impasse. >> let's flex our dollar power, because that is the only thing they listen to. >> today's economic blackout. will it make a difference? >> and today's snow survey. a look at what could be ahead this summer. good afternoon. thanks for joining us. i'm larry beil. >> and i'm kristen z. we'll have more on those stories in just a few moments. but first, let's begin with the weather. and while it's beautiful today and warm, that's about to change. >> because rain is on the way back to the bay area. abc seven news meteorologist sandhya patel here with your weekend forecast. hi, sandhya. >> hi, there. yeah, larry and kristen. it's hard to believe when you look at these temperatures that it's really winter here in the bay area. it's going to change quickly. we have a level one system coming in as we're tracking it on live doppler seven. it's already kicking up the surf beach hazard statement 9 p.m. tonight until 9 a.m. tomorrow. watch out for those breakers. they'll be building, replaced by a high surf advisory this upcoming weekend as we see wave

heights up to 19ft. showers come in tomorrow night, but there will be very spotty sunday. scattered showers for our entire forecast area. even a slight chance of thunder. i'll be back to let you know if it's going to be a washout for your weekend. coming up, larry. >> all right, sandra, see you in a few minutes. let's get to the monthly snowpack survey in the sierra. improvements since last month. statewide, we're now at 85% of average. but experts are not that confident that we'll reach normal levels. abc seven news south bay reporter dustin dorsey with a look at what that means for our water supply. >> recent weather has given the bay area a taste of spring in the past few weeks, but a similar beautiful forecast in tahoe is less than good news for snow on the ground. for every day it's not snowing or raining. snow is melting, and the latest department of water resources survey at phillips station reflects that. >> our survey today recorded a snow depth of 34in, water content of 13.5in, and the snow water content measurement is 58% of average for this date and 55%

of the april 1st average at this location. >> statewide, we're at 85% of average for snowpack on this date, most of that coming from the northern sierra, with the central and south showing even further less than average. there's some work to do to get back to normal. >> at the beginning of this calendar year, the statewide snowpack was at 108% of average for that date, but an extremely dry january dropped that to 69% of an average month. a month later, with lower snowpack. >> and despite some solid storms in february, recent weather chipped away at gains. december, january and february normally account for half of california's annual precipitation, making next month's weather important. but state climatologist michael anderson said friday it's an uphill battle. >> march, a key player in. if you're behind. hoping to catch up, uh- sometimes doesn't work out that way. it's quite possible that we may have that window of precip in the first half of the month that maybe does not hold out. >> despite a forecasted below average year for snowpack. the last few winters have kept

reservoirs full, including in santa clara county, where levels are at 114% of average, meaning this year there's less of a reliance for snowpack than usual. >> good news is, is the reservoirs there in northern california, shasta and oroville, they're full. so we're getting a boost in our allocations. that was just announced this week. so that's good news for us since we import about half of our water into santa clara county. >> the fourth and most important snow survey of the year, when levels typically hit their peak, will tell the tale of our 2024 2025 water year. dustin dorsey, abc seven news. >> all right. now to that just stunning shouting match at the white house today. a high stakes meeting between president trump and ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky turned very contentious in front of all the media, the cameras, as they were rolling. >> you're not in a good position. you don't have the cards right now with us. you start having cards. cards right now you don't. you're playing cards, you're playing cards. you're gambling with the lives of millions of people. you're gambling with world war three.

>> zelenskyy and trump had previously appeared to agree on a deal that would give the u.s. a share of ukraine's mineral resources. both zelenskyy expressed concern about the deal unless he gets security guarantees to prevent russia's aggression. and that's what vice president j.d. vance entered the argument. >> i'm talking about the kind of diplomacy that's going to end the destruction of your country. >> yes. >> mr. president, mr. president, with respect, i think it's disrespectful for you to come into the oval office and try to litigate this in front of the american media. right now, you guys are going around. >> a senior white house official tells abc news. zelenskyy was then escorted to a holding room, then told the president demanded that he leave the white house. president trump posted on social media this afternoon that zelensky can return when he's ready for peace. president trump is expected to sign an executive order declaring english the official language of the u.s. the white house says it would undo a clinton era mandate requiring agencies receiving federal funding to provide

extensive language assistance. the new rule would give agencies flexibility to decide when and how to offer services in other languages. now. california. a lot of people don't know this has english as its official language. already in our state constitution, after voters passed prop 63 in 1986. >> hey hey ho ho, elon musk has got to go. >> on the peninsula. more than 100 protesters marched and rallied against the trump administration and elon musk in palo alto. the coalition of bay area organizations is calling on californians to boycott and divest from tesla. organizers say mr. trump and doge's agenda being carried out by musk is an unprecedented attack on healthcare, jobs, schools, parks and civil rights. >> now to today's national call to action, a 24 hour economic blackout. >> organizers say this is to send a message to president trump and corporations about high prices and about rolling back die programs.

>> abc seven news reporter suzanne fawn is here with us with a look at the boycott. suzanne. >> kristin. larry, the goal of today's boycott don't spend a single dollar on amazon or at walmart, best buy, target or any other major retailer. we asked people if they think that will really make a difference. >> have you heard about economic blackout? >> i sure have. >> have you heard about economic blackout? >> very little. >> i heard it from my friend who heard it from her mom. >> we visited union street in cow hollow, san francisco, to ask people if the so-called economic blackout works. it's a 24 hour nationwide protest of big retailers. >> i really have my doubts. the convenience and the cost, i think, will sway people to stick with the big ones. >> will it work? >> i hope it does. i agree with taking a stance because money is the only thing that talks. and so if you don't spend money, then hopefully people at those

companies actually take notice. >> some say the boycott will send a strong message to corporations and to president donald trump. >> i think it could work if we are able to hit the corporations hard and see stock prices react to that. i think he does tend to follow the stock market and reconsider his choices. >> the alternative to not shopping online with amazon or at big retailers supporting small business. that's what he decided to do on this friday. >> i've heard that today is the day to not put our dollars into the big corporations pockets the amazons, the walmarts of the world. a lot of these corporations that have backtracked on their dei commitments. >> bought coffee friday morning at a local coffee shop. then she headed to the store just for fun on union street to pick up a book. >> and so i just think it's like a kind of a wake up call for a lot of us to really rethink our spending. and, you know, shopping local is where it's at. >> could an economic blackout really send an impactful message? >> none of these movements are

perfect. and like, you know, i think a lot of the organizers were worried about this being performative. but i think there are a lot of ways to use this day as sort of a setting, as a foundation. >> for one day. it's a great start, but i think the real impact we need to make is we need to put it into our regular purchasing practices. we need to be shopping local sunday through saturday. >> a marketing professor we talked to says this boycott is unique because it doesn't target one specific company or single brand. it's calling for consumers to shut down their spending altogether. but experts aren't sure what measurable impact the spending boycott will have on high prices or die rollbacks. in the studio suzanne phan abc seven news. >> suzanne, thank you so much. so could a boycott like this really have an impact? retail analysts say if you get 5 to 10% of people not shopping, that could happen on any given day because of weather or northwestern professor says. because it's such a short boycott, it's unlikely that there will be a measurable impact. longer term boycotts can affect the bottom line. target dropped its pride merchandise

after customer backlash in 2023. >> and bud light sales plummeted in 2023 over a boycott and still really have not fully recovered. moving on, we have new information now on the investigation into the deaths of oscar winning actor gene hackman and his wife. the sheriff in santa fe, new mexico, revealed this afternoon. the couple both tested negative for carbon both monoxide. they were both found dead in their home in santa fe on wednesday. the sheriff also said that hackman's pacemaker turned off last monday. investigators say the initial autopsy did not find an obvious cause of death. they're now looking at cell phone data to try to build a timeline of the couple's final days. >> the flu is the worst the u.s. has experienced in 15 years, and cases are still driving hospitalizations in california. >> and today, several state health experts convened to talk about this year's flu and what their fears are for next season. here's abc seven news reporter leslie brinkley. >> it's the worst flu season since 2010. 29 million cases, 16,000 deaths. and it's not over

yet. >> if anybody has symptoms right now in california and the us, more likely than not it's going to be flu. i think more than 60% of what's going around now is probably flu. >> the hospitalization rate is the highest it's been in 15 years, and there have been also nearly 100 child deaths. the good news? activity is on the decline. >> the flu numbers have been dropping for two weeks, but there have been. this is the second little peak in our flu season. and there have been years when there's been a third, which would be maybe 2 or 3 weeks out from now. so we are certainly not out of the woods. and if there's someone who hasn't n vaccinated, there is still a reasonable chance that it would help. >> the discussion on vaccines took a political turn as medical experts expressed alarm because this week's regularly scheduled fda meeting on next year's flu vaccine was canceled with no reason given.

>> an anti-vaccine activist leading the country's top health agency is not dangerous. it's a public health disaster waiting to happen. flu vaccination rates are are are low across california. >> knowing what to target for next season is critical for vaccine development, especially after this brutal flu season. vaccine protection starts to wane, so those who got a vaccine in the fall might be more susceptible to the flu now. the flu vaccine this year was estimated to be 41 to 55% effective in protecting adults from illness. i'm leslie brinkley, abc seven news. >> coming up on abc seven news at four, a way out of the cycle of drugs and addiction. the program that appears to be working a problem in san francisco. but this one has nothing to do with the homeless. and a moment of magic for some hospitalized bay area children.

>> i'm putting the spotlight on oscars nominees with ties to the bay area. all live

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] days away from the oscars. you can watch the entire ceremony sunday at 4:00 right here on abc seven. >> note the earlier start time this year as well. many of this

year's oscar nominees have ties to the bay area. the reflecting on how the region helped them succeed. >> that's right. joining us live now from the dolby theater in hollywood is abc seven mornings anchor amanda delcastillo. amanda, i take it that you noticed i got pink on today and green yesterday. who do you think i'm rooting for? okay. >> okay. wicked. i am rooting for them, too. that's all i've been thinking. i've been channeling it, trying to find them. haven't found them yet. it's only been a few hours. but i do want to get to the nominees with ties to the bay area. we had fascinating conversations in the last few weeks just talking about how the region has influenced them and to think about how busy it's been. it's been buzzing with people here on the red carpet as we prep for sunday, to just imagine that there will be more than a handful of people walking this red carpet with the bay area in mind. from the bay to the big screen, among the talent being recognized in hollywood, many

have ties to our region and recognize the role it played. >> very significant movements came out of the bay area. the black panthers, you know, the chicano movement, the farm workers, and for native people. you know, there was the occupation of alcatraz, which was in many ways a starting point for native rights here in the united states and globally. and that was, you know, the history, the culture that i grew up in. and it deeply shaped my perspective and who i am. so, you know, i, i love oakland so much. >> oakland's own julian brave noisecat getting his first directing nod for his work on the deeply personal documentary sugar cane. i sat down with him to discuss the film up for best documentary feature. >> i love my city, i love, i love the place i grew up, and i hope that more people, you know, continue to make this kind of work from native backgrounds and from all backgrounds that aren't represented well in this industry. >> in that category. noisecat is up against palo alto native brendan bellomo, nominated for

his work on the documentary porcelain war. meantime. >> the nominees for performance by an actress in a supporting role, monica barbaro, in a complete unknown. >> san francisco born barbaro being recognized for her portrayal of joan baez in the bob dylan biopic a complete unknown, but it is known she grew up in marin and is a tamalpais high school graduate. >> to make a film that is this well received is like a huge gift. god, i'm just so proud of everybody in it, and i'm so proud of the film itself. and i like the film and that's the best thing ever. >> next, the nominees for achievement in costume design. a complete unknown. >> it's a team that includes arianne phillips getting a nod for costume design. phillips attended el molino high school in forestville and claims santa cruz as her hometown. >> colman domingo and sing sing. >> after graduating college, colman domingo moved to san francisco and began acting in theater productions. now he's up

for actor in a leading role for the american prison drama sing, sing! >> oh, everyone deserves the chance to fly. >> and part of the wickedly talented team behind wicked, part one digital effects supervisor pablo helman and animation supervisor david shirk spent time talking about their love of the bay area. both have spent more than 20 years as residents of the region. >> just a relaxed, atmospheric, you know, creative community has been great. >> there's such a thriving community of people that love cinema and work on cinema, and it's there's something i know, there's something in the air here. i don't know what it is, but it's a great environment to work in and collaborate in. >> can't forget wicked itself opened in may 2003 at the curran theater in san francisco. and at 5:00, i put the spotlight on the talented team behind inside out two. they are up for best

animated film. they talk with me about their joy, their anxiety,e all of their feelings as they head here for the oscars on sunday. for now, i'm live in hollywood. amanda delcastillo, abc seven news. >> oh my gosh, so many great bay area candidates. so deserving, right? it's going to be fun to watch. thank you amanda. can't wait to see what you wear as well. >> i was going to ask we have a second. how long did it take you to pick out your dress for sunday? >> oh, not very long at all. and you will be surprised. i have that story for you guys on saturday with a special guest who we all know and love. they help me kind of go through that entire process of how to pick out that dress. so this one i have to give a shout out molly wagner at the station. she let me borrow this. >> oh yeah, she's got style. >> was wondering who the mystery guest was. >> yeah. thanks, amanda. all right. >> so the oscar fun continues tonight with 8:00 robin roberts hosting a special edition of

2020 countdown to the oscars with robin roberts. includes interviews with some of the biggest nominees. that's tonight at eight right here on abc seven. >> yeah. all right, turn to the forecast now driving in and look, you know the car has a thermometer on it. and it's 81 in the east bay. and i was like what? >> right. >> no this can't be right. >> and it can't last. >> sorry. yeah. you know it's not going to last. all right. but i hope you enjoyed it. larry and kristen, let me show you a live picture right now from our mount tam cam. yeah, it was definitely a mild to warm day. we have some high clouds moving in. these are harmless filtering the sunshine. you can see them here on live doppler seven. these are all in association with a cut off low that is heading towards southern california. you can see it ther, the wider perspective showing you a system that is developing in the pacific. this is what's going to bring us some showers come this weekend. here's a look from our kgo roof camera. a little bit of a breeze along the embarcadero. it is 70 degrees in san francisco, mid 70 around oakland. san jose, 71 degrees in redwood

city. and it is blue sky from our sfo camera. 77 in santa rosa you're in the upper 70 in concord. petaluma, napa low 70 livermore, 76 degrees walnut creek camera showing you a nice sunny view this weekend. showers are coming in. rough surf will be building risk of rip currents and sneaker waves, so be careful. and then next week the pattern remains unsettled. so let's start with the storm impact scale. late tomorrow night into sunday we have a level one with showers, breezy conditions, a slight possibility of thunder, and dangerous surf. tomorrow night at 6:00, north bay starts to see some showers heading into 10 p.m, starting to push in along the coastline, and then we continue with this scattered showers. 8:00 sunday morning, 11 a.m. now if a thunderstorm does develop, we could see some brief downpours, so keep that in mind. sunday evening you still have those showers going into the late night hours. rainfall projections. most areas will get anywhere from about 500 of an inch to a quarter of an inch. there will be wetter spots that

pick up up to a half an inch or more. winter weather advisory in the sierra tomorrow night until monday afternoon above 4500ft. so this is going to be low snow levels. you're looking at slippery roads 4 to 10in above 6000ft. morning temperatures with some fog and some drizzle will be in the 40s and the 50 tomorrow afternoon. look for temperatures to come down. it's not going to feel like today, upper 50s to the upper 60, but if you're looking for an outdoor day, tomorrow is going to be the better day to get outside sunday. if you have plans, you might want to take them inside. here's a look at the accuweather seven day forecast. and that does feature a change in our pattern as we head into the weekend. a level one on oscar sunday with those scattered showers, and we get a brief break monday before some more wet weather comes in here around tuesday evening. heading into wednesday, that's also a one. but you know, it's that time of year. kristen and larry, when we get some showers. >> she always has to say tho that you don't complain. >> did i say that? >> do i ever complain? my

goodness. well, if it is raining on saturday, tomorrow. okay. got you covered here. warriors are on a roll. they got a five game winning streak going trying to add a sixth. so they're playing the philadelphia 76 ers tomorrow night right here on abc seven. our coverage pregame at 5:00. tip off at 530. and then all the highlights and post game interviews on after the game. >> all right coming up next window washers to the rescue. how they help clean up and cheer up some sick kids. >> and later a big problem in san francisco. it may not be the worst. well, it's

marvel, dc and disney superheroes took a day off from saving the world to brighten the faces of kids at lucile packard children's hospital, stanford. window washers transformed into deadpool, spider-man, frozone, and robin, and they made the windows sparkle, of course, as well as the faces of the young heroes inside. >> you know, a lot of these kids are going through some tough times, so we want to make sure that we can bring uh- pretty much a bright and sunny day to them. >> we're just so thankful for them. we love this place. everybody here is just so everything here the facilities, the doctors, the nurses, everybody here is just so. there's just so much care and like, warmth. and we just love. you can really tell that they really care about you here. >> the superheroes have been

visiting patients at lucile packard for more than ten years. disney, of course, the parent company of marvel and abc seven. what a cool gesture. >> i know right? >> i mean, just, you know, you dress up in a costume and you brighten the day of all. the children. >> exactly. well, our very own superhero employee, abc seven news operations manager michelle camus, is leaving us after 50 years. he doesn't wear a cape, but for his party, we all wore french braid. we'll tell you why. michelle first joined kgo in 1975 as a freelance photographer. he soon became staff in 1989, became our news operations manager. over the years, he's just been through it all. he covered the moscone-milk assassinations, the loma prieta earthquake, super bowls, nba championships, and world series. and now, after 50 years, he is ready to retire. >> you know, i saw him in the hallway today. we had the big celebration last night. >> where we all wore those berets. >> i said, you're back already. you're back already? you

couldn't stay away. and he said, no, no, i have two more hours. oh, i actually got two more hours. i see you ask michelle. >> in his french accent. yes, but you know, he's going to keep coming back because we're going to need him with all his expertise and knowledge for special projects and, you know, getting the new people up to speed. and he made everything possible. right. so, michelle, congratulations. yes, we will miss you, but we won't miss you too much because you'll be back.

new information just released about that deadly piedmont crash that killed three college students who were home for thanksgiving break. >> the chp says a combination of driving under the influence and unsafe speed caused the crash. >> the crash happened the night before thanksgiving. the cybertruck they were driving

slammed into a retaining wall and a tree, then burst into flames. a friend was driving in another car behind the cybertruck and came upon the crash, and he was trying to help the people inside, but was only able to pull one person out to safety. >> soren dixon, krista sakahara, and jack nelson died. toxicology reports show the students had twice the legal limit of alcohol and several drugs, including marijuana and cocaine, in their systems. the autopsy report determined the cause of death as a asphyxia and smoke inhalation, and ruled the deaths an accident. >> sad uh- across the bay area. you likely have seen or maybe smelled the impact of public urination. >> in san francisco. relieving oneself in public was banned in 2002. but as abc seven. building a better bay area reporter, lyanne melendez, found out. despite the ban, there are some serious problems. >> and leanne is here with a closer look. you get all the best. not that close. >> if you know what i mean. it was one of those assignments.

yeah, yeah, we're going to say. right. >> yeah. one of the best. >> yeah. well, you know, the people urinating at portsmouth square are not homeless. they are men, most of them playing cards when suddenly the need arises. now, rather than use the bathrooms, clean bathrooms, by the way, inside the park, they choose to pee outside with apparently no regard for others who may be watching. oh, the stench in this section of portsmouth square is intolerable and offensive. years of public urination have left their mark on this now corroded pole. when we looked below, we discovered the source of the foul smell. men urinating in a barren space of the park, home to dozens of rat burrows. this is not a designated place for those french public outdoor bathrooms. in fact, portsmouth square has bathrooms opened to the public only a few feet away and maintained by recreation and park crews. there is no semblance of privacy here or

shame. there is so much accumulated urine that on one corner there is moss growing on the top. the san francisco health department would not tell us if this represented a health issue for the community, because they say they have never received a single complaint. the question that comes to mind is, what in the heck is going on here? and how is this even allowed? danny sartor is the new supervisor for district three, which represents chinatown. what can we do to stop it? >> yeah, i think there's two things i think we actually have to look at. making sure that our existing facilities, our restrooms are in good shape, that they're not closed, that people know where they are with signage and with good lighting. and then on the other side, if people are doing this, you know, the park rangers need to make sure that they stop that, whether it's a verbal warning at first or maybe even up to a citation. >> san francisco banned public urination in 2002. at the time, supervisor tony hall said the

vote by the board, quote, demonstrated we live in a civilized society. anyone violating the ban can be fined between 50 and $500. we asked police if they have ever cited anyone here or anywhere in san francisco. police told us at this time they don't have this data compiled. portsmouth square is run by rec and park. that department issued a statement reminding us that the square has, quote, some of the best maintained and most heavily used restrooms in our entire park system. so why pee outside? so we're going to try to ask this individual why he is urinating in public. we waited until he was done with his business. excuse me sir. hi, we're with abc news. my name is lyanne melendez. i wanted to ask you. you realize there are public bathrooms upstairs, but you choose to urinate here. could i ask you why?

>> okay. thank you, thank you. thank you. yeah. do you. why do you urinate here? >> he just simply walked away. portsmouth square is not the only park in san francisco with its share of peeing individuals. garfield square in the mission hosts many day laborers who were at one time urinating outside despite also having a public bathroom inside the park. the city has since put a pit stop at the request of neighbors franklin square at 17th, and bryant has a sign at the entrance of the park welcoming people to use this pit stop. instead of relieving themselves in the bushes. but nowhere was outdoor peeing so common than at dolores park, also in the mission. people often traded in the use of the bathrooms for these bushes while surrounded by the comfort of nature, until the park's renovation, included a french invention. that's where

we met harris loeser. it was here, at the top of the hill, that we engaged in an amicable conversation about the park's beloved pissoirs. >> i come here during the week to during the week to read, and it's a world class spot. it's great to, you know, be able to relieve oneself. >> dolores park has bathrooms on each side of the park, but at times not convenient for those enjoying the park at the top of the hill. >> a piece of wire increases the capacity. it takes the pressure off the bathrooms, which are used by largely by females and people who have to do number two. >> i wish there were more, because sometimes a line will form and it's kind of it can be harder to do it efficiently when there's a line behind you. >> the city has plans to renovate portsmouth square starting as early as fall 2025. rec and park told us the plans include additional restrooms in the renovated clubhouse. but if

you build them, will they use them? so we discovered that people have complained to 3-1-1, despite what the health department told us. now, last year there were over 150 human waste and urine complaints across the city, including two for portsmouth square. so i'm at a loss for words here. i know it's so what told me is that they're going to go around their, their patrol maybe. i mean, they're supposed to. >> see people leverage. >> you think the problem is a lack of awareness that there are bathrooms a few feet away or just kind of laziness? >> no. >> oh, they know they're. >> there. >> they just. >> they're probably regulars. yeah. >> so. all right. >> all right. >> thank you. accountability. >> yeah. well, yeah, we're a little short on that right now, but thank you. >> all around. >> yeah. all right. as you're thinking ahead to the oscars, the awards for some of the worst movies of the year were given out today. and we're getting closer to your friendly robot helper

♪ ♪ joining us. of course, it's oscar weekend means it's also time for the golden raspberry awards, also known as the razzies, which honor the worst of cinema in 2024. the big loser was madame web, winning for worst picture, worst screenplay and worst actress. dakota johnson, clean sweep, unfrosted,

megalopolis and joker folie a deux walked away with two razzies each. the real winner, actually was the last showgirls star pamela anderson. she won the razzie redeemer award, which honors past recipients who delivered a great performance. >> i heard she was good in that. although i did not see the movie, i didn't see any of these you guys. >> i didn't either. kristen. >> no, i don't know if i should be offended or happy, you know what i mean? if you're nominated for one of those awards. >> well, if you. >> win, your name is still out there. >> if you win a razzie, isn't that sort of a little bit of redemption, you think? >> i guess. >> i. >> think so. >> but a good reminder that the oscars are, you know, this weekend. >> yes. yeah. >> that's important. >> we only watch, you know, high brow films around here like fast and furious ten. >> speak for yourself. this is not quite the same thing, but i do think it's really amazing, right. for demi moore, who she was in the team brat pack and all that and not really given a

lot of respect. and now she's nominated and has a good chance to win best actress. yeah. >> so i think she's got it. >> yeah, yeah. good chance. all right. it's the end of the line for skype. today microsoft announced skype will be discontinued after 20 years of operation. in may, skype users will be given the choice to streamline or be streamlined into microsoft teams or export their data elsewhere. they can use their name, skype log in, or the same one for teams to access their prior chats and contacts. >> so easy to zoom. >> that's it. or facetime. >> or. >> skype was kind of like the first. yeah, i mean, gosh, they're kind of like gone. and now, yeah, it was the zoom of that era. >> yeah. i think it's really interesting, just kind of a lesson in how fast technology moves. because remember when skype first came out, it was like, this is the most incredible thing ever. we can talk to each other on phones and computers and all this stuff, and then something better comes along and just pushes it aside, or it just gets more users and that's the end of it. >> yeah, i haven't used it in ages. >> i still have the icon on my

ipad and just never yeah, never make it there. never make it there. >> goodbye. >> bye. skype. it was nice while it lasted. your next nurse could be a robot. japan is turning to new technology to try to help its aging population. a university has created a robot to perform the same duties as a nurse. it can roll somebody over. i guess that's what we're witnessing right here. change diapers and perform some household tasks. the robot is still in the early stages of development. it will not be ready for real world use until the year 2040. so we're about 15 years away from this. at the rate that this robot is moving, we may be longer than 15 years waiting. >> i mean, this is a great idea because not only do they have an aging population, they're also having low birth rates. so you don't have the grandkids to take care of you the way that, you know, they would have before. so that looks like it's doing a great job. that robot you guys. >> yeah. and very useful in some of the things that they would have to do for the elderly and

help them out. >> no, i think that that robot looks like nurse ratchet. thank you. i'd rather fly the cuckoo's nest. i see i need the human comfort and the human touch. sorry. no robots. >> for me. >> oh. all right. >> larry, you two. >> larry. well. >> it depends. but i would say, in general, you know what? if we if the robot could move a little bit more quickly, i'd be okay with it. >> or expanded skills to giving massages. yeah. >> there you go. >> we're buying one. that's right. >> almost human touch. >> now to the ultimate treat for an m&m lover. m&ms is holding a contest for a sleepover in the new york m&m store. the winner will host four friends for a night in the store, which will include lots of candy and a shopping spree. a spokes candy will also join in on the nighttime adventure. you can enter on the m&ms website. >> is a spokes candy like another type of candy somebody dressed up as a candy? >> or is it.

>> or is it? is it like a. >> little creepy? like that robot? >> it could be fun, though, for kids. >> where, like, somebody dresses up as an m&m. is that. would that be the thing? >> yeah, that's kind of scary. but you know that store. have you ever been inside that store? it's humongous. and no, no offense, but it's like a little overwhelming. it's a little too much. i can't even imagine spending a night there. >> but for kids, yeah. you know, it's perfect for them. get all sugared up and then, you know, stay up half the night. >> and usually there has to be a chaperon, right? i mean. >> yeah i'm. >> sure dad. >> right. one would hope. >> well, that's what that's where the spokes candy comes in. >> yeah. >> that's right. the spokes candy will keep them. >> all in line. >> we're just assuming. i mean, there are some m&ms adults who are probably bidding for this thing, you. >> know, or trying. >> to get the thing. >> yeah, yeah. if that's. if that's what you're bidding on. we need to talk. yeah, we have to have a conversation. >> what do you think? the m&m spokes candy or the robot? robot for the human touch?

>> quasi human. >> spokes candy. >> the candy. >> all right, that's it for it for. >> kind of a weird one. >> 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]

a better bay area. and part of that means finding solutions. >> to one problem or one program, i should say, is working to get people off drugs. that is the problem. off the streets into recovery. abc seven news reporter lena howland shows us how one man is finding his next step in the way out

initiative. >> we first met timothy stewart back in december, serving as a bell ringer for the salvation army's red kettle campaign. the 61 year old was more than halfway through completing their recovery program after living on the street addicted to cocaine. >> they're giving me a second chance at a first class life. >> and on monday, he proved he wasn't going to be just another statistic. graduating with more hope than he had at his high school graduation. >> and this graduation meant more to me than that one did. because this graduation, i get to start a new life. >> now, with a new set of teeth and a job interview lined up next week. he's all moved in to the joseph mcphee center in san francisco, which marks the next step in the way out program. >> you have more freedom. you have you have more choices because of however light i choose to get up, i choose to be at morning meeting. i choose to go to outside meetings. i choose

to continue to work with my sponsor. >> the joseph mcphee center is a two year recovery housing program where residents like stewart are required to spend 40 hours a week working, looking for work, or going to school. if they do end up with a job, the program temporarily holds 50% of their income until graduation. and really, what that's about is creating a nest egg where, you know, it's really incredibly. >> expensive here in san francisco. and it's about giving somebody's life back a leg up when they start their journey outside of the salvation army's care. >> destiny pledge is deputy director of the way out initiative. she says right now, the program's success rate is 76%. >> it is people who are graduating from joseph mcphee, center, who are clean and sober, who are employed and have somewhere to live. >> so tim has only been living here for less than a week. he's hopeful for what it can do for his future and the futures of the other 90 residents he shares a roof with. >> and you're going to come out

of this, but you're going to become a message. >> in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> yeah. >> the nest egg idea is really excellent. yeah, it lets them, you know, gather some savings. >> yeah. very hopeful. all right. wow. we've been loving this. temperatures, the weather, but no goodbye. >> enjoy it for, like, a couple more hours. right, sandhya? >> that's right. because it's going to cool off this weekend, larry and kristen. and we're going to get some showers in here. we need the showers, as you know, in the sierra. it is a bright view from zephyr cove. right now. people are enjoying the sun. that will be changing as they are expecting snow showers this weekend heading into next week. kirkwood expecting 11in of snow by monday morning. five inches at donner. here. live doppler seven showing you some high clouds passing through the region. but we do have showers coming in tomorrow night into sunday. as you will notice, tomorrow's temperatures not exactly as high as today. we'll go with 50s and 60s. here's a look at the accuweather seven day forecast. late night showers tomorrow. it's a level one for oscar sunday. that's

when we'll see colder weather 50 and wet conditions heading into next week. tuesday and wednesday we have another level one coming in. kristen. larry. >> thank you sandhya. oscar sunday it's almost here, but it's not over even after all the awards are given out. >> that's right. there's also oscar monday. up next, a preview of kelly and mark's biggest show of the year. >> 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

8:00. countdown to the oscars with robin roberts followed at nine by 2020. and then stay with us for abc seven news at 11. you know, it's not just about oscar sunday. there's also oscar monday. that's the morning after the oscars. kelly and mark hit the oscars stage to bring you the stars and all the best moments. reporter joelle gargiulo has a preview. >> and the oscar. >> goes to. >> march 2nd. belongs to oscar for the 97th annual academy awards. but the day after. well, that belongs to kelly and mark. >> come to this place for magic. >> they take over the dolby theater just hours after the oscar winners accept their awards. >> for that. >> the stage where history is made transformed into the live set. >> here are kelly ripa and mark

consuelos. >> beaming backstage after someone's won an oscar is something that you won't soon forget. >> the duo is first to talk to the oscar winners just moments after they walk off that stage. >> we are in this little tiny crawl space of an area. >> i'm convinced that if we were any bigger as people, we wouldn't be able to do the job. >> 250 in the morning and we are still editing. >> what happens in between the oscars and your show? >> we're transforming their stage into our stage. my producers are in the edit all night, so they're working like crazy. >> but the truth, jack, you can't handle the oscars. >> the show's cold open, always a hit, and this year promises to be no different. can you teaseto what's on tap for this year? >> we like to remind the producers and directors that are at the academy that we are, in fact, actors. >> great actors. >> well, we're actors.

>> nobody puts kelly in the corner. we're doing wicked. >> it's our take on wicked. >> kelly stepping into the role as glinda. you know, with a guy. >> what i see is kelly as ariana grande. and it took me a good 5 or 6 seconds to realize that it wasn't her. >> he did this fake, phony celebrity talking to celebrity thing where he's like, hi, how are you? it's me. mark. >> as for mark. >> oh come on. >> also, expect guests like lil jon, steve aoki, and nikki glaser. this is going to be a party. >> it's just fantastic. >> if you want the most wild and crazy version of the oscars, watch our after oscar show live at 9 a.m. >> monday morning from the oscars stage. >> which means they're live at 6:00 in the morning, west coast time. i saw them on jimmy kimmel the other night, and it was funny. she was giving him a hard time because he was zoning out while she was talking to him was like, yeah, it's a married

couple right there. you can catch the oscars sunday here on abc seven. coverage begins with on the red carpet. that's at 1230. the oscars red carpet shows at 330, and then the oscars earlier this year. keep emphasizing this 4 p.m. here on abc seven. a reminder for you that abc seven news is streaming 24 seven. you can get the abc seven bay area streaming tv app and join us whenever you want, wherever you are. that's going to do it for this edition of abc seven news at four. i'm larry beil. abc seven news at five is coming up next.

live breaking news. and that breaking news is in piedmont,