here is a live look outside -- sf good saturday morning. it is february 23rd. taking a live look outside at the sun shines over the transamerica pyramid in san francisco. so clear you can see the golden gate bridge in the background. thank you very much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at our microclimate forecast.

i'm not going to blame you, but she has a beautiful forecast with a big -- surprise. >> storm's brewing. >> there's always something. >> i will take credit for the nice weather this weekend, but it's a little cold outside. not as cold as here. a beautiful shot of lake tahoe. squaw creek. there will be a storm brewing and once again that window for traveling up there may be an issue if you had plans. start planning ahead, calling the resorts. i'll go over the timeline for you as far as what we're expecting in terms of snow. we expect some snow to fall as early as tomorrow. but i think you'll be okay in terms of the drive. i have you covered. in 15 minutes i'll go over that timeline. right now, temperatures here, santa rosa 31. morgan hill 38. san francisco, 42. i'll give you a timeline of that storm that's brewing. you have to stick around.

>> at least we know we can enjoy this beautiful sunshine while we have it. this morning a woman is still missing following a cliff collapse at a popular san francisco beach. we have a live look for you outside of fort funston. it is as close as we can get. the beach is closed right now before the search resumes this morning. yesterday two women walking a dog suddenly were buried in a mountain of sand stone when the cliff collapsed just before 3:00 in the afternoon. witnesses helped dig out one of the women who was buried up to her waist. she was taken to the hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. the dog survived as well. the san francisco fire department responded launching a massive rescue effort for the other woman. 50 firefighters worked with shovellers and rescue dogs to search for a scent. after three hours their rescue turned into a recovery effort. a dog walker at fort funston before the slide tells us people were walking under the cliffs

because the tide was so high. >> the waves were coming up so close, you had to walk a bit up the cliff at times because the waves were coming up so close. >> it's unclear whether the women were on the beach or up the cliffside to avoid the tide when the collapse happened. the search will resume at 8:00. take a live look here at this side by side comparison of the cliff that collapsed. on the left the google satellite image of what it looked like before yesterday's slide. on the right, you can see that sand and rock that trapped the women after it fell. our team tweeted updates from fort funston as soon as the story broke. jean elle was tweeting pictures and videos. follow us for breaking news. now to the shocking news of the sudden death of jeff adachi. the san francisco public defender was a pillar of the city's politics. the 59-year-old died last night

of an apparent heart attack. adachi was elected public defender in 2002 and served in that role ever since. he had spent more than 32 years as part of a public defender's office. he is the only public defender who was elected in the state. he had just been sworn in for his fifth term. he was a police misconduct watchdog who worked tirelessly for reforms in the justice system like ending cash bail. adachi led the way on reducing recidivism and standing up for undocumented children. also saying that i'm saddened to announce that san francisco public defender jeff adachi passed away tonight. san francisco lost a dead kated public ser vantd and ourvant and our communities lost a champion. achampionship adachi ran for mayor in 2011.

he's survived by his wife and daughter. they say they have their man. uc berkeley police identified the man on camera punching a conservative activist on campus. the video went viral. on tuesday this man pushed and punched hayden williams. williams is from kentucky and was manning an information table for his conservative group turning point. now, after the attack pictures of the suspect were posted across campus. within hours police identified the suspect but have not yet released his name or made an arrest. he's coached hundreds of bay area athletes now detectives are trying to determine how many he may have sexually abused. four women claim robinson had sex with them when they were under age. he is currently an assistant track coach at san francisco state university.

the women claim these crimes happened between 1999 and 2011. during those 12 years robinson was a track coach at piedmont hills high school in san jose and then at los gatos high. continuing coverage of the oakland teachers strike which is still on. the teachers union says there hasn't been much progress at the bargaining table. that means students will likely not be back in class on monday. the district says it just doesn't have the money to meet all the teachers demands, but educators are holding out for better pay, smaller class sizes and more resources for their students. >> our picket lines today were bigger than yesterday. in addition to teachers, we continue to have many of our classified school staff, parents and students on the line with us. this was an empowering and joyous day. >> oakland teachers walked off the job thursday. it is not clear at this point when negotiators will be back at the bargaining table.

we are getting a sense of the work, the time, and the money it's going to take to fix the richmond san rafael bridge. caltrans has worked several nights this week already to replace a steel joint. you may recall that it failed earlier this month, which caused concrete to crumble and fall right onto the lower deck and cars. yesterday caltrans announced it will replace at least 61 similar steel joints. beginning march 4th crews will close one lane of traffic in each direction on the bridge from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. nightly. it will take two to three months to replace half of those joints. the price tag, 8$8 million. we have much more ahead on "today in the bay." the streets are too dark and dangerous. why people in one east bay city are asking local leaders to replace thousands of lights. and opportunity is knocking. this view of the city could be yours for free beginning today. we'll explain.

san francisco, fort funston welcome back. it's 7:09. a beautiful look outside in san francisco from fort funston. clear skies. the clouds are gorgeous. we'll be seeing clear and sunny conditions today. i feel like it's groundhog day. vianey arana has a surprise of rain possibly on the how far risen. the good always has to come to an end. enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. it is too bark at night in some parts of berkeley. the locals tell us they're not happy. city-owned lamp posts are either too dim or not working at all. people in the neighborhoods say it's dangerous. cheryl hurd went to barkley where many say their concerns are not being addressed quickly enough. >> i feel vulnerable walking later at night.

i see crime reports for this area. >> reporter: the area michael murphy is talking about has one streetlight that is so dim it appears to be out. >> it seems like it should be a priority to keep the streets well lit. >> reporter: city spokesperson mathai taco says street lighting is a priority. >> what we did in berkeley five years ago is we replaced all our bulb, high pressure sodium bulbs with l.e.d. lights. >> reporter: in fact, 8,000 streetlights have been replaced around the city. those replacement lights were supposed to last about ten years. but in recent months public works started getting complaints about dark streets. the issue is the lights failing. >> we've gone to the company and we've asked them to replace the fixtures and because they're on warranty they're replacing all of the fixtures that are failing at no cost. >> reporter: the city is negotiating with the san jose company to pick up the cost of labor as well. >> we're replacing those fixtures as quickly as possible. >> reporter: for tracy matthews dim lights on her street is a problem. >> it's dark out here.

it gets dark early, you know, and i walk home. hurry up and fix them. you know what i mean? and make it more safer for us who walk home. >> reporter: cheryl hurd nbc bay area news. much more ahead. coming up serena williams and gloria stein m hereum in the bay area. we'll tell you the message they have for a packed house. and a gorgeous started to our saturday. right now in san francisco, 4degrees. calm wind speeds. there's a change on the way that you want to plan ahead for. all the details coming up.

here's your buick sir. actually, that's my buick. your buick doesn't have a roof rack! this is my buick. how are we gonna fit in your mom's buick? easy. i like that new buick. me too. i was actually talking about that buick. i knew that. did you? buick's fresh new lineup is full of surprises. get great deals on our expectation-shattering lineup. pay no interest for 72 months on most buick models. welcome back. it's 7:14 on your saturday morning. a beautiful look at the moon over san francisco with the clouds dancing across it. nice pale blue skies ahead of a sunny saturday. temperatures in the mid to upper

50s. more privacy concerns at facebook. the new report is revealing the deeply personal information that apps share with the social media giant. the "wall street journal" put together the report of more than 70 popular apps. at least 11 of them shared their findings with facebook. they include an ovulation tracker, a real estate app, and a heart rate app. get this even if you don't have a facebook account, facebook still receives all this information about you. facebook was quick on the defense saying shared information is how mobile advertising works and is industry standard practice. not everyone is satisfied with that response. new york governor andrew cuomo is calling for facebook to be investigated for an invasion of consumer privacy. today people will be able to gaze at the bay from the top floor of the tallest building in san francisco, the salesforce you toer will offer the first of

its kind free tours. the company will hold the tours one saturday a month. for more than 7,000 women here in the bay area they got speeches from gloria steinem and serena williams. it is the largest conference for women on the west coast, set on helping women at all stages of their careers gain momentum. steinem told the crowd she's moved by women across the country being galvanized to find their voices. >> i have never seen this level of activism. and it's true that people who didn't vote are now running for office. >> nbc bay area's a proud media sponsor of the event.

vianey arana has a look at our weekend forecast. we saw in that lifeve look of the moon -- >> so beautiful. >> so beautiful out. >> a great way to start a weekend. it makes for a fantastic shot and a great day to enjoy this weather while we can. we're not thawing out much. the temperatures are in the 30s this morning. 31 degrees in santa rosa. 34 in napa. concord at 35. morgan hill 31 degrees. it's very cold. it might be frosty up through the north bay. now, as far as our 24-hour temperature change not a huge change. fairfield, 5 degrees cooler. everywhere else we're doing okay. we'll be seasonable overall in our daytime highs. let's look at your san jose temperature trend. it's going to be a combination of those clouds that you see and sun. mostly clear skies in terms of the sunshine. we'll get plenty of it. by 12:00, 55 degrees.

into the evening hours you will start to notice an increase in cloud cover. that's because we have changing weather ahead. it might be cloudier into the tri valley concord. we'll be topping out in the 50s. 1:00 56. by 2:00 3:00 57. 58 degrees. so we're normal for this time of the year. we have that very cold 30s, so it's one of those days where it warms up by 15 to 20 degrees. i was talking about this storm that's brewing. let's see what future cast holds. overnight we have a system developing. we'll notice that instability, mainly far off to the north. you might get some light drizzle overnight tonight into early tomorrow morning. you can see far northern napa santa rosa may some light showers, drizzle in through point breeze. a lot of that stays off to the north, but look at the sierra

by 11:00, the majority of this rain is from ukiah up to oregon. if you're traveling to the sierra, we have some snow showers on the forecast. that means you want to check those road conditions. we're not expecting gusty conditions from this initial system but that's not the only system we'll be seeing. we're tracking the possibility of a plume of moisture known as an atmosphereic river or pineapple express into the later portion of this week. lake tahoe golf course negative 2 degrees. temperatures running a couple degrees below normal. look how beautiful that is. this will be a great weekend to enjoy that snow. we were seeing snow showers, we have seen so much snow and with the incoming rain and changes ahead, we could see a lot to of that snow start to melt which means we'll get that snow melt effect. so over the next seven days

watching for the development of that atmospheric river into monday night. tuesday seems to be our heaviest rain day. the models are conflicting. our three-day rain totals will var vary. >> i'm just thankful for the sunshine we're getting. still ahead on "today in the bay," people say it's never too late to change. this bay area man is living proof. the single moment he credits with getting him off the streets and into helping others. it's a story that will make you bay area proud next. oss and... wow! ...you realize you can totally eat out more? that's yes for less. get the latest spring trends for your home at 20 to 60 percent off specialty store prices. at ross. yes for less.

you know when you go to ross and find exactly what you need... yes. ...for your growing family? that's yes for less. everything your pet needs at 20 to 60 percent off specialty store prices. at ross. yes for less. journey of a local man ... who went from homesless to hopeful. he says it )s because people reached out to help him ... that a remarkable journey of a man who went from homeless to hopeful. he says because people reached out to him he's helping others. >> i could spend the next two minutes listing the indignities

and dramas mike bartell suffered. his mother committing suicide at six. being abandoned by his father. combat in vietnam and life on the streets. if anyone had a case for being mad at the world, it was mike. and he was. but not anymore. >> reporter: to witness 70-year-old mike bartell smiling, caring is to see a man who looks like he had a lifetime of experience spreading joy. but mike says ask anyone who used to know him, they would tell a different tale. >> they would say that grumpy old person. what happened to him? >> reporter: what happened is that mike bartell discovered late in life that it's never too late to turn things around.

>> never. i'm glad i didn't give up on myself. i'm glad other people didn't give up on me. >> reporter: both of those were real possibilities for mike. a long list of bad breaks and worse decisions led to this -- mike in his 60s living here near the dumpsters out back of a concord furniture store for five years. it was for mike a bottom as rock ha he slept on. >> there was a couple of times i was sitting there, freezing to death going, you know what god? you always say that i'm not going to give you more than you can handle. well i was talking to him. i said i think i've had just all that i want and i don't want to try no more. i don't want to learn no more. >> reporter: but one day a concord police officer noticed the marine tattoo on mike's arm and said as a veteran he shouldn't be homeless. >> he says wait a minute.

he got on the phone and called the veteran outreach guy. >> reporter: it was a meeting that led to housing on treasure island that required mike to volunteer at the food bank. >> you're welcome. >> appreciate it. >> reporter: that last part mike says is really what gets the credit for his transformation. >> i wouldn't be completed without helping others. in this world you can't just take. >> reporter: mike is no longer required to volunteer but still does one day a week taking time off his job washing dishes at the restaurant. it's a life that mike now loves. and wants others in a tough spot to know it's never too late to discover. >> i want people to feel as damn good as i fell right now. >> reporter: the food bank is just one of the many places mike volunteers on treasure island. he said he got a note from a woman who said mike you are the treasure on treasure island.

garvin thomas nbc bay area news. >> it's 7:25. much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up new details on when we can expect robert mueller to release the findings of the special counsel's russian investigation. and out of a job. the actor who police say staged his own attack finds out exactly what's happening to his character on the hit tv show empire.

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good morning. it is saturday february 23rd. here's a live look at the suning over sfo. looks pretty clear. thank you very much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a gorgeous microclimate forecast for us. let's focus on that for now. >> i'll take credit for the good weekend ahead, but the cold

temperatures are not my fault. >> it's seriously cold. >> we're in the 30s. 30s and low 40s this morning. look how beautiful this shot looks. santa rosa 34 degrees. livermore, 30 degrees. morgan hill 31 degrees. san francisco in the 40s. we'll climb into the 40s. look how beautiful this shot of lake tahoe is. negative 2 degrees there. we had several storms that did good for our drought situation, and now we're monitoring a developing storm that could bring more snow for the sierra and also rain for us it will be a good weekend to travel up into laketahoe. more details in 15 minutes.

>> all right. we'll see you then. thanks. a woman is still missing following a cliff collapse yesterday at a popular san francisco beach. we have a live look at fort funston where rescue crews are beginning to arrive to resume their search for the missing woman. yesterday two women walking a dog suddenly were buried in a mountain of sand stone when the cliff collapsed just before 3:00 in the afternoon. witnesses helped dig out one of the women who was buried up to her waist. she was taken to the hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. the dog survived as well. the san francisco fire department responded launching a massive rescue effort for the other woman. 50 firefighters worked with shovels and used rescue dogs to search for a scent. after three hours their rescue turned into a recovery effort. a dog walker at fort funston before the slide tells us people were walking under the cliffs because the tide was so high. >> the waves were coming up so

close, you had to walk a bit up the cliff at times because the waves were coming up so close. >> it's unclear whether the women were on the beach or up the cliffside to avoid the tide when the collapse happened. the search will resume at 8:00. take a live look here at this side-by-side comparison of the cliff that collapsed. on the left, the google satellite image of what it looked like before yesterday's slide. on the right, you can see that sand and rock that trapped the women after it fell. it's not just fort funston, we have cliffside ss and hillsides across the bay area, and all are vulnerable especially with our recent rain. >> geology professor dr. pat abbott says these cliffsides are not unusual but people getting trapped in one is. >> the probable added little trigger trigger, if you will or straw

that breaks the camel's back is probably the rains soaking. soaking that sandstone, adding water into that cliff. >> reporter: there are signs posted along the cliffs warning people that they may be unstable, but professor abbott says there's no way to know when a cliff will crumble. he recommends people should be aware of their surroundings when they're out in nature. >> for people walking on the beach like this i don't want to spoil anybody's fun but one recommendation is i'd always walk as close to the surf line as possible, the water line. >> reporter: crews from the menlo park fire protection district were also sent to the scene to back up san francisco firefighters. the decision to suspend the search is difficult but it was for the safety of the emergency crews. >> and you're working against an unstable situation to begin with. i mean, you don't know on either side of where it sloughed off if that's going to be a risk for you and it's going to be harder to determine that as it gets dark and to really be able to see what you're doing. >> reporter: in san francisco sergio quintana, nbc bay area news. >> our team tweeted updates from fort funston as the story broke.

jean elle was tweeting pictures and videos. be sure to follow us for breaking news. now to the shocking news of the sudden death of jeff adachi. the san francisco public defender was a pillar of the city's politics. the 59-year-old died last night of an apparent heart attack. adachi was elected public defender in 2002, and served in that role ever since. he had spent more than 32 years as part of a public defender's office. he was the only public defender who was elected in the state. he had just been sworn in for his fifth term. he was a police misconduct watchdog who worked tirelessly for reforms in the justice system like ending cash bail and other costly fees. adachi led the way on reducing recidivism and standing up for undocumented and unrepresented children. the mayor said in a statement that i'm saddened to

announce that san francisco public defender jeff adachi passed away tonight. san francisco lost a dedicated public servant and our communities lost a champion. adachi ran for mayor in 2011. he was a graduate of uc berkeley and the uc hastings college of law. he's survived by his wife and daughter. now to a student stabbed and a school on lockdown. there were some tense moments yesterday in union city. it all happened in the morning at james logan high school. police say one student stabbed another and then ran from school. that school was placed on lockdown. officers were able to catch the student a few miles away in hayward. we have an update that victim is in the hospital in stable condition. there is a growing buzz that robert mueller's investigation into russian election meddling is nearly complete. however there's no guarantee that report will ever be made public. that decision is up to the

president and his brand-new attorney general this is a report nearly two years in the making. >> reporter: the white house downplaying the upcoming report from special counsel robert mueller, who is believed to be wrapping up his russia investigation. >> there was no collusion. there was no obstruction. there was no anything. so that's the nice part. and everybody knows it is a hoax. it's one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on this country. so i look forward to seeing the report. if it's an honest report, it will say that. >> president trump expecting vindication, while leaving it up to william barr, his new attorney general, to decide whether to make that report public. something not required by law. but could be demanded by congress. >> i just can't imagine a scenario where congress, and to some extent, a bipartisan way, doesn't demand virtually everything that bob mueller has, to potentially share with them. >> i would go right into a -- >> meanwhile, president trump hoping to put an end to the trade standoff with china.

the two super powers trying to strike a deal before march 2 to end a dispute that has unsettled the stock market. >> i think it is more likely that a deal will happen. >> the president sounding off on an effort by democrats to block his emergency declaration to fund the border wall. the house set to vote tuesday on that resolution? >> will i veto it? 100%. and i don't think it survives a veto. >> threatening to exercise his veto power for the first time in his presidency. now to a developing story. r&b star r. kelly turned himself in to chicago police overnight and spent the night in jail. his surrender and arrest happened hours after authorities announced charges of sexual abuse against him involving four female victims. three of the girls were between the ages of 13 and 17 at the time of the alleged abuse. the 52-year-old singer whose real name is robert kelly will appear in court today.

now to a flat denial from robert kraft, the owner of the new england patriots. he is accused of being in connection with a human trafficking ring. the billionaire is facing two misdemeanor charges of soliciting a prostitute in jupiter, florida. more than two dozen men were busted in the same sting operation. police claim kravd made two visits kraft made two visits to the orchid of asia spa. police say they have video evidence. >> is there video evidence of these alleged acts? >> yes, sir. for all the individuals being charged. >> kraft is only involved in the prostitution portion of the investigation, not the human trafficking. through a spokesman he emphatically deny died all illegal activity. more fallout from "empire" actor jussie smollett.

the show's producers say they're removing the actor from the final two episodes of this season. that announcement game after smollett was charged with felony disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. they believe he staged a racist and homophobic attack in an attempt to promote his career. neither smollett nor his representatives have commented on the announcement. at 7:38 still ahead on "today in the bay," steph curry gets a tour of his new digs. we go behind the scenes of his new home. that's next. san francisco.

the billion dollar waterfront arena will be the welcome back. it's eight months away the grand opening of the chase center in san francisco. the waterfront arena will be the warriors new home. steph curry was given a vip tour. here's steph wearing the hardhat and safety gear required on a

construction site. his wife was also on the tour. the warrior also relocate to san francisco in october. the chase center is down the street from oracle park. there is a downside to this. ticket prices will be astronomical at the chase center so start saving now. to baseball we go. spring training in arizona. this is giants camp in scotts scottsdale. still no word on price harper. but we do know newcomers cameron maybin and solarte will make their giants debut today. the first game of the spring training schedule. charging outrageous rates on purchases, and the three things to keep this from happening to you. >> that's why i always look at multiple websites and multiple stores don't try to get the

best deal. stick around in addition to more news we have cool temperatures. clear skies but also some clouds rolling in. what does that mean? will we see rain? i'll have the details coming up.

it is 7:44. i hope you got a blanket, maybe a nice cup of coffee. these temperatures if you're not outside, good for you. it's cold. 38 degrees in the south bay. tri valley a cold 30 degrees. and check out san francisco, 43 degrees. we have a cold morning in the north bay. you may have seen some frosty areas, the windshield having to turn it on let it thaw out. not a sight we usually see in california but we've been getting some active weather. it's nice to catch a break from all that rain. but there's a storm brewing. let's look at this temperature trend in san jose. it's a combination of clouds and sunshine.

temperatures will climb nicely into the 50s by 11:00 a.m. 53 degrees. 1:00 56. as we head over to concord, a little more cloud cover through there. look at the temperatures 50 degrees by 10:00 a.m. we'll all be topping out into the mid to upper 50s. the big changes coming up ahead, let's look at the futurecast. we have right now it's starting to tap into an upper low, but it's off to the north, which means a lot of the light showers we might see tonight will be very far off into santa rosa northern napa might get a triz drizzle or two tonight into tomorrow morning. a lot of that moisture is far off. ukiah through oregon. look at that moisture starting to trickle in and roll in heavy. but look at the sierra as well. let's get you set up for your sierra travel. i don't want you to get stuck again if you didn't watch my forecast last time i have you

covered this time. this will be a great weekend to head up there. they still have plenty of snow. though we are monitoring snow showers, we are not expecting a lot of accumulation initially. at least the models now are showing a change through tomorrow night. as always please make sure to check road conditions. they may have some avalanche warnings posted. there's always a window when it comes to traveling to lake tahoe. that window will get tighter tuesday and wednesday because of a developing atmospheric river, otherwise known as the fine apple express. that's a plume of moisture that taps into a large body and starts to form. you can see that forming in through here. tapping into hawaii. this is what we're monitoring. that could bring a good chance of seeing widespread rain into the bay area over the next seven days. this is the timeline so far. the models are changing. if everything pans out, that at atmospheric river will drop from

ukiah to oregon. but tuesday and wednesday that moisture could push down south. if everything lines up three-day totals could be from a quarter to three inches. look at saturday and sunday we'll stay dry. kyradear kira back to you. >> thank you very much. they said you're approved for $1,300. you wanted to to do it? i said yeah. >> now she's speaking up about that decision and her 161% interest. nbc bay area responds is next. hall is tracking the next set of storms taking aim at the bay area. plus--left high and dry! our consumer team helps a bay area couple after a plumber leaves them without any running water. join us monday morning from

here's your buick sir. actually, that's my buick. your buick doesn't have a roof rack! this is my buick. how are we gonna fit in your mom's buick? easy. i like that new buick. me too. i was actually talking about that buick. i knew that. did you? buick's fresh new lineup is full of surprises. get great deals on our expectation-shattering lineup. pay no interest for 72 months on most buick models.

special something... but don )t have the cash flow for it... finance a purchase right th welcome back. many people who want to buy that special something but don't have the cash flow for it finance a purchase on the spot at the store. the sales people tell us it's so easy. we could all be falling for a costly regulatory loophole at the register. chris has one case of 161% interest which got us wondering if that's even legal. >> you can finance this car. >> reporter: lisa perry is sitting in front of her lease. you probably think i'm talking about her car. but actually it's her custom car stereo. >> i've been a stereo fanatic since i was a kid. >> reporter: yes, lisa unknowingly leased her $1,300 stereo system. >> they just said you're approved for $1,300. do you want to do it? i said, yeah. >> reporter: she said she thought she was just getting a loan.

the speaker shop arranged financing through snap, a utah company that offers on the spot financing at stores that sell ordinary stuff, like furniture, tires, mattresses and such. the snap website lists more than 2000 partner shops and stores around the bay area. its financing is advertised as free, minus a small processing charge if you pay off your balance within the first 100 days. that part is crucial. if you don't pay within 100 days, interest kicks in. and lisa was shocked how much it would cost her. >> $2,600. 26 something for $1300 worth of equipment. i was like, no. who is going to do that? >> reporter: lisa says the true cost of financing wasn't verbally disclosed when she bought the stereo. but it is spelled out in the contract she signed on a tablet. lisa had agreed that after 100 days, she'd pay more than $2600. >> it's wrong. >> it's unfair, it's predatory.

>> reporter: that's graciela aponte. center for responsible lending in oakland. she calculated lisa's annual interest rate. the a.p.r. >> 161% a.p.r. >> reporter: the california law caps interest on small loans at 36% for borrowers like lisa. can a bank charge 161%? >> no. >> reporter: a credit union? >> no. >> reporter: a pay day lender? >> no. >> reporter: so how could snap charge 161%? she said semantics. snap calls its financing a lease, not a loan. therefore not subject to the same rate cap as a loan. aponte sees it as a loophole snap and other companies can use. >> it's just a way to evade interest rate caps. there should be an interest rate cap across the board for all of these loans. >> reporter: in a statement, snap didn't address our questions about its unconventional leases. instead, it said snap finance offers a variety of flexible financing solutions to give consumers from all credit types the ability to access financing. it also said it's transparent

about its financing so consumers can make informed decisions. snap later wiped out lisa's balance, midway through her contract. ultimately she made $1700 in payments for the $1,300 stereo. she plans on paying cash from now on, and hopes you learn from her story. >> be careful. read everything. don't sign anything without knowing what you're doing. >> here's something else to look for. look for the acronym rto when you get a loan or a lease. rto means rent to own. it triggers important protections in state law. for example, the people giving you r.t.o. financing must keep your item in working order. that means if it breaks, state law requires them to fix it or completely replace it and you don't have to pay while it's broken. we posted information about your rent to own rights on our website, nbcbayarea.com/responds. while there you can tell us about your consumer problems.

you can also call us. 1-888-96-tips. much more ahead on "today in the bay." you know what's coming up our clear the shelters segment. we'll introduce you to miss cardi next.

"clear the shelters" segment. with our friends from pets in need. marsa hollander and jacqueline st welcome back. it's time for our clear the shelters segment featuring our pets in need. we have cardi, no b. ready for her new home. she is so cute. >> isn't she just cute? >> what kind of dog is she? >> a long-haired chihuahua mix. >> she has the coloring of a -- i'm totally blanking. >> like a beagle? >> yes, like a beagle. >> yeah. >> she's adorable. how old is she? >> seven months old. >> she'll get bigger? >> a bittal allittle bth big bit bigger.

>> what kind of a home? >> a home with older ones. she shies away from the younger ones. >> good little lap dog. some energy. >> yes. >> and right now she's being fostered. she has a special story. she is being fostered by one of her co-stars. >> yes. >> if someone is interested in adopting her do it soon before she becomes the diva. she's the star of a play. >> she's not a s.a.g. member yet. >> i have the connections for her. she's the star of a play now. >> yes, she's going to be appearing in bullets over broadway being put on by foothill music theater. she'll be there from february 28th to march 17th. all of the performances. >> wow. >> she will be mr. woofals. >> she's playing a man. >> she is. >> you know she's versatile. >> yes, she is. >> does she have speaking lines?

>> not yet. no barking lines. >> she's been fostered by one of the actresses. >> yes. she's getting a nice break from the shelter as well. it will be nice for her. >> obviously you guys do the best you can to provide a lovely home for these animals you rescue. it is a stressful environment. >> right. >> she's in a loving home right now. >> yeah. they adore her. >> so if anyone wants to give her a forever home is she available before the play is over in march? >> yes. she is available throughout the duration of the play. they have to understand she has a commitment to still be there. she's available for adoption. >> she's got a demanding schedule. probably on a diet as well or something. to find out more about cardi and pets in need and other fostering opportunities check out their website, petsinneed.org. thank you so much for coming in. hopefully she gets her forever home. she's a doll. thanks for making us a part of

your morning. we'll have more local news tonight at 4:30, then nhl hockey at 5:00. stay up to date on nbcbayarea.com.

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