starts right now.

>> i've only ever been motivated by one thing making californians lives better. and i'll go toe to toe with anyone who tries to hurt californians. >> the race for california governor just got even bigger today. former congresswoman katie porter officially tossed her hat into the ring. good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm ama daetz. she joins a very crowded field of politicians hoping to replace gavin newsom when he turns out in 2026. >> abc seven news political reporter monica madden is in the newsroom with new details on this. monica. >> hey, dan. it all depends on the kamala factor. last week, abc news learned that former vice president kamala harris is still considering another presidential run in 2028, but she has not ruled out a gubernatorial run in her home state, something that politicos predict could have a clearing effect in the democratic field. >> what california needs now is a little bit of hope and a whole lot of grit. >> former congresswoman katie

porter has entered the chat. >> that's why i'm running for governor. >> in a tuesday campaign launch, the orange county progressive led with an anti-trump call to action. >> i first ran for office to hold trump accountable. i feel that same call to serve now to stop him from hurting californians. >> she's entering an already crowded field of contenders with names like lieutenant governor eleni kounalakis, state superintendent tony thurmond and former l.a. mayor antonio villaraigosa. on the democratic side, one name in the mix could change the game for everyone. kamala harris, who will decide on a run by the end of summer. >> this is about as late as you can wait to get into the race, unless you're kamala harris, the vice president, he can get into the race later just because she has universal name id, probably an unlimited ability to raise money and could very well clear the field if she does get into the race. >> without harris, ross suspects porter could be a top contender. >> looking at a really crowded race like this, you're looking. you're looking for ways you can

stand apart and stand above the rest of the candidates. >> a lot of californians have really kind of woken up to just the failed decades of democratic policy that kamala harris and katie porter represent. >> republican strategists are hoping to build on what they saw as significant gains in the november presidential election. >> you saw president trump, who obviously didn't win california, but he did better than he ever had. steve garvey got more votes than any other republican candidate for office in the state history. >> the possible biggest challenger to the democrats has yet to come out, because there is a gap there between what people are looking for and what's being delivered. >> abc seven news insider phil matier says either way, it's an open field for the biggest potential star. >> why is katie porter targeting trump out of the gate as her main opponent in this race? because it raises money? democrats are looking for someone that they can bet on as a sure thing. >> as for republicans in the race so far, there are three riverside county sheriff chad bianco, lee ozaki of the family that ran zacky farms, the u.s.

turkey producer, and former judge jimmy parker. although we couldn't find an official campaign website for him live in the newsroom. monica madden, abc seven news. >> thank you, monica. and governor newsom is out with another podcast episode and like the first, features a discussion on transgender rights. episode two of this is gavin newsom is a conversation between the governor and conservative commentator doctor michael savage. they discussed several topics, including why democrats lost the election last november. when asked why, savage listed multiple reasons, but he said the biggest one was their approach to transgender issues among kids and in schools. governor newsom did not argue. he also faced backlash over comments on transgender athletes made on the podcast first episode. >> and a bombshell in washington. the department of education has announced nearly half of its workforce will be laid off. it is part of the trump administration's campaign promise to shift education systems to individual states. education secretary linda mcmahon made it official this afternoon. she says those being

laid off will be placed on administrative leave beginning friday, march 21st. leases on federal buildings department buildings will also end, including the office at san francisco's un plaza. terminated employees will receive severance or retirement benefits, and abc news is reporting that the department has told employees to stay home and will close all of its buildings tomorrow for, quote, security reasons. >> president trump defended his controversial tariffs today, claiming they're having a positive impact on the american economy. he told major business leaders at a washington roundtable that the tariffs targeting canada, mexico and china would help create american jobs. >> but hundreds of billions of dollars is being invested. that wouldn't have happened if i didn't win the election. number one. and i think number two, the tariffs are having a tremendously positive impact. they will have and they are having. >> the president also said he does not see the u.s. economy going into recession, despite this week's market volatility. >> and despite what the

president says, it was another ugly day on wall street. the dow dropped 478 points, closing at 41,433. the nasdaq fell 32 points and the s&p 500 dropped 42. investors uneasy over the u.s. trade war that's created high anxiety and uncertainty, leading to the third straight day of steep market declines. >> tonight, we are on storm watch as we get ready for a level two storm to arrive early tomorrow morning. abc7 news meteorologist sandhya patel is tracking the conditions and joins us with the details. sandy, it looks like the hits just keep on coming this week. >> this week is going to be quite the change. it's going to be one storm after another. so get ready. yes. let me show you a live picture right now from our emeryville camera. we are seeing some clouds gathering, but we're still in a level two storm on live doppler seven will be moving in tomorrow morning and the rain will begin. so first it starts off with just light showers 5:00 in the morning. you will notice not everyone is getting wet, but by

2:00 in the afternoon we are going to see some moderate to heavy rain. gusty winds really will continue going into the 4:00 hour. here's a look at the winds ramping up by the afternoon. noon coming in over 40 miles an hour. at this location, there will be some winds that will be closer to 50 miles an hour along the coastline. it is a level two on our storm impact scale, which is moderate strength. storm rain, downpours in the afternoon evening, strong gusty winds and there is a slight chance of thunder. i'll be back to tell you all about the accuweather seven day forecast and when you'll need those umbrellas again. coming right up, dan. >> okay sandhya, thanks a lot. we'll touch base again in a moment. convicted killer scott peterson is recovering from injuries suffered in a prison attack. prison officials say peterson suffered minor injuries at mule creek state prison, where he's serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of his wife, laci, and their unborn child. it's unclear what led up to this attack. peterson, though, continues to maintain his innocence and has enlisted the help of the los angeles innocence project as he fights

to get his conviction overturned. >> oakland police are investigating after four chevron stations were burglarized overnight, all within the span of an hour. but it's unclear whether the same group targeted all four gas stations. it all started just before three this morning at the chevron on foothill boulevard near high street. police say a group of people rammed a lexus into the food mart, leaving that gaping hole in the side of the building. once the car was towed away, there was a mess of shredded wires, broken glass and scattered food left behind. >> they broke everything. all. everything burned down. and we have to damage the whole building and put it back on. i'm closed as of now, and it might be a week or two weeks before i open it. >> it's just terrible. the suspects took off before police arrived. now, the other burglaries happened at a trio of chevron stations owned by the same company. and you can see they are not far apart. just after 330, burglars targeted a chevron station on lakeshore avenue. see the surveillance video. it shows a red car

ramming the front window of the convenience store where the cash register is. then a group of people rummaged through the debris. police say the group took off as officers got to the scene. up next, a chevron station on redwood road was hit just before 345 this morning. you see that person break the glass window, crawl through it and start looking for items to steal. and then about 15 minutes later, the chevron station on moraga avenue in montclair was burglarized. surveillance cameras captured multiple cars pulling up to the business and several people getting out. police say a car rammed into the building here as well. >> in the south bay today, vta union employees picketed for the second day. atu local 265 and vta are still not close to a deal, and workers say they're not coming back until a bargain is reached. but vta management is going to court to find a way to get them back on the job as quickly as possible. abc seven news reporter dustin dorsey is live in the south bay to explain. dustin.

>> yeah. dan. vta says that significant impact felt by the community is really as a result of this strike happening right here, the picket line behind me, and now they are taking legal action to stop it in its tracks. a familiar yet different drive in downtown san jose. you won't hear dings from the light rail or see people on and off busses, but nearby. >> a2, a2, a2. >> union vta employees from atu local 265 heard loud and proud on day two of their strike, and leadership from the valley transportation authority hopes it's their last. tuesday, vta filed a legal complaint against atu local 265. it alleges the union broke a no strike clause in their contract. in a statement, vta general manager and ceo carolyn gonot says getting busses and trains rolling is imperative. quote this strike is having an overwhelming impact on the community, and we are working on all efforts to support our riders getting to work, school, medical appointments and events.

>> we don't get respect. >> shut it down. >> atu local 265 president raj singh said earlier in the day the company is giving them mixed messages. >> on one hand, we got an ego say that he just see with some of our positions, but they're still willing to, you know, sit down. they want to give us time. and on top of that, you know, that's followed up by another communication where they're telling us that they going to possibly go to court to seek a researcher. >> the community appears split on the strike. san jose city council members and santa clara county supervisors were among those in support at vta headquarters this morning. >> keep fighting. we all deserve dignity in our wages and respect on the job. >> we have no future without public transit. we have no future without atu. >> san jose mayor matt mehan is against the strike, saying vta 9% offer is more reasonable than the 18% atu is asking for. mehan adds the strike is not good for anyone, including san jose state students who make up a large number of the 100,000 daily

riders. some were late to mid-terms in class. others were forced to pay for parking and gas. >> this is usually regarded too as a commuter school. i know the parking here can get a bit hectic, especially right now because since more people are taking the are, you know, carpooling here. i hope i guess just the issue gets resolved quickly. >> back here live at the vta. >> yard, and we reached out to the union for a response to the lawsuit. have not heard back, but we did receive a copy of the complaint that says, quote, the cba prohibits strikes both during the term of the contract as well as during negotiations for a successor contract, and until such successor contract is in effect. regarding duration, the cba states the term of the agreement shall begin in 2022 and continues through march 3rd, 2025 and from year to year thereafter. of course, the cba says until that that the agreement will remain in effect. that means this is a breach of contract, according to vta. but the strike continues. we are

live in san jose. dustin dorsey, abc seven news. >> okay, dustin thank you. after the break, it's a group known for raising extra money to help improve schools. but now the funds raised by parent teacher associations in one bay area school district are being restricted. >> plus, she issued the first stay at home order in the nation during the early days of the pandemic. now, a county health officer is ready for retirement. abc

over new restrictions on funds raised by parent teacher associations. >> abc seven news reporter luz pena went to the district headquarters to get more clarity ahead of this evening's school board meeting. >> a san francisco's unified school district gears up to face foxt year. parents who'veicitr been fundraising to keep schools equipped were told on friday

those funds will now face limitations. >> it's really disheartening. >> to see throughout, the district have historically raised funds to add programs, events and extend hours for staff, some raising between 100 to $300,000 a year. >> we worked really hard to help make sure that our school has the money to help. and right now we're having a threat for a class size reduction, but we're also losing a nurse. >> sfusd is now restricting pta's ability to pay for extra staff. this as teacher layoffs loom. the pta at harvey milk civil rights academy raised over $100,000 to help their school. but we're told that money won't be allowed to go towards their plans. >> we're losing our half of our social worker, and we're losing most of our librarians. >> we went to sfusd for clarity. pta and sfusd funds are separate. >> correct. >> why is sfusd doing this when there are two different accounts? >> it really comes down to making sure that we have enough money to fund our base

allocation, which is the money that we get from the state. so that work needs to happen first. >> sfusd said their focus is to balance the current budget with funding they can count on before planning for the future. pta funds fluctuate and are raised on an annual basis, which they say makes consistent long term planning hard. >> equity is a really big piece of it. we do really want to make sure that all of our schools have fully enrolled classrooms and a high quality teacher in every classroom that's fully enrolled, so in order to do that, we need to be able to set these guidelines. >> in equitable to limit resources in certain schools where other schools get more resources. >> sfusd is on state oversight, so the fiscal advisers have the power to override any decision by the board that has to do with the budget. these parents are hoping sfusd and board members change their mind. >> we see the importance of filling the gaps in a broken system, and that's what we have is a broken system. putting more restrictions on how we fill those holes. it feels disingenuous, to say the least. >> in san francisco. luz pena,

abc seven news. >> all right, still ahead, we should enjoy the sunshine and the dry weather while we can because rain is on the way. after the break, we'll touch base again with

to believe. but today marks five years since the world health organization declared coronavirus a pandemic. >> and it comes as a bay area health official who was thrust into the national spotlight for her covid response is retiring. >> she made headlines almost every day. abc7 news anchor dion lim is here with more on why doctor sara cody dion is stepping down. >> yeah. dan, how could you forget those headlines? she has been with the santa clara health department for nearly 30 years. she served as the county's health officer for 12, and as the director of the public health department for the last decade. now, doctor cody has received numerous awards for her pandemic contributions following some of the country's earliest covid 19 deaths. she issued the first stay at homrd in the

nation. santa clara county credits her early actions and leadership with saving many lives. the county maintained one of the lowest covid death rates as well. santa clara also became the second most vaccinated large county in the u.s, but now, doctor cody says it is time for her to step aside for the next generation of public health leaders. >> being in this position in this county has been an unbelievable privilege. i think that local is where you want to be, especially now. local is where you can have impact. uh- and it's a fantastic place to be. and i have deep, deep, deep love for the county of santa clara. >> and she has deep, deep roots. doctor cody was raised in santa clara county and attended stanford university as an undergraduate before going to the yale school of medicine. her last day with santa clara county will be friday, april 11th. and then after that, deputy health officer doctor sara rudman will

be serving as acting health officer and director. back to you. >> all right. thank you so much, dion. >> what a career she's had. all right, well, let's go back and talk about the round of rain coming in. >> yes, a big round. meteorologist sandhya patel is back with the details. sandhya. >> yeah, and you know what? you're going to see some downpours tomorrow afternoon, so be prepared. right now, i want to show you some live views. savor this. you're seeing some sun, a few clouds, just gorgeous views today. and it was a nice looking day. but that is going to be changing as we look at live doppler seven. southern california is seeing showers as an area of low pressure is moving in. we're sort of in between the two systems. here is the storm that is coming in tomorrow and that's going to deliver not just rain but wind as well. as we look at our local live doppler seven, you will notice some clouds are just kind of gathering ahead of the storm temperatures at this hour 50s and 60s. a live view from exploratorium and the clouds are stacked up tomorrow. the level two storm arrives thursday. we're looking at showers and

snow on our highest peaks, believe it or not. and this weekend rain is back sunday evening on our storm impact scale. this is a level two rain downpours in the afternoon evening, strong gusty winds and there's even a slight chance of thunderstorms. so we're going to go hour by hour. morning commuters 5 a.m. be prepared for some wet roadways. it's not going to be widespread. 11 a.m. the rainfall activity begins to increase across the area, and at 3:00 you are going to notice some moderate to heavy rain crossing the region as the front comes in. now, 5 p.m. we're still looking at some downpours and then switching over to scattered showers for the latter part of the night. as we look at the rainfall projections, anywhere from about a third of an inch in places like brentwood to about an inch and a half is what we're looking at around calistoga. everyone else in between the winds do pick up out of the south over 40 miles an hour along the coastline at 10:00. but because the winds, even though they will be strong, they're not going to last long. there is no wind advisory right now. 50 miles an hour. half moon

bay at 2:00 in the afternoon. quickly by 4 p.m. winds really dialing back in the mountains. it's not only going to be gusty, but the snow is going to be piling up. a winter storm warning. 11 p.m. tonight for the sierra until 11 p.m. thursday. above 4000ft. we are looking at 1 to 3ft of snow for those higher peaks. up to four feet of snow. so very difficult to impossible travel. i would not try to travel during this time. it will be dangerous. your temperatures first thing in the morning. 40s, 50s. make sure you have your rain gear tomorrow afternoon. if you can stay off the roads, probably would be wise because we will likely be seeing a very messy afternoon evening commute, 40s and 50s on your high temperatures. for most of you, 60 in san jose certainly will be chillier. and here's a look at the accuweather seven day forecast. it's a level two for tomorrow. we switch over to showers on thursday, so we drop it to a one snow on our higher peaks. and then it's a mix of rain and snow with our next system coming in level one, a brief break on saturday and then here comes some more rain sunday evening going into monday. also

a level one so ama and dan we're now back into winter, even though we're just days away from spring. >> okay, we're on

breaking news, weather and more with our abc seven bay area streaming tv app. just search abc seven bay area and download it. >> all right. the stage is set for what could be the start of a new baseball. bay area rivalry. the oakland ballers and san jose giants announced today the two teams will play an exhibition game on april 2nd at san jose's excite ballpark. they're calling it battle of the bay 2.0. it will be the first time an affiliated franchise, the giants, face an unaffiliated team. the ballers are a member of the independent pioneer league and oakland's sole pro team, with the a's relocating to or relocated, i should say past tense to sacramento. >> all right. we do have much more news ahead for you. >> we do. let's go to abc seven news anchor dion lim for a look at what's coming up at 530. dion. >> yeah. thanks, dan and ama. lots to get to at 530, including news from the california governor's race in an already

crowded field of contenders, former congresswoman katie porter threw her hat in the ring today. what does this mean for kamala harris if she decides to run? abc seven news insider phil matier joins me to break it all down. plus, the 40 niners purge, the team will look a lot different come this fall. sports director larry beil weighs in on all of the player cuts. and what this means for the organization and this overhaul. join us for those stories and much more. at 5.30 on abc seven, bay area streaming tv. dan. >> okay, diane, we will. thanks so much. >> and you can download the abc seven app or head to abc7 news.com and join diane in two minutes. >> and if you're watching us here on tv. world news tonight with david muir is next for sandhya patel all of us. we appreciate your time. i'm dan. >> ashley and i'm ama daetz. we'll see you again at six.

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