now abc seven mornings live.

>> now at six. major layoffs in store at the department of education. the sweeping actions by the trump administration impacting thousands of jobs and local education systems. >> then breaking economic news overnight. the new action in president trump's tariff war, and the news in the last 30 minutes about the state of inflation. we're tracking the impact to your finances. >> and we are taking a live look outside this morning. this is the golden gate. it's a wet start to your day. drew is here tracking a level two storm hitting the bay area right now. >> good morning. welcome to wednesday. it's march 12th. >> now we're going to turn straight to drew a wet commute. >> yeah it's light right now. and then this afternoon is when it gets a lot heavier. and the winds really pick up. here's video from san leandro this morning as the rain begins to come down. very light in nature. but again the intensity picks up this afternoon. the winds will be an issue. so for the morning commute, just expect some slick and slower conditions as we get our wednesday underway. let's switch it on over to our live camera here in san rafael this morning, where you can see some

drops on the lens. live doppler seven this morning is showing you it's very light rain right now, really scattered in nature for much of the morning. the steadiest showers have been in the north bay across parts of the city and along the coast. but this picture will look very different this afternoon as those heavier showers move in here. so at a level two today for this morning, light rain giving way to heavier showers later today, strong gusty winds will be an issue. and we're also tracking heavy snow in the sierra. so future weather showing you this morning very light, very scattered. then this afternoon this is when the action really ramps up. you start seeing these bright colors indicating the heavy rain crossing through by about two three, 4:00 pm. we're still underneath some of these heavier showers and with this rain will also come increased winds. winds. not too bad right now, but they increase this morning. and then later on this afternoon with a wind advisory in effect, 30 to 40 to 50 mile per hour winds are very possible. let's check in with gloria, see how we're doing this morning. >> good morning. well, i know drew has been talking about that

rain. you know, the good news is, right now, we're not really seeing a big impact to traffic. we are seeing some slick roads, but really no major issues. and that's what we'd like to see. your map here showing mostly green. we do have that usual slow slowdown in the altamont pass, but mostly looking pretty nice out there. this is a live look at our bay bridge toll plaza camera, and you can see that those middle lanes are starting to back up to about the middle of the parking lot. if you're driving from highway four to san francisco, you're looking at about 55 minutes right now and looking live at our san jose 87 camera. you'll see traffic here is flowing nicely. it is smooth sailing. if you're heading to the san jose airport, you won't have any major issues there. at the live desk. i am tracking some breaking news overnight. in the last 30 minutes, that much anticipated inflation report was released. it shows that inflation cooled more than economists expected in february. that was the first full month under president trump. it was at 2.8%, still higher than the federal reserve's target of 2%, but it's still heading in the right

direction now. the other economic development overnight, the european union announcing retaliatory tariffs on u.s. goods. it's a response just hours after the trump administration added 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, the eu measures target not just steel and aluminum. also home appliances, household tools, plastics and wood. agricultural products like beef, poultry, eggs, nuts, sugar and vegetables as well, and most of the items that are being hit are from republican led states. now, all of this continues to have a big impact on stock markets around the world. we've seen a big sell off in the u.s. this week. we'll be watching how trading is impacted when the markets open at 630 this morning. we'll have those updates for you, reggie. >> thank you. the trump administration's effort to dramatically remake the nation's education department is 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 here in san francisco. abc seven news reporter lena howland is live from the education department san francisco office on beale street. lena, 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 into the buildings forbidden. the only reason given for these 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 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 and other offices in new york, chicago, boston and more. live in san francisco. lena howland, abc seven news. >> lena, thank you. the trump administration also announced it's cutting a $1 billion

program that lets public school lunch programs and food 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. >> in 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 the strike. the vta is accusing the union of breaching the no strike clause in his contract. bus and light rail operators are asking for a 19% increase in wages, while the vta is offering 9%. the strike has disrupted vta bus and light rail service to thousands of commuters since it started monday. police are looking for anyone with info on a stabbing on board a muni train yesterday. it left a person hospitalized with life threatening injuries. the attack happened around 530 last night near carroll and third streets in the bayview, and this is what the area looked like in the late afternoon yesterday as police responded to the incident. muni stopped multiple trains as police chase

after suspects. two people were detained. police have not yet revealed the circumstances that led up to the stabbing. anyone with information about the assault is encouraged to reach out to sfpd. >> now to your voice. your vote. next year we elect a new governor. and this morning we're hearing reaction to congresswoman katie porter's announcement that she is running, 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 news 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. 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's 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, 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, too, 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. >> take a look at the accuweather forecast. we're getting active out there this morning with some light showers right now, but you can see some stronger storms are off on the horizon. just had a lightning strike over the last hour. so this cold front when it moves through this afternoon, that is when we'll find heavy rain and some strong gusty winds. live. look outside from our san jose camera this morning where we do have mostly cloudy skies here. some light showers are falling this morning in the north bay, parts of the east bay and along the coast, so the action is not too bad right now. that will change later on. today afternoon we have heavy rain moving in

strong winds. and you do notice temperatures don't really climb out of the 50s for most of us. so today it will be cool for this time of the year as we track this level two storm crossing the region, winds are beginning to pick up a little bit. you can see oakland, mountain view, half moon bay. we're seeing those winds gusting 20, 23mph and about 90 minutes. this map will look a lot different as those winds continue to increase. so we do have that wind advisory in effect starting at 8 a.m. for everybody where throughout the afternoon, those winds could gust close to 55mph. so it's a stormy day today. heaviest rain. worst wind this afternoon. daytime highs only in the 50s. amanda. >> all right, drew. thank you. still ahead on abc, seven mornings, the battle of the bay is back on. a new contender is stepping in to keep the regional baseball tradition 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's streets. and it's a pivotal day for two astronauts stuck in

space. the

war between ukraine and russia. ukraine has agreed to a plan for an immediate 30 day ceasefire. 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 had been paused after that recent meeting at the white house that ended up with president trump and vice president vance yelling at the president of ukraine. today, 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. and now spacex is being brought in to get them home. today's launch is set to happen at about 430. it's not clear when exactly 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

revealed the airport had more than 15,000 near-misses between commercial planes and helicopters between october 20th 21st and last 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. 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 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 a report in the washington post. zoox robotaxis are being tested right here in san francisco. the national highway traffic safety administration report finds they may not meet safety rules because they don't have steering wheels, brake pedals or rear view mirrors. now, experts say the lack of 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 open the doors of the robotaxi using an emergency release. we're going to start seeing more driverless waymo vehicles on bay area streets. as of yesterday, the company has expanded into silicon valley. waymo is now offering rides in

los altos, palo alto, mountain view and parts of sunnyvale. you can hail a self-driving car through the waymo one app. if your zip code falls in a service area. waymo is already available in san francisco and daly city. one big exception you cannot take a to or from sfo. waymo says it is in talks with the airport 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. this 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. now that the a's are in sacramento. >> the ballers just had that open tryout recently. i wonder if they got some good players there. i know i. >> saw casey pratt. >> oh, yeah. >> our own. all right. our former casey pratt. he had, i

guess not exactly tried out, but when they took him on as one of their communications people, he was on video, like, playing. >> on the. >> field, trying to make it work. and they said no to being an athlete, but yes to the communications team. >> all right. that's great. okay. >> trying to make it work. that is like my sports history. you know, the few sports i played, i tried to make it work. >> okay. >> never did. that's why i'm sitting here today. >> never stop. >> but i tried. persevere. this morning, we're looking live at our sutro tower camera, where we do have some light showers falling across the city right now. it is shaking just a bit as our breeze begins to pick up currently. temperatures right now get used to these numbers. we're in the mid 50s and we pretty much will stay in the 50s all day long as rain moves through. so here's live doppler seven. this morning we just begin our day with some scattered showers. very light. you're not seeing any intense, bright colors on live doppler seven this morning, but it's

creating some slick spots, especially along the coast and in the north bay. right now. we take a look at the morning planner and look how steady those temperatures are through the next 6 to 7 hours. we have on and off light showers, with heavier rain coming our way this afternoon. so it's stormy. it turns windy today. and again, those temperatures we're staying mainly in the 50s. so cool. for this time of the year it is level two with the heavier rain coming later today. so two with those stronger winds and some heavy snow in the sierra. so here's future weather. this is what we're anticipating later this afternoon, as that heavy rain will come through with the cold front. so do anticipate some intense downpours this afternoon after 7:00 pm. the heavy rain is out of here and will transition to scattered showers, even lingering into tomorrow morning. so looking at the rainfall totals, most of this falling between noon and 6 p.m. today, and a lot of us will wind up between a half of an inch and an inch of rain today. those winds are increasing over the next couple of hours. a wind advisory begins at 8 a.m, and

you can see for good reason, with the afternoon cold front passing through, that heavy rain is accompanied by some very strong winds 30 to 50mph. so we could have a couple of trees come down with that frontal passage. winter storm warning is in effect. we're talking 12 to 18in around lake level, but up to four feet on our highest peaks. that is a lot of new snow. here's the accuweather seven day worst rain and wind this afternoon. then we have scattered showers tomorrow. a mix of rain and some snow on our highest peaks. with friday a brief break in the action saturday and more rain coming on sunday guys. >> thank you drew. and now we're going to turn to ginger zee live with a look at what's coming up on gma. >> yeah good morning ginger. >> jess reggie aqui amanda i'm going to hit that stormy pattern for you all. and then what that storm does is it crosses the nation for the weekend. but coming up here on gma we'll start with the new trump tariffs taking effect overnight as his trade war causes chaos on wall street and uncertainty for businesses around the country. while the administration guts the department of education. we'll have the reaction this

morning. also our exclusive with jay-z's lawyer. he tells us what their investigation into the now dismissed sexual abuse charge, charges against the rap icon found, and the toll that it took on jay-z and beyonce family. plus, our chief medical correspondent, doctor tara narula, is going to break down all the growing concerns about measles and what parents need to know about what doctors are recommending. plus, there's a new study about an ingredient in some slushies that could be harmful to young children. so she's tracking that, too. we also have some impressive young women taking over times square. this morning we're celebrating national girl scout day, so we're sharing some of their inspiring stories. and of course, we're going to help them sell some cookies, too. and i need to know your favorite cookies. >> okay. go ahead, samoa. >> or as people call them what caramel delites. >> right. because they have two names. most of these cookies. is it tagalong? >> is that ■actually three? because earlier kweilyn murphy told me they're called jason momoa's. >> haha. >> that's funny. >> our tagalongs a c i get this always mixed up. what's the one

that is the chocolate covering the peanut butter. >> tagalong has the peanut butter. >> okay. >> that's me. yeah. yep. >> i'm chocolate coating. >> okay. >> that's the chocolate coating. i want it to be in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. that's not asking too much. >> refrigerating along with the qualifications. you're happy? >> yeah. and what's the deal with s'mores? i was peeping your instagram today. someone at gma. >> doesn't like ig. so, brad, behind the camera yesterday, just out of the blue, says s'mores are not good. okay, it wasn't out of the blue, but either way, s'mores are not good. and that erupted into a controversy like you have not seen here at good morning america. so i figured i'd share this with the world because i looked and i put a poll up and apparently 40% of people agree with him, which is a way higher number than i thought. i thought s'mores were like part of our lives. i don't know. >> 40% of america is wrong. i voted in that and said that i disagree and that he needs to be taken. he hauled off immediately to jail, so i'll be calling the

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european pope in nearly 1300 years. he will mark the day in

the hospital where he has been for nearly a month, 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, is going to be commemorated. it was this week, five years ago, that we were really starting to get into the covid 19 pandemic response. now, officials are raising major concerns about the measles. yesterday, officials in both l.a. and fresno counties announced their first confirmed cases of the year. hundreds of people have been sickened and sickened in texas and new mexico. doctors warn the virus is very infectious, landing 1 in 5 people who get sick in the hospital. one reason we're seeing so many cases right now falling vaccination rates. >> 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. this is a highly contagious virus, and i don't

think people realize how sick it can make you. >> doctors say the virus is very infectious again, landing 1 in 5 people get sick in the hospital. guess that bears repeating. next, at 630, governor newsom, facing renewed backlash over the topic of his last podcast episode, plus a controversial guest he's going to have on today. and cleanup efforts continue at the massive battery plant that caught fire in monterey county. the celebrity activist

abc seven mornings live. >> right now at 630, the opening bell ringing on wall street after another brutal day of trading. futures are rising today amidst president trump's increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, now in effect. and now we're seeing retaliatory tariffs. we're going to keep a close eye on how the market responds. >> the $922 million in unclaimed tax refunds are at risk. the message to california taxpayers as we approach the last month of tax season. >> plus a live look outside right now, it is a bit rainy out there. and that means some slick roads during your commute. drew is here with what you need to know as you head out the door this morning. >> yeah. good morning everyone. it is wednesday, march 12th. >> yeah, it was pretty light when we were coming in. what

does it look like now? >> it's light and then it gets really heavy this afternoon. so this morning you will see some slick roadways out there, especially in the north bay and along the coast. that's where we find some of the light showers first thing this morning. golden gate bridge showing you that a wet 101 commute as you head in and out of the city this morning. here's live doppler seven. we have this line of some steady, light rain that's falling across the north bay and across parts of the city. so the outer richmond, the outer sunset getting wet. there's the golden gate bridge right there, that light rain falling, some light rain in san rafael and in napa. but this afternoon we do anticipate some heavy rain and some strong, gusty winds as a cold front swings through. so today is a level two. we have these light morning showers giving way to downpours later today. strong gusty winds and heavy sierra snow. so future weather this morning. the showers are light. they are scattered mainly in the north bay and along the coast. but watch what happens this afternoon. here we go with that heavy rain crossing through the region, continuing into the early evening. and that's when we could have some very slick spots on our roads as the evening commute is underway. as that rain intensifies, so do the

winds. will likely see those winds gusting upwards of 40mph. a wind advisory is, in effect, a close look at these details coming up in eight minutes, especially the wind speeds. let's check in with gloria and see how it's going. >> good morning. well, we're going to start with a live look at our bay bridge toll plaza camera. and that's because we're getting word of a big crash here on the bay bridge. and so this is just coming in here, but we're told that it's blocking the right lane at treasure island, causing some big backups in the area. and if you're driving from highway four to san francisco, it will take you 55 minutes. we'll keep tracking this crash for you. let you know what's going on with that. if you do take a mass transit this morning, we want to tell you that bart is operating trains at slower speeds because of the wet weather. so you always want to keep that in mind. give yourself a little bit more time if you are taking bart today because of the rain. ace and caltrain, though, are on time and we're getting a live look at our san jose 101 880 camera. now, if you are driving this morning, you might experience some slick roads, so just drive a little bit slower today if you can.

right here you are seeing that the traffic is starting to accumulate on northbound 101 as folks drive to san francisco, but it is an easy drive to the peninsula and to the city. and going back to that bay bridge toll plaza camera again, we're getting reports of a big crash on the bay bridge blocking the right lane at treasure island. >> reggie aqui some better than expected news is actually pushing the markets up this morning. so the dow jones industrial average is up. and we are also seeing the nasdaq up this morning. so immediately the new york stock exchange went up 200 points. that open. now we're up 228 points there. investors are reacting to a couple of things that happened overnight. so first the new tariffs president trump's put on steel and aluminum. took effect. and the european union announced they're enacting retaliatory tariffs on a number of items. but that's not why we're seeing this uptick in the markets this morning. it's what you're about to tell people. >> yeah. so the other big economic news is the inflation

report that showed inflation cooled more than expected in february. abc news reporter nicole d'antonio is live in washington, d.c. with all these updates this morning. nicole. well. >> that's right, and we're following that very closely. wall street gets a new report on inflation today, which could raise 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. 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 plants 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, that red one in the

middle. >> i like. >> that, yeah. yeah, i. >> like that. >> now, 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 guys, we will continue to follow this very closely. >> 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, where it's going to be a pretty lonely day today. >> yeah, reggie. that's right. this department of education office 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 taken 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 department. 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. >> lena, thank you. and 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 didn't 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. >> now it's our abc seven mornings adventure. we preview things that are going to make

headlines in the day ahead. >> 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 that fire last month left the facility badly damaged. today's protest starts at 8 a.m. outside the marriott hotel in santa cruz. that's where the california coastal commission is holding its meeting. >> and the company that runs the moss landing facility says it is almost done disconnecting what's left of the batteries that burned. it is a critical step to prevent future flare ups. yesterday, pg and e hosted a virtual town hall where it reiterated the fire that broke out on january 16th did not happen at their facility, but at one operated by vistra. environmental activist erin brockovich joined in on yesterday's town hall. 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 8 or 9 months down the road that changes everything. >> so on february 22nd, work began to delink or disconnect the remaining batteries. >> still to come here on abc seven mornings, $922 million in unclaimed tax refunds are at risk. the message to california taxpayers as we approach the last month of tax season. >> and you are looking live at the big board at the new york stock exchange. better than expected news here as markets are up 130. it shows another update on how the markets are doing next. >> what you should not. >> do in the security line at the airport. how one man tried to get a live animal past the tsa. oh, but first here is drew. >> not turtle trouble. >> not bad. >> not tt. >> not turtle and a half shell. turtle power. >> turtle power. >> doppler seven this morning showing you we have some light rain ahead of a cold front that is going to bring some heavier showers this afternoon. the bulk of the moisture is back here.

and this all arrives here right around noon today. and that's when we do anticipate some of the heaviest rain and strongest winds. it is wet out there this morning with some light showers, and we'll focus on that over the next couple of hours for just some scattered light rain out there. it's the afternoon. noon to six is when we find gusty winds, heavy rain falling. that's when the level two is at its worst. temperatures today were mainly stuck in the 50s. winds right now are beginning to increase. oakland half moon bay could see gusting to about 20mph, but in about two hours, this map will look very different as those winds continue to increase and a wind advisory kicks in here at 8 a.m. that wind advisory is for everybody. you'll feel that south wind 20 to 30mph along the coast is where we'll likely find some of the highest winds, gusting close to 50 55mph later on this afternoon. so it's a stormy day today. the winds ramp up. the rain turns heavy this afternoon. daytime highs below average will stay in the 50s. as

this rain moves through, we'll take a look at the seven day

the bay bridge, and right now this is causing some big delays there. it's westbound near the

tunnel. and so you could see right here. a live look. this is causing some big backups. and we were told it was blocking the right lane at treasure island. meanwhile, at the bay bridge toll plaza, those metering lights are still on. so this is just going to create some bigger delays throughout the morning. we have slick roads out there as well, so be very careful if you're driving. we'll let you know the latest on this crash as soon as we get more information. >> all right gloria. thank you. now, with tax day around the corner. the irs wants you to know there are still unclaimed money from the 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. if you have not filed for 2021. those unclaimed funds will be turned over to the u.s. treasury. the irs is at more than 116,000 californians have not filed yet. typically,

there's 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, but you forfeit your money if you do not file by then. now, if you think you are eligible, make sure you get your missing documents like your w-2 or your 1099. you can access those old tax records through your irs individual online account. amanda. >> all right, gloria, thank you. and the north bay, a popular santa rosa high school principal, will not be returning following a stabbing inside a classroom. the press democrat reports the school board has removed elsie allen high school principal gabe al barbera. he has been on paid administrative leave since late last month, when a 15 year old boy stabbed another multiple times. that student is expected to make a full recovery, the publication reports. the school district's director of human resources says the decision to remove al barbera was made before the stabbing, but the crime changed the timing of their

announcement. today, officials with the arizona supreme court unveil ai generated news reporters. so far, there are only two court reporters named daniel and victoria, but more avatars could be introduced in the future. the court hopes these reporters can boost engagement on court. related news. here's daniel. >> hey there. i'm daniel, one of the arizona supreme court's new ai reporters. you might be wondering why the court decided to use an ai generated spokesperson like me to share its news. the answer is simple. we want to help you understand the court and its decisions better, and want to make sure you get accurate information directly from us in a timely way. >> okay. >> that's ai. what i want to hear more from daniel. >> oh my goodness. >> where's daniel go after work. >> victoria. there's daniel and victoria. so these reporters will continue to update arizona residents on their supreme court's case decisions, opinions and other relevant information.

>> daniel is going to take my job and i'm not mad at him. >> i am. >> daniel is good at this. >> oh my goodness. >> okay. >> okay. >> we'll get back to that. but we're following the story of san francisco's great highway park days before the great highway is set to close to cars between lincoln way and sloat boulevard. a group is suing to keep it open. opponents announced a lawsuit yesterday afternoon. the passage of prop k would turn a stretch of the great highway into a park. those for and against the park rallied yesterday. >> this is going to be an incredible amenity for the next generation of san franciscans, and it's our pleasure to get to be a part of creating this type of space for san francisco. >> what it is, is it's a road closure to some folks, and those are the folks that need to get around in their cars, need to commute in and out of san francisco. >> tomorrow is the last day for cars on the highway, unless there is a judge's order in response to the new lawsuit. the new park is set to open april

12th. >> now it's our morning money report. raising cane's is coming to san francisco. the popular chicken chain is reportedly taking over the old mcdonald's location at stonestown galleria. according to the san francisco business times, the chain now has five locations here in the bay area in colma, oakland, hayward, fairfield and vacaville. coma being the latest location, it just opened in november. in some tech news, there's a global slump in smartwatch sales. new figures show a worldwide drop in sales for the first time. experts say the decline is linked to decreasing popularity among apple products across the market. shipment for smartwatches dropped 7% from last year. apple watches specifically saw a 19% drop. now, at the opening of the stock market this morning, we were up about 200 points and now we are going in the opposite direction. so now we're down about 20 points. as you know, the markets have been very volatile this week. so we'll continue watching this throughout the day. >> tsa officers at an airport in

new jersey stopped a man trying to smuggle a live turtle through security. security stopped the man when they found the live turtle in his pants. >> what? >> what? >> the security director for the airport said this was the first time someone has ever tried to hide an animal on their body. the turtle was unharmed and will likely be headed to animal control. what? >> oh, my. >> what in the. leonardo and michelangelo. is going on here. >> is everyone okay? >> no, everyone is not okay, amanda. just to answer your question. >> i don't even know how you. sir. >> do you have an. >> we're going to do a pat down over here, and. oh, that's a turtle. >> in your pants. wow. >> okay, well. >> we're going to. >> take this and. >> okay. so many things this morning. let's go outside to our golden gate bridge camera where you can see the rain is falling

right now. you see that water getting kicked up off the roads? we have some light showers currently. temperatures are mainly in the mid 50s. pretty uniform this morning when it comes to our temperatures. and they stay in the 50s pretty much all day long. so here's live doppler seven. just some light rain falling kind of the appetizer for the main event later on this afternoon, as we do track heavy rain and some gusty winds later today. so this morning just expect a lot of cloud cover. some scattered light showers from time to time. look how steady our temperatures are all morning long. just hanging out in the 50s as we track this rain moving through. highs today will stay in the 50s. it's stormy. we have winds picking up later today. a wind advisory begins at 8 a.m, and those winds will gust 30 to 50mph. so here's a look at future weather. the afternoon is where we see the rain at its heaviest 2 p.m. this is when we'll find a line of some intense downpours crossing through the region after 7 p.m. we're pretty much done with the heavy rain, but we'll still have some scattered showers to deal with through tomorrow morning. two looking at rainfall, most of

this falling between noon and 6 p.m. this afternoon. about a half of an inch to an inch in many cities. as this front passes by and as it does, it will increase the winds out of the south. so here we are later this afternoon. those winds are strongest along the coast, but we'll likely see winds 30 to 50mph. and that could bring some trees down as this front crosses through. behind the front, the rain kicks out of here. the winds will weaken. so this evening the winds are a lot less dramatic. looking at the winter storm warning that is in effect lake level, we're looking at 12 to 18in of snow. a lot of this falling later this afternoon into early tomorrow morning. highest peaks up to four feet of snow. accuweather seven day showing you worst of the rain and the wind this afternoon. scattered showers tomorrow. another cold storm moves in here friday for a mix of rain and snow on our highest peaks. a brief break in some rain on saturday. that'll look nice, but sunday showers are back in the evening. >> gloria and we have a traffic alert for you right now. we're getting some more information

about this crash on the bay bridge that we've been telling you about this morning. we're told this involved a big rig and a car. there are crews out there right now, but crews, the cars cannot get out of the roadway now. this is on the bay bridge westbound near the tunnel. so right now, even though this is going on, there are not huge delays. so we'll keep you updated. you can see the live look. that's why it's kind of buffering right now. this is a live camera. so kind of stopped on us. but again crash on the bay bridge westbound near the tunnel. >> guys san jose city staff has 90 days to address a new problem. they're calling van lauding south bay leaders say people are illegally renting rvs to the unhoused and letting them live in unfair conditions. these landlords charge anywhere between 500 to $1000 a month for a van or trailer. san jose police say they found two people accused of renting 15 to 20 rvs to unhoused people. advocates are worried that by going after the landlords, it will leave more people without any shelter. >> people are definitely being taken advantage of, but you have

to remove those people from the situation and put them in housing first before you go after the landlords. >> one proposed solution is a large homeless shelter with wraparound services. it would be an option for those kicked out of their rvs. >> the california department of public health issued a recall of frozen oysters today. frozen half shell oysters from sea one inc. were found to have traces of norovirus contamination. the oysters have been distributed to wholesalers and restaurants. the department of public health claims illnesses have been reported at this time. there is no word on how many people have been impacted. cnn urges people to return the oysters for a full refund. they've also instructed restaurants to stop serving those 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 makes its final decision at its meeting next month. >> up next, the seven things you need to know today. >> and streaming at seven this morning. this is greg. he lives in napa and he is competing on wheel of fortune this week. he's going to join us live in studio where we're going to play a game of our own. we're calling it wheel of misfortune. >> greg. get ready. >> you could never be ready for this. >> and as we head to break, we will take a live look outside. we've been telling you about a wet commute. this is a live look at the bay are

seven things you need to know this morning. number one, we have a level two storm today. some light showers currently on live doppler seven. but later on today we have heavier rain moving in some gusty winds as well with a wind advisory posted. and we are tracking heavy sierra snow with a winter storm warning in effect. so looking at your day planner first thing we have some light scattered showers. you can see

that on our golden gate bridge camera. the worst of the storm. later on this afternoon, between noon and 6 p.m. >> all right, number two, we have an update for you on this crash on the bay bridge. they actually just cleared it so all lanes are back open, but you might still have some delays as you approach the tunnel near the bay bridge. now this was a car versus a big rig. crews are there and will continue to let you know about those backups throughout the morning. >> number three, 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. markets opened up today and then went back down. >> number four, 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 five, a lawsuit has been filed to stop the permanent closure of part of san francisco's great highway. opponents say the voter approved plan violates state law.

>> number six, there continues to be no bus or light rail service in santa clara county as transit workers strike for better pay. vta has now filed a legal complaint to force employees back to work. >> number seven, congratulations to this group of berkeley students, the guinness book of world records officially certified their record for fastest time, visiting all of the bart stations. they were guests on abc seven and seven last year, and they spoke with kumasi even about their accomplishments. we know that they did it in five hours, 47 minutes and 42 seconds. >> and when they came in, they were really sweet and fun and sincere about their effort. so thumbs up to them. >> yeah. congratulations, >> ride those rails, kids. oh. watch seven at seven are streaming newscasts. we have the contestant our viewers in the west overnight. major