s ir. 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] now abc seven mornings live.

>> now at six. layoffs are coming to schools across the bay area. the tough decisions being made at several districts in order to address budget deficits. >> it only opened two years ago, but san francisco is already shutting down the central subway. the work that needs to be done and how commuters can get around it. in the meantime. >> billboards in the south bay are going digital. the millions of dollars going toward the downtown investment and why critics disagree with the decision. >> good morning. it is wednesday, february 26th. the window is small for this warm weather, which is kind of upsetting to me, but at least we get. >> it right. so if you can be outside as much as you can today and tomorrow, because these temperatures are really feeling like spring more than winter. here's a live look outside from our sutro tower camera. we are not dealing with that thick fog we had yesterday morning. sky conditions are clear. you look across the board and reporting clear skies in all locations, so it's a lot easier to commute this morning when visibility is this good. remember, this map

yesterday had a lot of fractions on it, showing you that thick fog this morning ten is as good as it gets. we are chilly, 30s and 40s in a lot of areas right now. danville. good morning at 38. 39 in sonoma. good morning. sausalito. coming in at 47 degrees. but we are going to warm very quickly this morning. so i think you can get rid of jacket probably around 9 a.m. because look at these temperatures by 1130 we're already into the 60s. and then we continue to warm into the afternoon. so the highs you see on your screen right here, we're about 5 to 15 degrees above average temperatures in the mid and upper 70s in many areas. let's check in with gloria, see how the commute is going without that fog this morning. >> yeah. you know, it really is looking nice this morning because yesterday we had that really thick fog and a lot of areas of the bay area today. look at this. nice and clear. this is a live look at your bay bridge toll plaza camera. one thing you are going to have to deal with this morning, though, is all that traffic. because a lot of people are out on the roads right now. you can see how packed it is. here we have the

metering lights that flipped on about 30 minutes ago, and vehicles are backed up to the end of the parking lot, and delays continue to the incline. taking a look at your drive times for right now from highway four to the maze 23 minutes emeryville to san francisco 15 minutes. san francisco to sfo nine minutes. amanda. >> all right, gloria, thank you. >> if you take muni across san francisco, this could have a major impact on your commute. starting today through mid-march, the four stations that are part of the central subway will be closed as sfmta fixes water leaks along the tracks. you can see the impacted stations on this map. abc seven news reporter lena howland is live in chinatown, with more on the problem and the solution to help you get around during this work. lena. >> hey, amanda. despite only being open for about two years, the subway station here in the heart of chinatown will be closed starting today for more than two weeks. take a look inside. and this is the reason why. as sfmta says, leaking water is beginning to cause some damage at the central subway tunnel. they're closing it so

crews can get in to make repairs. this closure will affect four muni metro stations along the busy commercial corridor to the caltrain station in soma that includes union square market station, as well as yerba buena moscone center station, and then the fourth and brannan station for the next 17 days. >> because of that water intrusion, we do have to implement this closure in order to have crews get in there. they're going to fill in any voids with grout. they're going to add sealant to our waterproofing and just make sure that we address and remedy the water situation. >> as sfmta says, riders should consider taking bus 30 or 45 that actually runs parallel service to the central subway. the transit agency says it will also have ambassadors helping direct passengers to busses at stations impacted by this closure, and transit officials say the goal is to get this reopened and ready to go by

march 14th. live in san francisco lena howland, abc seven news. >> okay. thanks, lena. san francisco mayor daniel lurie is ordering all city workers back to the office four days a week. the directive applies to more than 10,000 employees who are currently working hybrid schedules. according to the chronicle, lurie hopes the change will boost the economy and bring more foot traffic to the civic center area. >> we demand an immediate return to local control and transparent fiscal accountability. the district must stop these harmful cuts. students may go. >> jobs are on the line. oakland unified taking up the issue of layoffs at today's school board meeting. the district is trying to find its way out of a nearly $100 million deficit. oakland's meeting today comes as districts across the bay area are facing the similar tough decisions to close their own budget gaps. gloria, just yesterday we saw cuts approved in san francisco and san jose. >> we did. so let's start in the

south bay. last night, the franklin mckinley board in san jose voted to move ahead with closing and consolidating three schools. they are los arboles, ramblewood, and mckinley. the district is facing a budget deficit of nearly $23 million. each school closure is expected to save about $1 million. the district is also weighing additional closures along with layoffs, and the board could make a decision tonight. in san francisco, board members unanimously voted to send preliminary layoff notices to hundreds of employees. approving notices for 395 positions. the district is facing a $113 million budget deficit for the next school year. it's driven by declining enrollment. the superintendent says the district's workforce represents 80% of expenses and that layoffs are necessary. >> teachers are a backbone of sfusd. losing even just a few just means losing mentors who genuinely care about the successes of students and the lasting relationships that come with it. >> we need to show the community

that we've done everything we can to keep the cuts away from our students. >> another round of preliminary layoffs is expected. the final number of layoffs could change depending on enrollment numbers and retirements, and the final decision is expected in may. amanda. >> all right, gloria. thank you. san jose leaders are taking a page from san francisco, launching a similar program to reduce the city's homeless population. it's called homeward bound. the program helps people living on the streets reconnect with family or other loved ones. then they pay for bus or train tickets for unhoused people to return home. >> before outreach. workers can offer people family reconnection services immediately. that saves a bed in our shelter system. for someone who truly doesn't have anyone to support them. >> mayor matt mehan prioritized homeward bound in his last budget. staying in the south bay, san jose is about to get brighter. the city council just approved five new digital

billboards, but not everyone is happy. the billboards will be installed at the san jose center for the performing arts, the mcenery convention center, and two parking garages. according to the plan, the city will get at least $20 million over the next 20 years for the advertising deal. plus, the city will also get free use of the billboards 15% of the time to promote local events. residents are worried the signs will change. san jose. >> downtown san jose is a small town. big city. we are not las vegas. we're not denver. we're not miami. you don't think that this contributes to the local economy? >> the two sides that will be up at the center for the performing arts could be up as early as this fall. the sign at the convention center would be installed in early 2026. >> 608 this morning. and we're looking at clear skies around the bay this morning. a live look at san jose. see the sunlight starting to come up here? it is clear. and we are going to see a lot of sunshine

today and some spring like temperatures. here's the reason why. live doppler seven along with satellite high pressure, is now in control of the forecast for the next several days. we're warm and sunny today and will keep it mild and pretty sunny through the rest of the week, at least through friday. it's looking very nice. so here's a live look from sutro tower. clear skies here as well. the day planner is very sunny. sunrise here at about a half hour at 645. it's a sunny morning. temperatures start out in the 40s for most of us, but temperatures do climb fast. by lunchtime, well into the 60s. and then later on this afternoon, it is warm with daytime highs into the 70s away from the coast. you look at highs versus average today. we're really anywhere from about 7 to 14 degrees above average, and it will likely be the first 70 degree day in san francisco this year. some areas in the south bay could get close to 80 degrees this afternoon. so the next three days it's warm today. another warm day tomorrow. we

keep it mild on friday, but the weekend we do have some major changes. cooler air, cloudier skies and rain is back in the forecast. amanda we'll talk about that on the seven day in eight minutes. >> all right drew. thank you. still to come on abc seven mornings. president trump taking major actions to address immigration. the program he's just announced offering citizenship to a specific type of person. and another close call on the runway. quick thinking by southwest pilots. you'll see it in just a second, helping to avoid a crash with a business jet. tickets for bottlerock after dark go on sale

scary video of a close call at chicago's midway airport. you see that southwest plane attempting to land? it narrowly misses another plane that's crossing right there at the bottom. you see the flight from omaha come in for a landing. when the pilots made that split second decision to abort when a smaller jet crossed the runway right in front of them. air traffic control told the private jet not to cross is what we're learning. flight radar shows the southwest plane cleared the jet by only 250ft. now to a live look at sfo this morning where federal officials are investigating there. after a plane apparently came too low for a landing. the faa says the flight had to try again, possibly avoiding a disaster. here's what we know. it happened sunday afternoon at about 2:00.

according to the faa, air traffic control alerted asiana airlines flight 202 that it had descended to a low altitude, forcing the aircraft to perform what's called a go around. so the plane eventually landed safely. it appears to be a similar situation to the deadly 2013 crash of an asiana airlines plane at sfo. of course, this time without that tragic outcome. who can forget? three people died after the plane clipped a seawall as it landed? federal investigators blame the pilots, saying they flew too low and too slow. a fishing boat that ran aground in 2016 along the sonoma coast is finally being removed this week. debris has been getting in the water for years, ranging from plastics to other items that could be extremely harmful to animals. >> so there's the obvious risk to wildlife ingesting materials. there's pollution on board, like petroleum products and other hazardous materials, and those can affect water quality, but also marine life, especially

young juvenile marine life or larval stage marine life. they're really highly sensitive to toxicity in the water. >> so it has been near salmon creek beach north of bodega bay since september 2016. the national oceanic and atmospheric administration is helping with the cleanup. >> bottlerock napa valley is giving music fans even more reason to get excited about memorial day weekend. this year, it just released its lineup for the after dark shows happening near the festival. legendary bay area rapper e-40 is among the performers. so is guitarist robby krieger from the doors and indie pop vocalist lauren mayberry. the after dark concerts are in napa and several other bay area cities. tickets go on sale in just a few hours, starting at 10:00. bottlerock runs may 23rd through the 25th. can i say something about tickets for a second? has nothing to do with bottlerock, but it just reminds me of this. i got a notice yesterday about tickets on sale for a halloween event. >> oh, wow. >> can everybody calm down? >> got to get prepared. got to get there early.

>> what is the deal with this? oh, and already the first tiers of. >> tickets are gone. >> wow. >> i don't think i'm that good of a planner quite yet to think that far out. >> no. >> then. >> but i almost texted you and said, should i just get these? >> and then. yeah, when we go closer to the event, we're like, why do we not do this? >> because they keep getting more expensive. >> yeah. >> the pressure is nutty. >> yeah. >> these ticket things again, i'm not talking about bottlerock. have fun at bottlerock. yeah, that seems appropriate. yeah, it's almost march. the event's in may. >> okay. yeah, a couple months out. >> two months? >> yeah. i like it. it's like, let's get through summer first and then think about halloween through spring. >> what is your costume going to be? >> yeah, exactly. >> exactly. >> i have no idea. >> everyone just relax. >> yeah. >> we'll get to it when we get to it. right. this morning we're going to see a lot of sunshine today. here is our rooftop camera. as one of the fairies comes into the ferry building this morning. a nice morning if you are taking the ferry. we'll have calm conditions, really comfortable temperatures. and this afternoon, it feels like

spring out there. warm today and tomorrow. but the weekend. we can't hang on to this warm air. cooler, cloudier skies move in here and then rain is back here sunday and monday with a level one light storm on the storm impact scale. so temperatures right now we're mainly in the 40s around the bay shoreline, a couple of 30s on the board, and our typical chilly spots in our valleys like sonoma, danville, upper 30s currently. but this cool air only lasts until about 8 a.m. temperatures do warm pretty quickly this morning. so looking at the morning planner. i mean, look at all that sunshine, the sun up here in less than 30 minutes. and with that sun already into the 50s by 9 a.m. and then well into the 60s as we approach that noon hour. so later on this afternoon, daytime highs about 5 to 15 degrees above average, upper 60s to the upper 70. later on today, it's just picture perfect. a warm day out there later today. now this evening we do keep a rather comfortable for several hours. we're still in the upper 60s, close to 5 p.m. and we're really slow to cool off. so still in the low and mid

50s as we approach 9:00 overnight tonight with partly cloudy skies, our typical chill overnight lows will dip into the upper 30s to the upper 40s. now, tomorrow is equally as warm, if not maybe 1 or 2 degrees warmer in some spots. so we have a couple of days of this springlike air. even friday it still feels mild, but saturday we return those temperatures closer to average. this is going to feel cool as low pressure nears us, and by sunday, that low you see on your screen will bring us some light rain sunday, with showers lingering into monday as well. so here's the accuweather seven day forecast. enjoy today, tomorrow, even friday. it's warm. it's mild. lots of sunshine. cooler, cloudier on saturday with scattered showers. sunday and monday with a level one light storm on the storm by the unpredictability of generalized myasthenia gravis, season to season, ultomiris is continuous symptom control, with improvement in activities of daily living

and reduced muscle weakness. and ultomiris is the only long-acting gmg treatment with the freedom of just 6 to 7 infusions per year, for a predictable routine i can count on. ultomiris may lower your immune system's ability to fight infections, increasing your chance of serious meningococcal and other infections which may become life-threatening or fatal. complete or update meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before you start. if treatment is urgent, and you're not vaccinated, you should receive antibiotics with your vaccines. don't start if you have a meningococcal infection. infusion reactions may include back, belly, limb, or chest pain, muscle spasms, blood pressure changes, tiredness, shaking chills, bad taste, breathing problems, or face, tongue, or throat swelling. ultomiris is continuous symptom control. ask your neurologist about starting ultomiris. (♪)

our friend and ginger zee. she's live with a look at what's happening on gma this morning. hi, ginger. >> hey, reggie. great to be with you. so coming up here on gma we have a lot to get to. but of course are going to be looking at your pattern shift and how you're getting into that rainy stuff by the weekend, especially ahead of my visit there. i'll be very interested. but also we've got a lot to get to on gma. the close call for a southwest plane that narrowly missed a jet just

as it came in for landing. it was just seconds away from disaster. we're going to hear from the passengers on that plane and ask the question, what's causing all these flight issues? also, a big heads up for college students who might be planning a spring break getaway. and then we're on the road to the oscars. it's just four days away, if you can believe it. lara sat down with conan o'brien, who is hosting for the first time, sharing secrets about the show, and guy fieri is in times square, so you'll see that and so much more on gma. >> i'm going to be talking to conan o'brien later this morning. and so i'm, you know, formulating what i'm going to ask him. >> i can't wait to see that interview. >> well one of the things that i would be thinking about if i were conan is, is it too late to just not show up? >> that's one option, you know. but he said he's not only going to show up, he's going to yell. host every like 10 to 15 seconds just to remind people he's the host. >> i mean, it's such a hard job because you have to somehow be funny in front of a worldwide audience. and how can how can you possibly write for that? you know.

>> i don't know. i just think if anybody can do it, i feel like conan knows how to. >> i agree. >> but he's still conan and i am here for it. i can't wait. >> because he goes into a land of silliness that i really appreciate. so i hope that that comes into the show. i think it would be impossible not to. uh. ginger, we'll see you at 7:00. and uh. >> thank you. >> see you then. good day. the time now is 622. today, the state's fast food council is set to meet. and another minimum wage hike for fast food workers is still on the agenda. new analysis out of uc berkeley outlines the impact the last wage hike had for most fast food workers. remember that law went into effect last year, boosting pay to $20 per hour. researchers say the result has mostly been positive. the study found workers saw wages go up 8 to 9%, and there was no evidence of related job losses. the cost of food only went up 1.5%, equivalent to about $0.06 on a

$4 hamburger. this comes amid an ongoing debate about wages in the fast food industry. we spoke with uc berkeley professor who worked on the analysis. >> so this is all suggesting that the policy worked as intended. and, you know, i don't have any concerns about raising the minimum wage and other 2 or 3%, as the fast food council is contemplating. >> a group of restaurant owners is preparing to protest during today's fast food council meeting. they say as a result of last year's wage increase, they've already had to cut back on employee hours and make large price hikes. and they claim their businesses won't be able to afford another wage increase. local businesses in moss landing are struggling in the aftermath of the battery plant fire. one cafe has already closed and other business owners are noticing the lack of customers. visitors seem to be concerned the air quality and water are unsafe following the fire that

happened in january. it's leading community members and business owners to come together and try to bring customers back. >> bargetto, the owner of moss landing cafe myself, we've really been trying to be out here every single day, trying to connect with our guests, figure out what their concerns are and really try to help them by either expanding hours of operation or just being able to do more for them. >> businesses are trying to ease visitor concerns. the inn at moss landing point added a water filtration system in response. they're all hoping the community will come and support local businesses as they try to stay afloat. last month, the flames from the palisades fire came very close to the getty villa, one of the most famous museums in los angeles. now we're learning more about the intense firefight that saved the getty and its historic art. 17 members of the security facilities team stayed behind after evacuation orders were given to help save what they could. staff jumped into action using fire extinguishers and water bottles to put out hotspots. they seal the doors to the museum to keep

smoke away from the artwork. the staff, now sharing what they had to do as they waited for firefighters. >> i spent 32 years of my life here, so i feel it's like a second home and i feel that i need we need to protect it. >> a large water tank on the property turned out to be a crucial tool, helping firefighters put out flames around the property. that water also helped save several nearby homes. the getty villa will reopen, although they haven't announced the timeline. next, at 630, the meeting in the east bay today that could lead to rising insurance rates for tens of thousands of people in california. plus, we're tracking the closure of san francisco's central subway. just two years after it opened, the massive project already needs major repairs. how? how? sfmta is preparing to make sure that you can still get around. but first, here's drew. >> hey, would you look at this? almost looks like a postcard out there this morning as the sun

rises from our exploratorium camera. not a cloud to be seen. and we are on our way to a springlike warm afternoon. into the 70s. we go later on today. we're back in two minutes. >> 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. >>

abc seven mornings live. >> now at 630. underground and underwater. now at 530. the repair is getting underway today on san francisco's central subway. how it could impact your commute. >> federal workers are pushing back on doj's efforts to cut entire departments. those workers here in the bay area now turning to local leaders to call for the end of the mass firings. >> a parking ticket scam in san francisco. the fake checks going out to drivers, telling them to pay up or else. >> good morning everyone. it is wednesday, february 26th. >> and it's going to be a warm day, so please get out and have lunch or do something. take a walk. >> i'm so excited for this forecast today. tomorrow through friday. we still keep it mild and spring like, but outside this morning. the tam cam showing you we're fog free. we

have great visibility this morning. we don't have any of that thick, dense fog like we had yesterday morning. it's equally as nice in santa cruz right now with a live look at the coast. if you're going to the coast today, it will be nice upper 60s to the lower 70s. their temperatures right now 30 and 40. so our typical cool spots in our valleys. 38 in danville. good morning, palo alto. you're at 44. similar story in the north bay, where the valleys are cool in the 30s. we're at 38 in sonoma, 39 in napa, vallejo coming in at 43 degrees. but we do warm fast. so the jacket, you need it, but you can take it off probably close to 9 a.m. because watch as these temperatures warm so quickly. 1130 we're in the low and mid 60s and watch this afternoon temperatures going about 5 to 15 degrees above average today widespread 70 feels a lot more like spring than late winter. let's check in with gloria to see how we're doing on the commute this morning. >> good morning. yes, we do have a commuter alert for you if you take bart. we do have a delay right now. this is on the oakland airport line. if you're

traveling between the coliseum and the oakland airport. there's about a 18 minute delay at this time. but you can take ac transit. they're offering service on bus 73. and looking live at our richmond bridge camera, you can see how slow traffic is flowing here. there are delays all the way from castro street to the mid span, and there is a backup at the toll plaza. they're looking live at our san rafael camera. we have a minor delay around san antonio road and it will take you about. well, it depends on where you're driving from. but 101 is looking pretty good. driving from petaluma down to novato to san rafael, you'll have no issues getting into the city, guys. >> commuters in san francisco, be ready for a change in some of your plans. sfmta is shutting down the central subway for repairs starting today, and that will last for weeks. you can see the stations that we're talking about here. sfmta is advising those who usually ride the subway to just take the bus instead. abc seven news reporter lena howland live in chinatown, with the reason for closing what is essentially still a brand new subway line.

>> reggie. that's right. and starting today, the central subway system here in the heart of chinatown will be shut down for the next 17 days while crews get inside and make some major repairs. take a look. sfmta says leaking water is beginning to cause some damage here at the station. that just opened up two years ago. we saw large trash cans set up inside to catch some of that water during the closure. crews plan to fill any voids with grout and add sealant to the waterproofing as an alternative. sfmta says riders should consider taking bus 30 or 45 that actually runs parallel service to the central subway, though some riders we talked to worry how this will affect life for some of her older neighbors. >> not for me personally, but i do acknowledge that it's going to be very inconvenient for some of the residents of the area. i know that there's like a lot more elderly folk around here, so i feel like it's going to affect them a lot. >> written particularly in chinatown. if you've ridden at

this station, you've. you've seen those leaks. you've you know, you've observed those leaks. and this is just something that needs to get taken care of. >> the chinatown rose park station is in supervisor danny sutter's district. he says they worked with mta to make sure these repairs were scheduled after the lunar new year celebration and the nba all star game to minimize disruptions. sfmta says the goal is to get this reopened and ready to go by march 14th. they say they will also have ambassadors out here to direct you to those alternate bus stops. live in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> all right, lena, thank you. the central subway extended the muni metro t third line from the fourth street caltrain station through soma, union square, and chinatown. construction started in 2013 and ran behind schedule. >> we are well on our way to opening this baby up in 2019 and really having. >> a former san francisco mayor,

ed lee, died before the project finished. in 2018, san francisco's next mayor, mark farrell, took a tour. >> to be a quicker, safer transportation system for everybody. >> in 2021, the next mayor of london, breed was the first to take a test ride. >> it's absolutely beautiful and i am so excited that this is the future of our transportation system in san francisco. >> and service finally opened to the public in january 2023. >> three. two one. >> the project cost $1.9 billion and was over budget and overdue. >> if you park in san francisco, transit leaders have a warning about scam texts. sfmta says it's heard from several people who received text messages about unpaid parking citations. it comes with a link to a website where it claims you can pay. sfmta says the website is fake.

they never asked for payments this way. if you have paid through that website, they recommend that you report it to your bank or credit card company. >> a major win for house speaker mike johnson. late last night, he was able to push through a budget plan with almost no votes to spare. it calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and a $2 trillion reduction in federal spending. that could lead to cuts for programs like medicaid, which is used by 80 million americans. no democrats voted for the plan, including bay area congressman kevin mullin, who flew to washington, d.c, after being released from the hospital. the measure now heads to the senate. and today, president trump will hold the first cabinet meeting of his second term. and we're learning elon musk will have a seat at the table, even though he is not a cabinet member. and gloria, this is happening as the administration is making headlines for new moves on immigration and facing a court ordered deadline today involving international aid. >> we have a lot to cover here. four headlines total. so let's start with the deadline today

for the trump administration to pay foreign aid money owed to government contractors and nonprofit groups. after the president's executive order last month, freezing all foreign assistance. the administration was sued. and february 13th, a temporary restraining order was issued, with a judge saying the money needed to be released. but the money is still frozen. yesterday, a judge issued a new order demanding the money be paid. with a deadline of midnight tonight. and there are also two headlines this morning involving visas. the first one is when you probably heard about president trump announcing a new gold card visa. it provides a path to citizenship for wealthy investors and would replace the current investor visa. >> you have a green card. this is a gold card. we're going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million. and that's going to give you green card privileges. plus it's going to be a route to citizenship. and wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card. they will be wealthy and they'll be successful and

they'll be spending a lot of money. >> and the other visa change is a hardening of visa sanctions over cuba's international medical program. it sends doctors to disaster zones. but secretary of state marco rubio says it's actually a front for forced labor. the last trump administration headline you should know about is a new database that's being launched by homeland security to track undocumented immigrants. people are being told to voluntarily register and submit their fingerprints or face criminal prosecution. it is unclear how many people will comply because the government does not know where many undocumented people are live in the studio. gloria rodriguez, abc seven news. >> all right, gloria, thank you. south bay congressman ro khanna is calling on president trump to reinstate federal workers who were fired earlier this month. yesterday, 16 former federal workers joined a zoom roundtable organized by congressman khanna to share their stories. there was a common theme, with each one of them saying they were fired without warning and they claim without cause.

>> i had no idea that without due process, that i could just be terminated out of the blue. i was a highly performing individual. i always had high marks on my performance plans. i was just reviewed in october as exceeding expectations. >> this is really removing a lot of channels for young, talented, qualified people to join the federal service. this is removing a whole generation of future leaders and that is really unfortunate. >> i would just ask president trump and anybody else that might be in charge to reconsider your decision. i don't think it was effective in anything you stated as your goal. >> you can't be pro-american america first, and then have disdain for 99% of americans who work for living. >> the workers were from a variety of government agencies, including the fda, cdc, department of agriculture, and national parks. many still had probationary status, but how long that lasts can depend on what government agency employed them. a federal watchdog is also now involved, saying the

administration violated federal personnel laws. the special counsel is asking the firings to be paused for 45 days while he investigates. >> now it's time for our abc seven mornings. announcer. we highlight some of the things happening today in the bay area. >> first, thousands of university of california health care workers are going on strike. demonstrations will impact every campus in the uc system as well as the uc medical centers. they are accusing the uc system of not bargaining in good faith with the university system. denies you can expect to see a picket line outside the ucsf medical center on fourth street in san francisco, though most appointments and surgeries will go on as scheduled. >> state farm and california's insurance commissioner are planning to meet today in oakland to discuss a double digit rate hike. the insurance company wants to raise its rates between 15 and 38%. it says last month's wildfires in la county have left it in a dire financial situation. state farm estimates it will cost $7.6 billion to

settle those fire claims, although the company's own insurance will cut that dramatically. insurance commissioner ricardo lara says the company must prove the rate hikes are necessary and not excessive. >> this morning is the annual city beat breakfast. the san francisco chamber of commerce will be sharing its annual city beat poll results, which feature the top concerns of san francisco voters. some notable city leaders, including mayor daniel lurie and bray stewart, the ceo of bay fc, will be speaking. registration is closed for the event. >> still ahead. special election approved. all part of the push to fire san mateo county's top cop. what you need to know and what we could see a change from the sheriff's department. >> and you are looking live at the big board at the new york stock exchange. you can see we're up about 22 points. another update on how the markets are doing next. >> plus, bucking the trend, the major fast food chain that's saying no to egg surcharges. >> and streaming at 7 a.m. we debate over who we think is the most important person in the world today, but you decide the winner i nominate, i. i'll

explain. but first here's drew. >> this morning we are looking at just a spectacular day today. here's a live look from our tam cam where you can see the first hints of daylight. there it is, clear across the board. we are not dealing with that dense, thick fog like we had yesterday morning that caused visibility issues for the commute. easier to travel this morning. here's live doppler seven along with satellite. we have high pressure now firmly in control of the forecast, and it will remain in control through the end of the week, so do expect warm temperatures in the afternoon and a lot of sunshine at least through friday. some changes do come our way for the weekend though. here's your day planner. it is just going to be a sunny day. take the sunglasses with you. we may have a little bit of that sun glare this morning as that sun rises for the morning commute. the afternoon is going to be quite warm. look at those daytime highs. we are going into the 70 about 5 to 15 degrees above average for sunset now setting after 6 p.m. and it will stay that way until early

november. so we have those longer and longer days ahead. so looking ahead, daylight saving does begin here in 11 days. spring the equinox officially in about three weeks, and the home opener for the giants in about 34 days. so it's looking nice as we head down into march. next three days it's warm and it's mild, but the weekend rain and cooler weather is back in the forecast. those details

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the push to fire the embattled san mateo county sheriff. a judge will allow a special election to move forward. that could give county supervisors the power to remove the elected sheriff. that election happens tuesday. voters should have already received their ballots. sheriff christina corpus has faced allegations of corruption, nepotism and retaliation within the department. she has denied those allegations and has called the special election a political attack. corpus is suing the county, accusing it of discrimination and harassment. a judge has agreed to provide protections to hundreds of women formerly incarcerated at the now closed dublin prison. according to our partners with the bay area news group, yesterday's landmark consent decree will force the federal bureau of prisons to institute widespread

reforms. last year, the u.s. department of justice was ordered to pay nearly $116 million to resolve lawsuits alleging widespread sexual abuse. an independent monitor will have to oversee protections for nearly 500 people who have since moved to other facilities. >> now it's your morning money report. elon musk's net worth has dropped by $52 billion since the beginning of the year. he is still the richest person in the world. the biggest reason for the drop tesla's stock is down about 20% in the last month. the company has faced slumping sales, especially overseas. in the uk, there were down nearly 50% in january. musk and tesla have faced a lot of protests for his involvement, leading president trump's cost cutting efforts in the federal government has also been increased competition in the ev market in europe. you definitely won't see a mcdonald's here in the us issuing a surcharge on eggs. that's according to a top company exec. this comes as other companies like denny's, are implementing surcharges on

menu items containing eggs. mcdonald's is preparing for its latest promotion, $1 egg mcmuffins, this sunday. it's calling sunday national egg mcmuffin day. experts warn egg prices are still expected to increase because of more bird flu outbreaks. and now we take a live look at the new york stock exchange as trading gets underway. we are in positive territory. oh, no we're not. and now we are. and i bet in a second we won't be uh. i'm correct. the countdown to the oscars is on. we're just days away from hollywood's big night right here on abc seven. now, over the years, the biggest night in hollywood has generated some of the biggest headlines. many times. good. sometimes awkward, sometimes really, really bad. >> controversial? yeah. for sure. one of those happened exactly ten years ago when hashtag oscars so white took the world by storm. reporter alicia vitarelli, from our sister station in philadelphia, caught

up with a woman who turned a post into a worldwide movement. >> with the hashtag oscars. so white trending again this year for. >> a second year in a row. all 20 of the nominees in the acting categories are white, sparking the twitter hashtag oscars so white. >> it's been a decade since a hashtag turned into a worldwide call for change. >> ten years of oscarssowhite, and we're definitely not where we need to be. but we're better than where we were ten years ago. >> activist and writer april rain is reflecting on the viral moment that turned into a movement. it all started when she was watching the oscar nominations in 2015. >> it struck me that category after category, there were no people of color nominated for any of the acting slots, so that means zero for 20. >> that year, all 20 acting nominations were awarded to white actors. rain's viral call for change produced real results at the academy of motion picture arts and sciences. since hashtag

oscars so white, the academy made an effort to diversify its pool of members who get to vote on who should win the academy awards. >> everyone should be included in the conversation so that people who don't look like me, or don't look like you aren't making decisions for me without getting my input. >> that change is noticeable. last year, 20% of the academy nominees were from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. that's compared to just 9% in 2015. rain says while the academy has improved its on screen diversity, there's more work to be done behind the camera. >> what i would like to see is more insistence that at the beginning stages, when we're talking about who is writing those stories, you know, who is producing and directing those films, those are the conversations that we need to have. >> those conversations leading to actions that are changing the

world of entertainment. >> what i am hopeful for is the fact that i see more people, actors and producers, directors creating their own production companies. you know, no longer waiting for their seat at the table, but creating their own mansion and putting their table in chair in it. >> and that was alicia vitarelli reporting the traditional oscar nominees luncheon was canceled because of the la fire. so instead, more than 100 nominees gathered last night to celebrate with a night at the museum. i loved watching this because cynthia erivo is really on one. she's having a great time on the red carpet. if there's anything that we can do to get her to talk to you. >> i want to have a great time. cynthia, i want to have a great time with you as well. on the red carpet. she's absolutely tuning in. cynthia, i will be in la. >> talk directly to. >> her to bring you highlights from oscars weekend. you can watch my live reports starting friday afternoon here on abc seven, and i'll be on the red carpet for hollywood's biggest

night. that show starts at 4 p.m. sunday. you can watch it right here on abc seven. and for the first time, the oscars will stream live on hulu as well. now, new survey is revealing what might be a surprising trend in tech etiquette. it seems people are polite to ai assistants like amazon's alexa. now, the future publishing study found more than 55% of people consistently say please and thank you. it has increased since last year's study, but that's likely due to ai infiltrating more of our daily life. nearly 12% of participants said they were polite out of fear of a robot uprising. you know, i think about it, and i am not part of this crowd that is polite. i get so frustrated. >> i got so frustrated. i got rid of it. >> yes. >> i'm polite the first time. and then i get annoyed and. >> then after. because you have to remember, these are not

people. i'm very polite to people. this is a robot. >> especially when she doesn't hear you and you're like, you have to speak up. you know, louder. and it just gets annoying. you have to keep repeating yourself. alexa. >> turn off the. >> will you ever throw yours out? >> i don't know, because it helps me when i'm like hearing the kids and like, one's crying about spider-man. i'm like, alexa. >> play spidey and his friends. >> yeah, it helps the kids for sure. i know it's like, play music for play for you. yeah. next. >> i know. >> an insight to your. >> i can only imagine. >> what my neighbors are thinking. they're like, i hope the child is not named alexa. >> that's true. this morning, let's show you a beautiful sunrise. it's coming up over the bay bridge this morning from our exploratorium camera. and it's just really going to be a perfect ten day. light winds, full sunshine and warm temperatures. so we're calling it a spring fling today and tomorrow. temperatures about 5 to 15 degrees above average. now, the weekend cooler air comes back, cloudy skies two. and then rain is back in the forecast sunday and into monday.

but this morning it's all about that sunshine. and look how fast those temperatures do climb very quickly this morning. so you will feel that mild air by about 9:10 a.m. and then we're well into the 60s after that 70 on the board today, we're likely hitting our first 70 degree day of the year in san francisco. mid and upper 70 in the south bay. wouldn't be surprised if we watch a couple of locations in the south bay try and flirt with about 80 degrees. it's going to feel very nice today, even along the coast. a really nice day to get to the coast. we have a calm ocean current upper 60s to the mid 70s for daytime highs there this evening. we will keep it clear and we do keep it rather mild. we're still in the 60s. by 6 p.m. after the sun goes down, and then we'll slowly drop through the 50s this evening and overnight tonight we'll have our typical chill under mainly clear skies, upper 30s to the upper 40s first thing tomorrow morning. now tomorrow. equally as mild as today. future tracker

showing you we keep it warm. we keep it springlike tomorrow afternoon. heading into friday. a little bit cooler but still mild. it's really saturday. we find temperatures back to reality, so to speak, but this is going to feel chilly compared to the warm temperatures today and tomorrow. now that low pressure that brings the cooler weather saturday will bring us some showers likely sunday. this low will bring light on and off rain and even into monday we'll likely see this shower chance continue. here's the accuweather seven day forecast showing you it's all about the warm sunshine today and tomorrow. still mild on friday, cloudier, cooler on saturday and then we'll track those showers on sunday and monday with a level one light storm on the storm impact scale. >> reggie thank you. drew. the san francisco board of supervisors honored dorothy lathan yesterday for her contribution to the city. she's been living in the same home along ocean beach since 1960, and she has spent much of her life fighting against the decline of black and low income people living in san francisco. in 1963, she fought sfusd and became the first black teacher at columbus elementary. after 32

years, she retired as a principal in the district. she was also appointed by then mayor dianne feinstein to the first rent control board. she also helped open san francisco's museum of the african diaspora, or moad. in 2005. >> up next, the seven things you need to know today. >> as we head to break a live look outside. it's 655 and we're coming right back.

to maintenance anything, so it's very scary for me because i have everything i love in this home. so, we've now implemented drone technology.

how is that safe for me? it enhances the inspection, so it allows us to see things faster. your safety is the most important, and if you're feeling unsafe, that's not okay. it doesn't feel like that in our hearts. i mean, it's worrisome. [dog barks] [dog barks] you're just joining us, here are the seven things to know this morning. number one, a special election could give san mateo county supervisors the power to remove the elected sheriff. and that will move forward tuesday. a judge cleared the way yesterday. the sheriff is facing corruption allegations that she has denied. >> number two, layoffs are on the agenda at oakland unified school board meeting tonight, as the district looks to close a

nearly $100 million budget deficit. last night, san francisco unified leaders approved preliminary layoff notices for hundreds of employees. and in san jose, the franklin mckinley board voted to close three schools because of budget issues. >> number three, the house is narrowly passed a framework for a budget that will be a critical boost for president trump's domestic agenda. it includes trillions of dollars in tax and spending cuts that have many concerned about the future of medicaid. the next step is for the house and senate to agree on a plan. >> number four heads up for commuters. starting today, san francisco's central subway is closing for more than two weeks so crews can repair water leaks. shuttle busses are going to provide service during the work. >> and number five, we are looking at a warm and sunny afternoon. you can see that sunshine out there this morning. just looking picture perfect from our exploratorium camera. here's your day planner. sunshine. this morning leads to a warm afternoon temperatures mainly in the 70s, about 5 to 15 degrees above average. >> and number six, we have a live look at your bay bridge toll plaza camera. metering

lights are still on. very busy out here right now. traffic is backed up to the maze. >> number seven deadheads. listen up. stanford university has new class you can take this spring that covers the music of palo alto rock band grateful dead. it's a six week course offered through the university's continuing studies program. tuition starts at $405. >> it's a good idea, especially with them being local. >> yeah. no kidding. i wonder if you can take all of these things online. because you can take the beyonce class. you can take the tara vanderveer class. you can take. >> we didn't have any of these classes when i was in school. >> beyonce is not at stanford, by the way. >> but you're taking stats and yeah. >> i lik >> good morning, america, for our viewers in the west, another near disaster at an american airport and musk at the president's first cabinet meeting and one-on-one with conan o'brien. >>