seven news starts right now. >> you know, young people and old people walking around in the streets and not worrying about gunfire and the little businesses open, right? that's what people want. >> tackling safety issues in

oakland. now one university wants to create its own police force to patrol not just its campus, but also the surrounding community of east oakland. good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. this idea comes from northeastern college, formerly known as mills college, but it's raising concerns about overpolicing and its legality. >> abc seven news reporter anser hassan spoke to students and neighbors and has more. >> safety is a concern for many students at northeastern university in oakland. some, like the idea of the university having its own police force. >> oakland is not safe, and it would be nice to have, you know, that extra amount of safety. >> since its merger with mills college, northeastern has upgraded safety and security services. but in a memorandum of understanding, or mou submitted to the city of oakland, the university is seeking to create and pay for its own police department with all the powers of a police force, and to be allowed to patrol off campus in parts of east oakland. >> communities can't thrive. they can't expand. you can't really have a good quality of

life if it's too dangerous to go outside. >> stephanie hayden is with the group east oakland neighbors. she acknowledges the socioeconomic issues that have historically plagued east oakland, but the group thinks extra officers will make a difference. but the mou was rejected by the city. in a statement to abc seven news, city attorney ryan richardson says there are several private universities that do have their own peace officers, but those are tied to some city or jurisdiction or have limited powers. richardson says there is no precedent with what northeastern is proposing and, quote, no support for it in california law. therefore, the oakland city attorney's office was not able to sign off on the mou that was presented by the university due to its form and legality. cat brooks, founder of the anti-police terror project, says more police doesn't lead to safer streets. >> we have the oakland police department, we have the california highway patrol, and occasionally we have the sheriffs. and yet the kinds of things that oakland and east oakland are concerned about keep happening, right? carjackings, home invasions, robberies, etc.

those things keep happening despite the fact that east oakland is literally flooded with police departments. >> still, the group east oakland neighbors wants this to be an issue in the upcoming mayor's race and will start sending out surveys to solicit community feedback. >> getting public safety right means making sure that people are informed, and they have an opportunity to help shape the proposals. >> the university did not respond to requests for comment. the city says it remains open to a partnership with the university that is authorized by california law. in oakland, anser hassan, abc seven news. >> also in oakland, city workers who are set to be laid off are now taking a stand. dozens who received layoff notices gathered on the steps of oakland city hall today in protest. oakland has approved major job cuts to help close a historic $129 million budget deficit. on the chopping block are crime analysts, neighborhood watch teams, recreation center

workers, graffiti removal crews and 19 positions within the police department. >> instead of tackling our financial problems head on, the administration is choosing to balance the budget on the backs of the very workers who keep our city running. >> the city administrator decided which jobs would be cut, and the city council approved them back in december. layoffs are scheduled to begin on february 28th. >> all right, let's turn to the weather as we get ready for the rain to return. as we take a live look outside at the conditions right now. abc seven news meteorologist sandhya patel is here with what's coming. sandhya. >> yeah. we're going to see some major changes in our weather. so right now, this is the calm, if you will. let's take a look at live doppler seven. we are seeing a lot of green on the screen. this is actually virga. it's evaporating before it hits the ground. we do have this long plume of moisture and atmospheric river that is heading in our direction. but before it gets here, we have a wave of moisture. it's a level one coming in tonight, going

into tomorrow. i want to show you the timeline of what you can expect. some areas of rain at 930 tonight, mainly near the coastline. snow over mount hamilton as we head towards the wee hours of the morning. this continues and then you get a bit of a lull tomorrow evening. some more showers coming in at 6:00. beyond that though, we have heavier rain in the forecast. a flood watch has been posted for much of the bay area. 10 p.m. tomorrow until 10 p.m. saturday. flooding is possible, especially as the rain becomes heavier and heavier as we head towards thursday. high wind watch for most of the bay area wind advisory for solano and lake counties. the wind gusts under the watch will be gusting 70 to 80 miles an hour. look out for the potential for downed trees and power outages tonight and tomorrow. it's a one. areas of rain, snow on our higher peaks, breezy in spots and then it becomes a strong level three for thursday. this is when we're going to see the heavy rain, gusty winds, thunder, chance, dangerous surf flooding and wind damage. we have more watches and

warnings to pass along. i will be back with a full look at the timeline as to when that stormiest weather arrives. >> dan okay sandhya, thanks a lot. we'll touch base shortly and as you hear from sandhya, although rain is in the forecast, a wildfires remain a very real concern here in the bay area. as part of building a better bay area, officials in the east bay are taking action now to make things safer before fire season ramps up. they're working to remove trees up and down the east bay hills, specifically around lake chabot. abc seven news reporter leslie brinkley traveled deep into chabot regional park to see the work being done firsthand. >> chainsaws and heavy equipment took down massive eucalyptus trees near lake chabot today. >> this is a fire emergency for us. we're doing proactive work before actual incident occurs. this is an unmanaged eucalyptus forest in the middle or between oakland, san leandro and castro valley. if it was to catch on fire, it could be catastrophic. >> the devastating fires in southern california are still on

everyone's mind as officials here move forward into the third phase of removing combustible trees. thinning out the forest means it will end up looking more like this stretch of road. so far, over $11 million have been spent to remove 13,000 tons of fuel. >> when we started seeing a lot of tree die off and stress in the forested areas during the towards the end of the 2020 drought, this area was identified for good, getting a lot of funding for fuels reduction work to prevent catastrophic wildfire. >> here in tilden park. work is also underway to clear a fuel break along the grizzly peak ridge line. the hope is that fuel management, along with quick suppression, will equal smaller, more manageable fires nearby. urban crime has an impact on this rural park land as well. in the last nine months, six vehicles were

intentionally set on fire in chabot. they were all extinguished. >> really just thinning the area with the goal that if we do have a fire, the flame lanes will be under six feet. the fire won't creep into the tree tops and start a crown fire, or potentially send embers that can go for miles miles away. >> another 221 acres will be thinned out by the summer of 2026. in the east bay hills, i'm leslie brinkley, abc seven news. >> california's fair plan is getting $1 billion bailout in the wake of the wildfires that devastated los angeles last month. the fair plan provides basic fire insurance for high risk properties when other companies will not. today, the state insurance commissioner approved the fair plan's request for additional money to pay consumers claims. the move will likely lead to higher costs for property owners across california, with the cost of private policies increasing an estimated $60 per year or, excuse me, $60 a year per

policyholder. that's according to an estimate by the san francisco chronicle. >> for the first time, billionaire elon musk joined president trump in the oval office to answer questions this afternoon. musk, who is the richest man in the world and who was not elected, has drawn criticism for his role in the trump administration. california and the bay area are where musk began making his billions, with companies including tesla, spacex and twitter. president trump appointed him to head the department of government efficiency, known as doge, not an official government department. reporters pressed musk about accountability. musk says doge is being transparent by posting its work on its x page and website. >> transparency is what builds trust, not simply somebody asserting trust, not somebody saying they're trustworthy, but transparency. so you can see everything that's going on and you can see, am i doing something that benefits one of my companies or not? it's totally obvious. >> doge has faced setbacks from

the courts, with a federal judge temporarily blocking musk and his team from accessing treasury department material, including sensitive information such as the social security numbers and bank account information of millions of americans. coming up at 6:00, abc seven news reporter monica madden takes a closer look at what musk said about his role in the trump administration. >> still ahead, count them. we are just four days away from the san francisco chinese new year parade, and today we got a look at some of the floats. >> but first, after the break, it is the rivalry between san jose state and fresno state, known as the battle for the valley trophy, and it's now being extended. we'll explain when

san jose state is keeping their longest standing rivalry intact over the next decade. >> yes, abc7 news sports

reporter chris alvarez joins us live from the newsroom, with details on how san jose state and fresno state will keep the battle for the valley trophy alive. hi, chris. >> hi, dan. yeah, college football has changed just so much in the past few years. you have the transfer portal, conference realignments in partnership with our sister station, kfsn in fresno. both san jose state and fresno state, giving our stations exclusive news that the two schools will play football games into the 2034 season. now, the spartans and bulldogs, they're each other's longest standing rivals. they've been playing football since 1921. that's a long time. the rivalry continues today with the scheduling news. spartans and bulldogs will play six nonconference games between 2026 through 2034. now, why is this important? fresno state set to join the pac 12 in july of 2026. while the spartans are going to remain in the mountain west conference. so they had to schedule these non-conference games to keep this traditional rivalry going for both sides. the battle of the valley trophy is an important rivalry to keep. >> well, last year was my first time in it. and, you know, going up there, obviously you could

see the rivalry there. and the fans there were pretty animated. so our guys are excited about it. >> when you do have a game that has a little bit of a bull's eye on it, there's a traveling trophy. it does create a little bit of a buzz in the locker room and in the community as well. >> it's the longest running rivalry that we have. it's the longest series that we have in football. we played them more than anybody else. they are a measuring stick and i think we are a measuring stick for them. so it just makes sense that the two institutions will further play. >> so while this news right now just applies to football matchups in the future, the goal for both schools is to get the other sports in the mix. to keep this rivalry going between san jose and fresno, it's a long standing one, guys, as we send it back to you. >> that's cool. >> yeah, thanks. >> thanks, chris very much. still ahead, we're bracing for the return of rain. here's a live look at the conditions right now. and after the break, we'll touch base again

with the way that pg&e handled the wildfires. yeah. yeah. i totally, totally understand. we're adding a ton of sensors. as soon as something comes in contact with the power line, it'll turn off so that there's not a risk that it's gonna fall to the ground and start a fire. okay. and i want you to be able to feel the improvements. we've been able to reduce wildfire risk from our equipment by over 90%. that's something i want to believe. [skateboard sounds]

the 2025 chinese new year parade, and it is now just four days away. of course, you can watch it live right here on abc seven or wherever you stream abc seven. >> please tune in. and you know, one of the highlights of the parade is seeing all of the great floats. >> of course, and with it being the year of the snake, you can expect to see that theme throughout the parade. >> abc seven news anchor dion lim got a sneak peek today. >> the final touches are being put on. this year's chinese new year parade floats here at pier 19. and for the parade guys who put all of these floats together, it takes an awful lot of elbow grease and. glitter. >> yeah. so come on in. this is this is where it gets exciting. >> step inside the chain link fence. and into a world of color and wonder. >> hundreds of gallons of paint, 60 truckloads of lumber. hundreds of pounds of glitter. >> since late december, a team of about 20 fabricators with the parade guys have been working on 21 magnificent floats. >> we've got great bank of america, alaska, toyota, us

bank, hyundai, thunder valley. >> all have a theme of the year of the snake, which has allowed the artisans to flex their creative muscle. >> a lot of the other animals, like the pig or the rabbit, they belong on the ground, right? but we're able to make it look like he's kind of like flying through the air. >> similar to the snake, which symbolizes rebirth and renewal. the parade guys too, went through some changes moving into this new space after previously working out of pier 54 for years. >> there's a lot of changes that have been happening in the city, in the world, in this parade. yeah, that resilience, that flexibility is really a good metaphor and something that we've been trying to embody. just being able to go with the flow and just roll with it. >> while everyone has their specialty. >> my job is doing like the basics, you know, the woodwork. i'm a carpenter. >> they all agreed. >> it makes me proud to see our work going down the road and everybody really appreciating it. >> so while the job of making

massive designs come to life in just weeks has its challenges. >> sometimes it's stressful. sometimes, you know, it's i pull my hair out a little bit. >> the parade always goes on. and the final result? pure new year magic. >> it's the feedback that we get from the community and seeing everybody that lights up when they see our work, that's that's what makes it all worth it. >> in san francisco, dion lim, abc seven news. >> wow, that is so cool to see. and if you cannot make it to the chinese new year parade in person, you can watch it live right here on abc seven. coverage starts at 6 p.m. saturday wherever you watch abc seven. >> we'll have great coverage for you. please tune in and if you're going to drive in the city this weekend, be aware the chinese new year parade and the nba all star game will cause some major traffic changes this weekend. several streets will be closed and bus routes altered in chinatown and around the chase center to the chinese new year parade will block off several roads on saturday. the route will start on market street and go around union square, ending at kearny and columbus avenue.

drivers should expect delays, of course, and plan alternate routes. it's going to be fun, but a bit messy. >> don't let it deter you. i mean, it's not going to rain. i don't think so. i think we're good on that front. >> we may get lucky, right? meteorologist sandhya patel is tracking the forecast very closely. sandhya. >> yeah, and dan and ama, you are going to get lucky on saturday because we're going to be in between storm systems right now. we're showing you live views. it is cloudy outside. let me show you the forecast for the chinese new year parade. 4:00 mostly cloudy, light breeze, mid 50s in the city on saturday. the parade begins at 6 p.m. and there will be a few peeks of sun mid 50s still dropping off into the low 50s, so it will be getting chilly later on at night. so a good idea to pack the extra layers if you are going. and we'll be streaming it live right here on abc seven news on live doppler seven, you can see a lot of cloud cover moving in this first wave. most of that moisture is actually not even reaching the ground yet, but we will see it later on tonight. we are tracking an atmospheric

river that is moving in our direction that gets here late wednesday night into thursday, and that's when you will know that a stronger storm has arrived. right now on live doppler seven. we have a lot of cloud cover at this hour. temperatures in the 40s and the 50s. here's a look at the storm impact scale tonight into tomorrow. it's a light level one areas of rain. snow on the higher peaks like mount hamilton and breezy in spots. we switch it over to a strong level three storm on thursday. we're expecting heavy rain, gusty winds, thunder chance, dangerous surf flooding and wind damage. so here we go. we're going to time this out beginning tonight 10:00 you notice some areas of rain. there is snow on mount hamilton as we head into tomorrow morning. just a few showers and snow showers. and then here comes that next wave of rain at 7:00 thursday morning. this is going to be one of the stormiest periods. at 4 a.m. we will see some very heavy rain. this is likely going to lead to flooding on some of the roadways. 7 a.m. you'll notice some widespread rain, even the

possibility of thunder as we head into 9 a.m. moderate rain across parts of the east bay san francisco peninsula, and then 4 p.m. we have another push of some downpours, but that one will be briefer. it will not be quite as intense as the morning round. as we head into late thursday night, things will quiet down, rainfall taking you right on through early friday morning will range anywhere from about an inch and a half to almost four inches of rain. in places like the santa cruz mountains, there will be isolated areas that will pick up six inches or more. their winds are going to come up out of the south 50 miles an hour. early thursday morning, 7 a.m. 53. you will notice gusty winds continuing into thursday night. it will be gusty even over the lower elevations. high surf warning going up 3 p.m. thursday until 3 a.m. saturday. large breakers expected 20 to 30ft. some areas that are favored up to 45ft. and so we are talking about life threatening conditions. a good idea to watch from far away. winter storm

warning 10 p.m. tomorrow until 10 p.m. friday. above 4500ft above 6000. we're expecting 2 to 5ft. this is going to be big time snow with those gusty winds. it's going to be very difficult. don't even try going during that time. temperatures in the morning 30s and 40s. not quite as cold as the last couple of days. tomorrow afternoon you're looking at highs ranging from the 40s to the 60s. a look at the accuweather seven day forecast. it is a level one for tomorrow. showers and some snow over the higher peaks becomes a strong level three. that's when things turn stormy with heavy rain, gusty winds, possibility of thunder showers on friday. it's a level one lingering clouds for the chinese new year parade on saturday, but at least it's going to be dry. and then a level one for sunday. light rain returns monday looks like a slight possibility, but milder weather you will notice as we head towards the weekend and into early next week. >> ama and dan we're looking out here. >> yeah, absolutely. >> thanks, jamie. >> uc berkeley is celebrating the return of the newts with the

new ta palooza at its botanical garden. the garden is home to two newt species, the california newt and rough skinned newt. experts say their winter migration is triggered by rain. hormonal changes cause their unstoppable urge to go to the water. the best time to see the newts yourself at the botanical garden is now through early march. interesting. yeah. >> well, still ahead, we're learning new details about some of the musical guests taking part in this year's nba all-star festivities. and we'll tell you who the first ever on court emcee will be. stay with us. >> i'm reggie aqui. >> i'm lyanne melendez. >> i'm luz pena. i'm tara campbell. >> i'm j.r. >> stone at abc seven news. we deliver local stories. >> with real answers. >> to help

a live newscast, breaking news, weather and more with our abc seven bay area streaming tv app. just search abc seven bay area and download it when you have a moment. >> the nba all-star game is coming to town, and the format is not the only thing that's changing this year. >> no. that's true. it's really

interesting. for the first time, the game will have an on court emcee, and it will be none other than kevin hart. the comedian has a long time association with the league, and on four occasions has won the mvp award for the celebrity game. so it'll be fun seeing him next to those super tall nba players. there will also be several musical performances during the game on sunday. there's a strong bay area flavor with e-40, too short and sweet e among those slated to perform. >> that will be fun. there's also going to be a celebration of the newest wnba team, the golden state valkyries. they are going to have a house warming that will be an immersive experience for fans, who will have to search for unique gifts from each of the existing wnba teams. this will be over at the nba crossover located at moscone center. >> it's going to be a blast. yeah. all right. we have much more news ahead for you. >> let's get to abc seven news anchor stephanie sierra for a look at the stories coming up at 530. steph. >> thanks, dan. tonight, congressman mike thompson joins us to discuss new legislation that aims to help address california's growing insurance

crisis. we'll break down the changes that would bring sweeping impacts to consumers dropped by insurers, plus some new incentives to harden your home. then, from the court to the big screen, the warriors one and only dj dee sharp joins us. a sneak peek at some of the new beats coming to chase center for the nba all star games this weekend. join us for these stories and more at 530 on abc7 bay area streaming tv. dana. >> all right. stephanie, thanks. >> and you can download the abc seven app or head to abc7 news.com and join stephanie in two minutes. >> and if you're watching us here on tv. world news tonight with david muir is next for sandhya patel. all of us, we appreciate your time. i'm dan. >> ashley california's trusted credit union. for nearly a century, we've taken every chance to empower our members, serve our communities, and build brighter futures. because we believe that every single one of us is on a journey. but it's when we come together, that we become the unstoppable that we become the unstoppable

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tonight, we have breaking news as we come on the air. this remarkable scene just a short time ago. elon musk holding court in the oval office. what he said with president trump sitting beside him. we also have more than 100 million americans in the line of