now abc seven mornings live. >> right now at five. department of education employees told to stay home today as the trump administration begins to dismantle the agency. half the staff is expected to be cut. the impact here in the bay area and how students could be impacted. >> breaking overnight, the european union responds to president trump's tariffs with some of their own. the list of

goods that will be impacted only coming from republican led states when those tariffs could go into effect. >> the reaction to former congresswoman katie porter joining the race for california governor. just about 24 hours after launching her campaign, experts say she is a top contender. there's a looming potential candidate that could still end up end up changing the race for everyone. >> a live look at the golden gate. you can see a level two storm is now moving right on in. gloria is tracking wet roads for the morning commute, but drew says the afternoon drive will be the real mess. >> good morning to you. it's wednesday, march 12th. >> yeah, we'll get straight to drew. >> yeah. so this morning, very light, very scattered. it's the afternoon like you just mentioned, amanda, that the rain becomes heavier and the winds become strong. so live doppler seven this morning we are tracking light scattered showers across the region. some light showers in the north bay, some light showers working their way through the south bay and in the peninsula. in fact, we have video coming in from san leandro. we had some light rain

falling this morning. there. you can see it coming down currently, and what it will do is create a slick and slower commute than later on this afternoon. the winds are really going to pick up and this rain is going to be a lot heavier. so as we come back to the storm impact scale, we will find that this is a level two today. so morning showers. the afternoon sees the downpours the strong gusty winds as well. so future weather showing you this morning we'll have those light scattered showers. but look at the afternoon. here comes that heavy rain. 234 5 p.m. we'll be tracking those downpours. we also have a wind advisory just issued. this will occur later on this morning through the early afternoon. you look at the frontal passage. those winds really kick up here between 11 a.m. and about 3 p.m. could see winds gusting about 30 to 50mph. so not out of the question. we could have a few trees coming down later on today. let's check in with gloria, see how we're doing so far on the roads. >> good morning. yeah. as you mentioned, that rain

pretty light right now. this a live look at our san rafael camera. and you can see a couple of those raindrops on the lens there. when i was driving in, the rain was light. it wasn't really impacting my drive too much. that could change a little bit later on. so of course we'll keep tracking the traffic for you throughout the morning. looking live at our golden gate bridge camera, you can see the roads are slick there, but there are no delays. hardly any cars there at this time of the morning. looking at your drive times all in the green right now, that means no delays, no slowdowns. highway four to the may 17th minutes, emeryville to san francisco ten minutes and san francisco to sfo, nine minutes. and at the live desk, i'm tracking some breaking news overnight, the european union announcing retaliatory trade action with new duties on u.s. industrial and farm products. and this is a response just hours after the trump administration added 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports,e new eu measures will cover goods from the u.s. worth $28 billion. and not just steel and aluminum, but also home appliances,uminum, household tools, plastics and wood. agricultural products will

also be impacted. that includes poultry, beef, some seafood, nuts, eggs, sugar and vegetables. the tariffs primarily targeted republican held states hitting soybeans in louisiana and beef and poultry in kansas and nebraska. produce in alabama, georgia and virginia are also on the list. the world's biggest trading bloc was expecting the u.s. tariffs and prepared in advance, but it is putting a big strain on what is already tense transatlantic relations. and, of course, the pair. the president's push for tariffs has caused major turmoil in global stock markets. we have seen a big sell off this week. we will be watching how trading is impacted when the market opens this morning at 630. so we'll track that for you throughout the morning reggie. >> thank you gloria. the trump administration's effort to dramatically remake the nation's education department is now underway. yesterday, the department announced plans to lay off more than 1300 of its federal employees. and it's moving to end leases nationwide,

including one in san francisco. abc seven news reporter lena howland is live from the education department's san francisco office. that's on beale street. selina, what are they telling employees? >> well, reggie, employees here and at all u.s. department of education offices across the country have been told to stay home today with access forbidden. the only reason given for those closures was unspecified security reasons. president trump has vowed to dismantle the education department, calling it a con job and vowing to give states more control over schools. those states already have most control. the department is responsible for things like providing pell grants and funding for low income school districts. it does not mandate curriculum, but teachers fear gutting the department will leave vulnerable students even more vulnerable. now, the president of the biggest education union in the u.s. is slamming the trump administration as the department of education begins laying off more than 1300 employees. the cuts add up to more than half of

their workforce, affecting nearly every part of the department. >> firing half of your workforce without cause. we know necessarily, will mean there will be cuts to services that our students and families need. >> we want more money to be able to go to the states, and that's what the president has said all along. >> education secretary linda mcmahon, who you just heard from, says the agency will continue to oversee federal aid and student loan management. outside of the layoffs, 600 employees have already accepted voluntary resignation offers. meanwhile, the department is also ending leases on buildings across the country, including this one here on beale street in san francisco and other offices in new york, boston and chicago. live in san francisco lena howland, abc seven news. >> and the trump administration also announced it's cutting $1 billion program that lets public school lunch programs and foodic

banks buy from local farmers and ranchers. the program started during the biden administration. a spokesperson for the usda says the cuts will mark a return to, quote, long term, fiscally responsible initiatives. >> a state auditor says san francisco unified's budget is trending positively, and that's after her latest top down review of the cash strapped organization's books. the auditor, christy white, says she's finally seeing long term problems being addressed, and that includes dealing with the district's problematic payroll system and better tracking of leases, subscriptions and capital assets. but she warns it is still too early to say whether the district is in the clear financially. >> you know, an audit, particularly of a district this size, you know, there's always the potential, always the risk that you're going to have missteps in various areas and new things could come up. >> white credited new stable leadership for the improvements in the district's financial

picture. the school district is still working out layoffs, approving hundreds of preliminary notices last month. the final decision on job cuts will come in may. >> we continue to follow the shutdown of vta services in the south bay. while 1500 workers are on strike. the transit agency is now taking legal action to end this. the vta is accusing the union of breaching the no strike clause in its contract. bus and light rail operators are asking for a 19% increase in wages. the vta is offering 9%. the strike has disrupted vta bus and light rail services to thousands of commuters since this started monday. police are looking for anyone with information on a stabbing on board a muni train yesterday. it left one person in the hospital with life threatening injuries. that attack happened around 530 last night near carroll and third streets in the bayview. this is what the area looked like in the late afternoon yesterday as police responded to that incident. muni stopped multiple trains as police chase after suspects. two people were

detained. police have not yet released the circumstances that led up to the stabbing. anyone with info about the assault is encouraged to reach out to sfpd. >> your voice, your vote. now, next year, we elect a new governor. and this morning we're hearing reaction to congresswoman katie porter's announcement that she's running. and as we told you yesterday on abc seven mornings, porter's announcement had a strong anti-trump call to action with a promise to protect californians. abc seven insider phil matier says there's a reason for her message. >> why is katie porter targeting trump out of the gate as her main opponent in this race? because it raises money?ce? democrats are looking for someone that they can bet on as a sure thing. >> but porter is joining a field already crowded with other democrats. plus, there is the question looming over every candidate. will former vice president kamala harris join the race? >> this is about as late as you can wait to get into the race, unless you're kamala harris. the vice president, if you 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. >> of course, harris would be a major contender for governor if she chooses not to run. porter could be a strong candidate because of her nationwide name recognition. there are also three republicans in the race hoping to build on gains their party made with voters back in november. >> 509 this morning in light rain has returned, with heavier showers moving in later on this afternoon. live doppler seven along with satellite showing you a cold front back here, is going to swing through this afternoon and it's along the cold front. we'll find not only the heaviest showers, but also the strongest winds as it moves through. so looking outside right now it's darkt this is a live look at our richmond-san rafael bridge camera. this is the richmond side and there are raindrops falling this morning. gloria is tracking all the slick spots out there, so the day planner looks like this. we have light showers early on. then between about noon and 5 p.m, that's when

the winds are strongest. that's when the rain is heaviest. so certainly the evening commute is going to be a bit slower than the morning commute because of those heavy showers. for the most part, we're really staying in the 50s for daytime highs, so certainly cool for this time of the year. winds right now not terribly strong, but this map is going to look a lot different in about four hours when those southerly winds really kick in and those winds could gust 30 to 50mph. so it's for that fact. the entire region has been placed under a wind advisory starting at 8 a.m. today. and again, it's around lunchtime. these winds really start to peak here out of the south. this could bring down some tree limbs also cause some power outages. again, gusts could be close to 55mph, with the strongest gusts likely along the coast later on today. so it's stormy today. it's windy this afternoon. we have downpours moving through. it is a level two temperatures only in the 50s. >> reggie drew, thank you. the a's may have left the east bay, but a new contends stepping in to keep a bay area

rivalry alive. >> no steering wheel and no brake pedals proving to be a problem for amazon's robotaxi. the new questions about the unusual design roaming san francisco streets. >> it is a pivotal day for two astronauts stuck in space. the

the war between ukraine and russia. ukraine has agreed on a plan for an immediate 30 day cease fire. moscow says it is studying the proposal that was negotiated this week by a u.s. delegation led by secretary of state marco rubio. after ukraine agreed to the deal yesterday, the u.s. lifted a pause on military aid and intelligence sharing. that aid was stopped after the recent meeting at the white house that ended with president trump and vice president vance yelling at ukraine's president. >> a spacex is launching a mission to rescue two astronauts stranded at the international space station. butch wilmore and suni williams have been in space since june of last year when they launched on boeing's starliner. they were only supposed to be gone about a week. issues with the spacecraft

made it too dangerous for them to come back. nasa eventually decided to bring the starliner back to earth without them. now spacex is bringing is being brought in to get them home. today's launch is set to happen at about 430. it's not clear exactly when wilmore and williams will return to earth. >> the ntsb has released its preliminary report on the investigation into january's deadly mid-air collision at reagan national airport. the crash between a commercial plane and a u.s. army helicopter killed 67 people. the report reveals the airport had more than 15,000 near-misses between commercial planes and helicopters during the period of october 2021 and last december. the agency is recommending the faa ban helicopter operations near the airport when two of its high traffic runways are in use. now, that deadly crash in dc is just one in a series of recent airline incidents, stoking fears in travelers. and now ticket sales are slowing as a result.

american airlines, which flew the plane that crashed, has seen a dip in both personal and commercial travel. delta, the airline that flew the plane that landed upside down in toronto, said its ticket sales have slowed, too. in fact, yesterday the ceo announced the company is slashing its projected revenue growth in half. >> president trump now owns a tesla. he went shopping for the new electric car in front of the white house. the president selected a red model s sedan with elon musk and his son by his side. all of this to show support for musk's electric vehicle company as it faces blowback. president trump told reporters he would write a check for the car, which retails for about $80,000. he says he plans to leave it at the white house so his staff can drive it. musk has faced criticism for his involvement with the trump administration. the move may have slightly helped musk's company. tesla's stock price increased nearly 4% by the end of trading yesterday, after dropping almost 48% since trump took office in january. the

company's market capitalization had hit an all time high of $1.5 trillion. that was back on december 17th. it started slipping after musk began working to downsize the federal government. >> amazon's futuristic fleet of self-driving vehicles may be running afoul of vehicle safety standards. that's according to the washington post. zoox robotaxis are being tested right here in san francisco. i see them all the time in the mission district. a national highway traffic safety administration report finds they may not meet safety rules because they don't have steering wheels or brake pedals or rear view mirrors. experts say the lack of these traditional features found on most other cars, do not make zoox vehicles unsafe. zoox tells the post, a remote operator can always take control of the car. passengers can call for help and even open the doors of the robotaxi using an emergency release. and we are going to start seeing more driverless waymo vehicles on bay area streets. yesterday, the company expanded into silicon valley.

waymo is now offering rides in los altos, palo alto, mountain view and parts of sunnyvale. users can hail a self-driving car through the waymo one app if their zip code falls into their service area. waymo is already available in san francisco and daly city. you still can't take it on the highway and you can't take it to sfo. waymo says it is in talks with sfo for future expansion. >> the stage is set for what could be the start of a new bay area baseball rivalry. the oakland ballers and san jose giants announced 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, and it will be the first time an affiliated franchise, the san jose giants, faces an unaffiliated team. the ballers are a member of the independent pioneer league and oakland's sole pro baseball team. with the a's now in sacramento. >> all right. >> bring it down to the. >> south bay. we're trying to reinvent something thating to everybody loves, you know.

>> yeah. is that a fair fight? >> no, don't ask me. do not ask me. the san jose giants are great. >> like they attract. >> a crowd. >> they've been in it. >> oh, i missed a big part of that story. i thought. >> we were talking. >> about the giants. >> giants? no no, no. i was like, why are they playing in san jose? yeah. okay. >> you got a lot of questions. >> that would be a very lopsided for sure. that was the case. this makes sense now. you know, if you don't. >> know, though, a quick look in san jose, you'd be like, oh, the giants are in town. no, it's the san jose giants. >> got it. ballpark. that's why they're. >> at excite. >> park there in orange and black, too. it's all meant to confuse you. >> okay. >> and he surely was. >> i really. >> all i heard was. >> giants this morning. we're tracking rain back in the forecast. here's a live look outside from the exploratorium camera. light rain is falling across the city right now. it's 53 degrees with a southeast wind. pretty light right now, but that wind again is going to pick up over the next several hours. temperatures right now. not too chilly by any means, but

don't expect too much warming today. temperatures really staying in the 50s all day today as we track this rain moving through. here's live doppler seven this morning. really just light scattered showers out there first thing like we anticipated. it's the afternoon when those showers pick up in intensity and in coverage. and the winds are with it, too. so in the north bay right now, parts of marin county, you can see around san rafael, some light rain in the city, the outer richmond outer sunset getting some light drizzle this morning. and a similar story around discovery bay and livermore. we are at a level two today with the worst of the storm later on this afternoon. downpours expected strong gusty winds as well. let's go hour by hour on future weather. here we go. by 2 p.m. the action is really ramping up. when you see this line of really bright colors. that's some intense rain that will be moving through along the cold front. by about 7 p.m. things really start to calm down, but scattered showers remain in the forecast through tomorrow morning, so rainfall estimates haven't changed all that much. half an inch to an inch in most

areas, with again, the bulk of this falling later on this afternoon. we'll start to see the winds increase this morning. they'll peak later on this afternoon. and that's when winds are 30 to 50mph. and that is why we have that wind advisory in effect. we are still underneath a winter storm warning for the sierra until 11 p.m. tomorrow. lake level. we're looking at about 12 to 18in, but on our highest peaks we're looking at four feet of snow combined with really strong winds. conditions this morning will rapidly go downhill, so don't try to go to tahoe today or tomorrow. better conditions later on this weekend. here's the accuweather seven day worst in the afternoon with our level two storm. scattered showers tomorrow. friday another cold storm moves in here. a mix of rain and some snow on our high peaks. a brief break in the rain saturday with more showers on sunday, guys. >> all right drew, thank you. coming up, the seven things to know this morning. >> local health experts are carefully watching the measles outbreak unfolding in texas. there are growing concerns of

we made a promise to our boy blue - that we would create the best pet food we possibly could, made with the finest natural ingredients and none of the things you find in many other pet foods. we call it the true blue promise and it's our commitment to feed your pet just like we would feed blue. it's what makes blue buffalo

unlike other pet food companies... ...which have many different brands with different standards. we have one standard —the one inspired by our boy blue, for the wellbeing of your dog or cat. because like you, we love them like family, too. still congested? nope! uh oh. mucinex 2-in-1 saline nasal spray. spray goodbye. aaaaaaahhhhh! mucinex 2-in-1 saline nasal spray with a gentle mist and innovative power-jet. spray goodbye to congestion. it's comeback season! hot flash sweat just happens but secret whole body, dry feel, deodorant absorbs sudden sweat for 72 hour freshness everywhere. everywhere? without aluminum. finally! finally! so surprise sweat stays my little secret. secret. no sweat. to gusty winds and heavier downpours this afternoon. we are at a level two. a

moderate storm on the storm impact scale. >> number two, the european union announced retaliatory tariffs on u.s. goods overnight after president trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect. they could drive up the cost of everything from washing machines to canned food. today, a report on inflation could provide a clue about where the economy is headed and could cause more turmoil on wall street. >> number three, the trump administration is dramatically cutting the workforce at the department of education, laying off nearly half the staff. it's also ending leases nationwide, including the department's office on beale street in san francisco. >> number four. a lawsuit has been filed to stop the permanent closure of a portion of san francisco's great highway. opponents say the voter approved plan violates state law. >> number five. there continues to be no bus and no light rail service in santa clara county, as transit workers strike for better pay. vta has filed a legal complaint to force employees back to work. >> and number six, we do have some slick roads out there this

morning. the altamont pass at the usual slow spot right now. and this is a look at the speeds there. 33mph is about your average speed this morning. so traffic is moving a little slower with that slight rain. but we're not seeing any other major issues so far. >> number seven, if you're hoping to make it to the las vegas grand prix this year, tickets will be a bit more affordable. single day tickets for the formula one event now start at 50 bucks. three day tickets start at 400, and that's the lowest price since the race debuted. tickets go on sale april 9th. las vegas grand prix is in november. tomorrow marks 12 years since pope francis was elected head of the catholic church. he made history as the first non-european pope in nearly 1300 years. he will mark the day in the hospital where he has been for nearly a month now, as he recovers from pneumonia. the pope has visited over 60 countries and canonized more than 900 saints. the vatican has not said how the anniversary, which is a public holiday, will be commemorated. five years

after the world health organization declared covid 19 a pandemic, u.s. health leaders are raising concerns about growing measles outbreaks. and today, officials in los angeles and fresno counties announced their first confirmed cases of the year. >> and the outbreak in texas is not slowing down. reporter leigh waldman has details from health experts. >> the emergence of measles needs to bother more people than it is bothering nationally. right now. >> though, there are states away. doctor jim mcdonald with the new york state department of health, is very concerned about the measles outbreak in west texas and new mexico. >> measles is not a harmless childhood infection. you know, if you look at the texas outbreak in particular, a little over 1 in 5 people are ending up in a hospital. >> mcdonald points to falling immunization rates as the reason behind the outbreaks. cdc data found vaccination coverage among kindergartners across the u.s. dropped to 92.7% for measles, mumps and rubella vaccine during the 2023 to 24 school year.

>> when vaccine rates erode and they have eroded to the point where many jurisdictions now have vaccine rates that are well less than 95%, which is what's required to prevent measles. we're starting to see measles come back. >> doctor paul offit says there's an increase in vaccine skepticism and a rejection of them after the covid 19 vaccines. >> i do worry that as immunization rates continue to erode, that these children will once again suffer. >> the cdc says measles has a mortality rate of 1 to 3 per thousand cases in children, with two deaths confirmed from the current outbreak. offit fears the current number of cases is much higher than currently reported. >> this is a highly contagious virus, and i don't think people realize how sick it can make you. >> in new york, emily waldman. >> a bay area health official who was thrust into the national spotlight for her work with the coronavirus pandemic response, is now retiring. doctor sara cody's last day is going to be friday, april 11th, as santa clara county's health officer, doctor cody issued the first

stay at home order in the nation. santa clara county credits her early actions and leadership with saving many lives and maintaining one of the lowest covid death rates. now, doctor cody says it's time for her to step aside for the next generation of public health leaders. >> local is where you can have impact. and it's a fantastic place to be. and i have deep, deep, deep love for the county of santa clara. >> doctor cody received numerous awards for her pandemic contributions. >> cleanup efforts continue this morning at the massive battery plant that caught fire in monterey county. coming up at 530, the celebrity activist lending

yeah it is weird that we still call these things "phones." well yeah, they're more like minicomputers. precisely. next slide. xfinity mobile customers are connected to wifi 90% of the time. that's why our network has powerboost with speeds up to a gig wherever you need it most. so, this whole meeting could have been remote? oh! that is my ex-husband who i don't speak to. hey! no, i'm good to talk! try xfinity mobile for a year! get an unlimited 5g mobile line included with your xfinity internet, plus a free 5g phone. abc seven mornings live. >> $922 million in unclaimed tax refunds at risk. now at five. the message to california taxpayers as we approach the

last two months of tax season. >> more turmoil on wall street. i'm nicole d'antonio in washington with details as trump imposes new tariffs overnight on all steel and aluminum imports. >> governor newsom, facing renewed backlash over the topic of his last podcast episode, plus the controversial guest he will have on air today. >> and a live look outside this morning. san rafael a level two storm impacting parts of the bay area this morning. drew is tracking the timeline for the heaviest downpours. and gloria is going to talk about your commute. >> yeah. good morning everyone. it is wednesday, march 12th. >> let's start with a check on the weather. hi, drew. >> hey good morning guys. so we had been advertising that today would be kind of messy. and so right now we have some light showers this morning with downpours and some stronger winds anticipated this afternoon. so you can see from our san rafael camera this morning. it is wet out there but the showers are very light first thing, but it is creating some slick roadways out there and a little bit of a slower commute as we get underway

here on our wednesday. so live doppler seven some of the steadier showers in parts of the north bay and in the city have some light rain beginning to move into the south bay. so just be aware this morning we'll be dodging some drops. this afternoon is when the action really ramps up. so a level two today for those morning light showers, afternoon downpours. the winds will also get stronger later on today with some gusty conditions and a wind advisory in effect. so looking at this morning we'll still track those scattered light showers first thing. but here we go this afternoon by 2 p.m. here comes the heavy rain. that line of intense downpours will be crossing the region. in those downpours do continue through about 6 p.m. so as that line crosses through, the winds are going to pick up as well. so looking at the hourly wind forecast, winds are generally light right now. but they do increase later on. this afternoon could see winds gusting 40 to 50mph. let's check in with gloria. see how the roads are doing this morning. >> good morning. yeah. if ye driving this morning, roads may be slick where you are right now. we're just seeing kind of some spotty showers throughout

different areas. i know when i was driving in, it was just kind of light rain. this is a live look at our bay bridge camera and you can see the cars. here they are. you know, traffic is flowing nicely here. so we do want to tell you about though a stall. this is in san francisco. it's blocking the southbound 101 connector ramp to eastbound 80. there are no major delays here at this time, but just keep that in mind when you're driving in that area, especially with those slick roads and looking live at our emeryville camera, you can see the traffic, the morning commute definitely underway here. you can see t of traffic accumulating west of the eastshore freeway. if you're driving from highway four to san francisco 40 minutes right now. amanda. >> all right. gloria, thank you. we are tracking developing news this morning on president trump's growing trade war. overnight, the european union announced retaliatory tariffs on metals as new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect. the concerns about the future of the economy continue to have a major impact on the stock markets, which have taken big hits this week. abc news reporter nicole d'antonio is live in washington, dc this

morning. and nicole, we're about to get a report this morning with new clues about the state of the economy. >> yeah, well, that's right, amanda, we are following that very closely. and we hope that when that, you know, wall street gets that new report on the inflation today that it could raise, you know, questions or even more concerns about where the economy is headed. this morning, president trump imposed sweeping new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imported into the u.s. that means everything from cars to washing machines, lamps and even canned goods could go up in price. and many small businesses now bracing for rising costs. >> our cost of goods have gone up. our cans have already gone up in price. the bottom line is it's going to eat into a good part of our profits. >> on tuesday, president trump backed down from a threat to impose an additional 25% in tariffs to canada, totaling 50% after ontario said it would put a tariff on electricity coming into the u.s. ultimately, ontario premier doug ford held

off on retaliatory electricity tariffs, saying cooler heads should prevail, but still reminded americans who was to blame. >> consumer confidence is down, the market is tumbling. you know there's going to be plantsu know closed in the u.s, assembly plants will shut down because they won't have the aluminum, or they'll be paying twice or three times as much. this is this is absolute chaos created by one person and that's donald trump. >> the dow now down more than 1300 points in two days. president trump dismissing the turmoil now saying he does not see the possibility of a recession. >> mr. president, when you look at the market selling off, that didn't concern you. and where do you see it going? concern me? i think some some people are going to make great deals by buying stocks and bonds. >> instead, he expressed support and compassion for elon musk, the richest man in the world whose tesla stock has tanked 39% so far this year. >> what's your best of these cars? what do you think? >> well, the car that i drive is

the model s plaid. >> which is that. >> one, the red one in the middle. >> i like. >> that, yeah. yeah, i like that. >> now, moving forward, consumers could be bracing for more pain, with canada also saying they could restrict oil and minerals coming into the u.s. if this trade war escalates. so, reggie, we will be continuing to follow this very closely. >> all right, nicole, thank you. the white house's attempt to remake the education department is impacting us here in the bay area. the trump administration wants to lay off hundreds of federal workers and end leases at buildings. one of those is in san francisco. abc seven news reporter lena howland is live from the education department's office on beale street. and, lena, what's the government telling employees? >> hey, reggie. well, this department of education office here off of beale street, is one of several nationwide slated to have its lease terminated. and now its workers are being told to stay home today, as the office will be closed for what the department is calling security reasons. department officials announced sweeping

layoffs yesterday, affecting nearly every part of the department. 1300 jobs are being cut and 600 employees have already accepted voluntary resignation offers. president trump has vowed to dismantle the department, calling it a con job and vowing to give states more control over schools. but states already have most control. the department is responsible for things like providing pell grants and funding for low income school districts. it does not mandate curriculum. now, teachers fear gutting the department will leave vulnerable students even more vulnerable. >> whether that's safeguarding, you know, racial minorities to make sure that that educational outcomes are equitable for them. i mean, i think it's across the board. >> clearly, we're not taking away education. the president never said that he's taking the bureaucracy out of education so that more money flows to the states. >> and that was education secretary linda mcmahon, who you just heard from sworn in less than a week ago. she says it's

the department's final mission to eliminate bureaucratic bloat. president trump's campaign promise to eliminate the department of education altogether would still need to be approved by congress. live in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> all right, lena, thank you. this morning. a new episode of governor newsom's podcast is out, and it includes another controversial guest. conservative podcaster and loyal trump supporter steve bannon is on today's episode. it comes amid a power struggle within the trump administration between bannon and elon musk. bannon has publicly said he wants to pressure musk out of the president's inner circle. governor newsom continues to deal with controversy surrounding the podcast. both episodes one and two included discussions about the rights of transgender people. in the second episode earlier this week, he did not argue when conservative commentator michael savage suggested democrats lost november's election due to the party's approach on trans issues. in episode one, there was backlash over newsom's

comments on transgender athletes. >> and we have a traffic alert for you this morning. the metering lights have turned on at the bay bridge toll plaza. they came on at 532 this morning. we don't have any major delays at the tolls, and vehicles are dashing through to the span. if you are driving this morning though, keep in mind roads are slick in many spots and looking at your drive time from highway four to san francisco, it will take you 43 minutes. reggie aqui. >> now it's time for abc seven mornings advancer. we preview some things happening today in the bay area. >> first, oakland's economic future is front and center. today, the oakland metro chamber of commerce is holding its annual economic development summit. this year's event will focus on the city's creative economy and ways to boost the port of oakland's economic development. >> this morning, groups will be gathering to demand the permanent closure of the moss landing battery plant. it comes after a fire last month that left the facility badly damaged. today's protest starts at eight this morning outside the marriott hotel in santa cruz. that's where the california coastal

commission is holding its meeting. now, the company that runs the moss landing facility says it is almost finished disconnecting what's left of the batteries that burned. that's a critil step to prevent future flareitil ups. abc seven news reporter lauren martinez has new details on the cleanup and the growing lawsuits. >> a complete loss, that's the expected outcome after a fire damaged the world's largest battery storage plant in moss landing. >> it was not a p-g-and-e's incident. >> on tuesday, p-g-and-e's hosted a virtual town hall where they reiterated the fire that broke out on january 16th did not happen at their facility, but at one operated by vistra. >> p-g-and-e's moss landing substation is located adjacent to, but walled off and separate from the vistra power plant. >> p-g-and-e's says vistra owns and operates the plant where the fire broke out. the battery plant dates back to the early 1950s, when p-g-and-e's initially developed it and began

operation. the company sold it in 1998, but as we've reported before, the law firm singleton schreiber is including p-g-and-e's in their lawsuit, along with vistra and other companies. on tuesday, the firm hosted a virtual town hall meeting as well. >> and we think they do because of the contracts they entered into that are publicly filed with vistra. they're filed with the public, california public utilities commission, and p-g-and-e's had the right, it appears to us to have a say in the design of the vistra plant. >> joining in on the virtual town hall was environmental activist erin brockovich. she asked residents to remain vigilant, write down things they notice about the plant and about impacts to the environment. >> and every single situation i've been involved in, a community member will document something eight nine months down the road that changes everything. >> on february 22nd, work began to delink or disconnect the remaining batteries. in an update released tuesday. vistra said they've been able to

complete 85% of this process. during the town hall, neighbors talked about health issues since the fire. >> my voice was not like this. i'm severely impacted. >> singleton schreiber said they're representing more than 60 business owners and residents in their suit, and they're not sure where that number will end in the south bay. lauren martinez, abc seven news. >> the new documentary hoping to shed light on what it's calling a major cover p operation by the u.s. government. it features dozens of u.s. officials breaking their silence, including secretary of state marco rubio. but first, a check on the weather with drew. >> hey there. we're looking at live doppler seven along with satellite this morning because we are tracking a cold front that is set to soak us with some heavier rain, some strong, gusty winds later on this afternoon. we're just getting a little bit of light shower activity this morning. the main event holds off until about 1 or 2 p.m. later today. so a live look outside from our exploratorium camera where

we do notice rain drops across the city right now. very light in nature. and that's how the day starts out at 7 a.m. we're just tracking some light showers, but as that cold front gets closer to us, the afternoon is when the action really ramps up. so we have heavier rain, strong gusty winds. it is a level two later on today and temperatures you can see they don't climb too far from their start this morning. will mainly stay in the 50s later on today with overcast skies and that rain moving through. so looking at the storm impact scale is a level two today with these light morning showers giving way to heavier rain. later on this afternoon and evening we'll see some strong gusty winds and also some heavy snow coming to the sierra where a winter storm warning is currently in effect. just looking at futurecast, the closer look shows you here comes that really intense line of showers right around two 3:00, and then we'll be in and out of the downpours through about six 7:00 this evening. the winds do pick up as well. you can see the wind graphic showing you a

steady increase this morning. so we do have a wind advisory in effect for the entire region. this kicks in later on this morning with those winds peaking this afternoon. could see gusts upwards of 55mph. a closer look at the rainfall totals and that sierra snow. we'll have

tax day around the corner. the irs wants you to know there's still unclaimed money from 2021 tax returns. and gloria, the average californian could have $600 left over. >> yes. california taxpayers could leave up to $922 million unclaimed. now, keep in mind, april 15th is not just the last day to file your 2024 tax returns, but if you haven't filed for 2021, those unclaimed funds will be turned over to the u.s. treasury. the irs says more than 116,000 californians have not filed

yet for the 2021 tax year. the irs outlines the earned income tax credit income thresholds as follows $51,000 for individuals with three or more qualifying children, 47 for those with two and 42 for those with one, and for those without children. the eitc threshold was 21,000. typically, there is no penalty for failing to file a tax return if you are due a refund. by law, taxpayers generally have three years to file and claim their refunds. you forfeit that money if you do not file by then. if you think you are eligible, make sure you get your missing documents like your w-2 or your 1099. you can access old tax records through your irs individual online account, so you could have some money out there. reggie aqui. >> thanks, gloria. the red carpet rolled out in lower manhattan last night for the premiere of odessa. this is an original rock opera set in a post-apocalyptic future. it's about a young woman's mission to recover a cherished family

heirloom. it will stream on hulu beginning march 20th. disney's, the parent company of hulu and abc seven. are we alone in the universe? a new documentary asks more than 30 bipartisan government officials, including secretary of state marco rubio. here's abc news. >> i have seen with my own eyes non-human craft and non-human beings. >> an explosive documentary setting out to prove aliens are real and the government is covering it up. the new film, the age of disclosure, claims to reveal an 80 year cover up of the existence of non-human of intelligent life and a secret war amongst major nations to reverse engineer technology of non-human origin. >> do you think for a second that they wouldn't consider using it to achieve their ends of domination? >> it features more than 30 u.s. officials speaking out on the alleged existence of aliens and ufos, including secretary of state marco rubio. >> even presidents have been operating on a need to know basis, but that begins to ramp out of control. >> the film just premiered at

the south by southwest film festival. >> kind of spread like wildfire amongst those who who are in the inner circle on this within our government. and they started to realize this is a this is a unique opportunity to bring the truth out. i think it gave them an opportunity to tell their side of the story, and they had absolutely nothing to gain but public humiliation. i mean, myself, i've lost contributors. >> this is the biggest discovery in human history. >> reaction has been mixed. one person posting spreading the word about this topic is the most important story in the history of humanity. but another saying not a single scrap of verifiable evidence has ever been shown. andrew dymburt, abc news, new york. >> ooh! >> okay. >> are they out there? >> i think we've all wondered that, right? >> oh, i am fully on board that there are aliens out there. >> i think the aliens are in the ocean. have you seen some of these creatures. >> are in the ocean? >> some of these creatures are wild. >> come on, nessie, you over there looking at the loch ness? >> no. what was that fish we all just saw recently? oh.

>> what? oh, from the depths of the ocean. the depths. >> of the ocean, just like that is an alien. that is. >> that's new. that is new. all right. this morning we're finding rain back in the forecast. live! look at our golden gate bridge. camera 101 is wet in this area. and this morning, the showers are very light and scattered in nature. the heavier rain moves in here this afternoon. now temperatures pretty uniform this morning. widespread 50s. and we don't warm too far from these numbers. later on this afternoon with rain moving through. temperatures will mainly stay in the 50s. let's flip it on over to live doppler seven this morning, giving you the active sweep. just some light showers across the north bay, along the coast, through parts of the city right now. but this map will look very different this afternoon. live doppler seven will show you a lot of bright colors as heavy rain moves through. so this morning we keep it cloudy. those temperatures pretty steady like we talked about mainly in the mid 50s all morning long. and then we're in and out of the light showers this morning as you go about your morning commute. so the storm impact

scale today is at a level two for heavier rain this afternoon. that's also when we'll find those winds really kicking up. those winds gusting upwards of 30 40mph and heavy snow in the sierra. so here's a look at future weather. this is what we're advertising later on today by 2 p.m. here's this line along the cold front. just some really intense rain moving through. and those downpours continue through about 6 p.m. after that, the heaviest rain is out of here, but showers will still be scattered in nature for first thing thursday morning. so looking at rainfall totals, we are expecting about a half of an inch to in most communities. and again, this falls mostly in the afternoon between noon and 6 p.m. that's also when the winds will be at their strongest. they ramp up this morning, then this afternoon there you can see that southerly wind 30 to 50mph. strongest winds will be along the coast as this front moves through behind the front. later on this evening, as the heavy rain moves out, the winds will weaken as well. let's talk snow. major storm for the sierra. a winter storm warning in effect. we're

talking lake level 12 to 18in of snow, but our highest peaks upwards of four feet of snow. with the worst conditions this afternoon and early tomorrow morning. so that snow becomes pretty intense later today with those strong winds. here's the accuweather seven day forecast. heaviest rain and strongest winds in the afternoon today. scattered showers tomorrow. another cold storm dives in here for a mix of rain and some snow on our highest peaks. look at saturday. get a brief break in the action before showers return sunday evening guys. >> thank you drew. new at six more. cane's is coming. the new location that expans raising cane's footprint right here in the bay area. >> but first, a closer look at the ingredients in your thin mints. the lawsuit against girl scouts over m

select an abc news exclusive interview. the lawyer for jay-z, speaking about the lawsuit accusing the superstar of sexual assault. here's abc news reporter aaron katersky. >> in this morning's gma first look, an abc news exclusive. does your client know jane doe? alex spiro, the attorney for jay z, is speaking to abc news after the woman who said she was 13 when jay z and sean diddy combs sexually assaulted her after the 2000 mtv video music awards, told private investigators her lawyer put her up to it. the woman, identified as jane doe, has since permanently dropped her lawsuit against both carter and combs, but jay z is now suing her and her lawyer for defamation. this case has gone away, but he's keeping alive two other lawsuits. why? why bother? why not just let it all go? >> if you're mr. carter, you have an obligation not just to yourself and the people that rely on you and are inspired by you, but you have an obligation to the system to make sure the

truth comes out. >> and coming up at 7 a.m, we'll have more of our exclusive interview with jay z's attorney with the gma first look, i'm aaron katersky, abc news, new york. >> a new york woman is suing the girl scouts, claiming their cookies contain heavy metals, pesticides and other toxins. a class action lawsuit was filed in federal court monday. it is seeking $5 million in damages for customers across the u.s. the lawsuit cites a study by moms across america and gmo science that claims 100% of the cookies tested contain toxins. it is important to note this study was not peer reviewed or endorsed by a scientific journal. however, social media exploded with claims the cookies were unsafe. the girl scouts responded to the allegations, saying their cookies are safe and manufactured within all food safety regulations. the california department of public health has issued a recall of frozen frozen oysters, frozen half shell oysters from sea wind were found to have traces of norovirus. the oysters have been

distributed to wholesalers and restaurants. the department of public health claims illnesses have been reported, and at this time there's no word on how many people have been infected. see, wen urges people to return the oysters for a full refund, and they've also instructed restaurants to stop serving oysters. >> california's salmon season could be canceled for a third year in a row, because there just aren't enough fish in the sea. the pacific fishery management council says there will likely be a very limited fishing season because of declining population. they could also issue a coast wide closure. the council will make a final decision at its meeting next month. >> well, a lot more to come at 6 a.m, including breaking economic news. the highly anticipated report on inflation has just been released. what it reveals about the state of the economy. >> taking on the landlords, the proposal by san jose city leaders and their hope to build a better bay area. >> then she's stepping into the race for governor and is getting crowded. why experts believe congresswoman katie porter is targeting president trump from

the jump. >> and cutting jobs at the department of education. the impact for people living here in the bay area. >> and a meteorologist, drew tuma. light rain out there on live doppler seven. you can see that on our exploratorium camera. heavier rain, stronger winds later on this afternoon. we're at a level two, a moderate exactly! and unsweetened has 0 grams of sugar. and it's an excellent source of calcium. wow! planet oat really has it all!

♪

now abc seven mornings live.>>