today for evening plans. tonight it gets pretty chilly fast. so by 830

the marine layer surging on back in. and for a lot of us temperatures are already into the 40s at that hour. so you need the layers later on tonight. highs today again 56 in the city only 57 in santa rosa, 59 in concord, 58 in palo alto. cloudy and quite cool in half moon bay, a high of only 54 degrees. overnight. tonight we'll keep those chilly overnight lows once again. we could see new frost advisories posted as we see temperatures again in the 30s and our coldest spots. it will be foggy around the bay, shoreline and along the coast with that marine layer, and it will be a cloudy start to the day tomorrow. but afternoon sunshine does prevail. both afternoons. saturday and sunday. winds over the weekend are light. it's monday afternoon. we are tracking the potential for some gusty winds as you head throughout the morning and early afternoon. we'll stop the clock here at 1 p.m. and we'll likely see winds 20 30mph in parts of napa county, sonoma county. in the hills, we could see even stronger winds. that's something we'll track very closely. no wind advisories in effect yet. that could change. we'll likely

see these gusty winds again on wednesday. looking at the rain forecast here, as we go through the next 7 to 10 days by the end of the month. there you go. it looks like we'll see kind of a wetter pattern. try to establish itself. right now it looks like rain would be pretty light here in the bay area. and we're thinking around january 25th, 26th, 27th. that's when we could get some moisture. we'll keep you updated on that. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. cooler afternoon today. morning fog to sun over the weekend. and then we'll track those gusty winds on monday and wednesday. >> authorities in southern california now confirm 27 people have died in the fires still burning in l.a. county, and dozens of others remain unaccounted for. the palisades fire is now 31% contained. it's burned nearly 24,000 acres nearby. the eton fires, up to 65%, contained burning more than 14,000 acres. some evacuation orders were lifted yesterday. a pair of massive concerts are being planned to raise money for

fire victims. two shows, called fire aid, will happen on january 30th at the kia forum and nearby intuit dome in inglewood. the artists confirmed to perform include billie eilish, the red hot chili peppers, lady gaga, pink, katy perry, jellyroll, lil baby, sting, stephen stills and stevie nicks. dave matthews and john mayer will also perform together for the first time. organizers have promised to announce even more artists soon. the concerts will be live streamed on most of the major apps and broadcast on more than 850 iheart radio stations. tickets for the live shows go on sale next wednesday. a programing note we're highlighting stories about the strength of human kindness, selflessness and heroism in the wake of the fire. tune in sunday at 6:30 p.m. for socal strong as we share special coverage from los angeles. much more ahead on the federal indictment of former oakland mayor chantel. today, abc seven insider fill material

will give us his you can access your fico® score in a snap. (daughter) what i would give to be able to make art on this scale! (dad) you will one day. but it's equally important for you to be thinking about your future... building credit— (daughter) dad... fargo, what's my fico® score? (dad) wow... it's a work of art. (vo) do you fargo? (daughter) that was corny, but i'll take it. (vo) you can. visit wellsfargo.com/getfargo.

pleaded not guilty to eight federal charges. earlier today, the fbi and federal officials unsealed the indictment. it alleges tao participated in a pay to play scheme that also involved her long term romantic partner, andre jones, and two prominent east bay businessmen, david duong and his son andy duong. they face charges including bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud. today, current mayoral candidate loren taylor vented his frustration. he narrowly lost to tao in the 2022 election, with a margin of only 677 votes. >> in the 2022 election. it is

clear that the charges in this indictment had a major impact on the outcome of our election, and who rose to be mayor, and the path that we are now on. >> so we're going to explore that. in the meantime, i should tell you tao is out on bail, though the judge placed travel restrictions on her. the judge gave alleged coconspirator david duong permission to attend president elect trump's inauguration. then he has to come right back. all right. today's indictments are the culmination of months of political chaos. joining us live now to break it all down is abc seven news insider phil matier. phil tao did not speak today, but her attorney did. and he said that the indictment is full of accusations, but not a lot of evidence. okay, based on what you know, what we've all seen, what evidence is out there now and what could still come out. >> well, what we have is a situation of the evidence is contained in this indictment that he referred to. but what they have is basically an insider. what we have, according

to this, is a person identified as coconspirator number one, who many people believe is mario juarez, who is a partner with the dongs on the idea of selling oakland, a tiny houses for the homeless. it was a rather lucrative contract that could have gone upwards of 300 million, or upwards of 90 million, to get 300 of these homes. the relationship and the business went sour. and he's wound up the star witness for this. so he was a participant, allegedly in some of the meetings and exchanges and the setups of this system as part of this. >> right. they talked about the tiny homes that deal and also the waste contract. of course. did those things come to pass? no. >> okay. and that's an interesting thing, not only here in other corruption cases we've seen, although there is a conspiracy, they say, and an attempt to do this, the actual contract was never let out. it never came to be. the company fell apart before. waste. waste.

california waste solutions has been doing curbside recycling in oakland for years, and we have yet to see this latest extension. so no, it does not come out, but the fact that they set it up and attempted to do it is the conspiracy. so even though there wasn't the actual payoff. yeah, the idea that they don't need that. >> so let me just ask you, obviously we all watched how after the raid, right? many news conferences. sometimes she was angry and so upset, and other times she was sad and tearful and all that. so she showed all those emotions and she was like, claire, mere. charge me. clear me or charge me. is it possible that a reasonable person could think that somehow the things that they allege happened, but that she was not at fault, or she might believe that she didn't do anything wrong? >> well, you can convince yourself that you're not doing anything wrong. a lot of the times when you do it, i mean, it's you've sort of worked your way up. the payments in question went to her live in partner

andre jones. so they didn't go directly to her. so perhaps she felt that it was him that was being the beneficiary of this and not her, and also that she didn't actually do award the contracts or make the extension. so she could have compartmentalized it in her mind. but the fbi isn't interested in that. they are interested in this indictment, and she is the so far the highest ranking person to be indicted. so all roads are going to be pointing towards her. all right. >> well, you heard the man she beat in the mayoral race, lauren taylor, who is running again now in this special election, saying, hey, you know, he would have won had it not been for those mailers that were part of this campaign. >> i don't know, i don't know if he would have won. but the mailers in the campaign, the negative mailers that come in at the close of a campaign and turn last minute voters largely, especially if the race wasn't getting a lot of attention. yes, it could have had had a factor in it. but the other thing that's really important to note is both the duong family and the business have been longtime

political contributors to a host of officials on the east bay. and mayor qingtao and her boyfriend, andre jones, knew them for years before she was a candidate for mayor, as they worked in city hall as council members aides. so this is a very this group has known each other for a long time. yeah. >> and because of that, there could be more names that get implicated, as you said, very connected. right. before we let you go real quickly, i'm just wondering who will support her now. you know, sometimes you can tell whether one has comeback prospects based on who comes to their defense, who funds them. she has been ousted now. so who stands by her? >> virtually no one right now. anybody that was with her before has moved away after the recall. and now they're not going to want to get anywhere near her for the fear that somehow it would taint them. so she has very, very little support. and that is the nature of politics. when you win, everybody is your friend. and when you don't,

nobody knows you. >> yeah. unless in those rare exceptions, when they think you might win again. and sometimes you do. all right phil, thank you so much. appreciate it. i'll see you again at four. coming up, lunar new year festivities will soon be in full swing. we'll get some tips on some of the best f i mean, i know how the fire affected me, and there's always a constant fear that who's to say something like that won't happen again? that's fair. we committed to underground, 10,000 miles of electric line. you look back at where we were 10 years ago and we are in a completely different place today, and it's because of how we need to care for our communities and our customers. i hope that's true. [joe] that's my commitment. [ambient noise]

and 29 days until the san francisco chinese new year parade that will be carried live on abc seven. as you can see, we've got the countdown clock there at the bottom of the screen, so families that mark the holiday are busy right now shopping for their lunar new year meals. always such an integral part of the celebration. if you're looking for ideas, whether you have always celebrated or just want to learn and get in on the fun, we're here for you. so joining us live now to talk about lunar new year food you can make or enjoy at home. katie liu, director of public affairs at hungry panda, an asian food

delivery platform. kitty. happy early new year. thanks for your time. >> oh, happy chinese new year. >> i know we're ready to celebrate. hey, what's the role of food during the lunar new year period? >> oh my god. you know, in chinese culture, food plays such a big role. and, you know, for it is the time for all the family reunions, you know, honoring traditions and, you know, welcoming, welcoming the new year and the new, the happiness, you know, for the year ahead. so every dish that involves during the chinese new year has its own very unique meanings. in china, you know, majority people will need to have dumplings, you know, on the new year eve day and also the new year day that represents the wealth, because, you know, the shape of the dumpling looks like the chinese and england. >> so it represents with you, i heard. is that right? >> yeah. >> yes. that's right. and sorry.

>> can we see them? >> oh no i don't have dumplings right next to me, but. okay. sorry. i'm trying to. yeah, i'm trying to show the shape. yeah. and then, you know, fish is another very important dish that you need to have on the table because, you know, the word fish, you know, sounds like you. and it means surplus year in chinese language. symbol symbolizes, you know, abundance that you have more than enough for you to have in the in the coming year. and rice cake is another example saying niangao signifies progress and promotion in the coming year, coming year and translating into year, year high, you know, in our own language. so all the chinese food actually have a very good meaning behind it. and, you know, all the best wishes to all your family. >> yeah. and it's such a family activity to spend time together making some of these dishes. and my family sometimes will make dumplings, you know, when i can round up the kids and actually

go buy the ingredients? sometimes. sometimes you can't. so you just have to order. and i know that hungry panda is a food delivery platform, and you work with some san francisco restaurants and bakeries, talk about whether they're doing anything special, any favorite new offerings? >> yeah. so during the chinese new year season, we will have some promotions on our app. so, you know, we will have with different restaurants, we will come up with the chinese new year package. so you can have all the significant, you know, dishes, you know, to be ordered in one package. instead of that you have to look for dumplings. you have to look for fish. you know, other ways. so we put them all together. >> all right. well that is one option. otherwise, you know, you can try your hand. looking up the recipes. make your noodle, make your dumpling, make your fish, make your rice cake. but we really appreciate you stopping by from hungry panda kitty lou. thank you, thank you.

and remember, you can watch the parade live! saturday, february 15th starting at 6 p.m. right here on abc seven and wherever you stream abc seven news. abc seven is a proud sponsor of the 2025 san francisco chinese new year parade. so i'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.

bounced from one doctor to the next. did they even send my lab work...? wait, was i supposed to bring that? then there's the forms. the bills. the 'not a bills.' the.... ”press 4 to repeat these options.” [chaotic music] [inspirational music] healthcare can get a whole lot easier when your medical records, care and coverage are in one place. at kaiser permanente, all of us work together for all that is you.

(vo) with fargo, your virtual assistant from wells fargo, you can pick up the tab, even when you forget your wallet. (kaz) i got this. (ben) fargo, send kaz $145 dollars with zelle. (kaz) smooth. (vo) learn more at wellsfargo.com/getfargo. has left her mark on the vice president's desk. the tradition of signing inside the top drawer of the desk dates back to the 1940s. of course, this is historic. as vice president, harris is the first woman to ever leave her signature. happening tonight, an old series getting a reboot. wizards beyond. waverly place is back, this time with director danielle

fishel at the helm. you may know fishel as topanga from the 90s hit boy meets world. now she's donning the director's hat and guiding a new generation of young actors on screen on the red carpet. spoke with fishel about her experience on set. >> it feels like i'm like, i get to give back to my young self. and so being there for them, letting them know my door is always open to them, letting them know that i'm on their team. it's really one of the most rewarding things i've ever done in my life. >> lots of mistakes. >> so the new episode of wizards beyond waverly place premieres tonight at 8:00 on the disney channel. thanks so much for joining us. world news tonight with david muir starts now. tonight, there is breaking news involving the inauguration. for the first time since ronald reagan, the brutal cold temperatures forcing president-elect trump's inauguration indoors now.