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tv   News at 5pm  FOX  February 17, 2015 5:00pm-6:01pm PST

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oyster point. that's be the three set off yesterday afternoon. >> reporter: gasia, this is the third time the father and son had taken the canoe. were joined this time by ruiz rubalcava's girlfriend. they were all wearing life vests. but that wasn't enough. they became separated when rubalcava tried to swim to shore to get help. monday afternoon three people set off from oyster point in their canoe. only one made it back alive. >> we have very heavy hearts right now. our thoughts and prayers go out to the family. >> reporter: just before 9:00 this morning the coast guard found the body of 22-year-old luis rubalcava. overnight they launched a frantic search for rubalcava, guillermo and larissa castaneda. the sole survivor. she told her sister their boat
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water. >> they couldn't get back on the boat. >> reporter: their canoe took on water. >> they heard cries for help. >> reporter: the older rubalcava was found about a half hour later and died at the hospital. >> that's terrible. very sad. >> reporter: alsachi owns the waterfront restaurant where the older rubalcava worked in the kitchen for the last year. >> there's a lot of grief. when you work with somebody and you enjoy having them around you for eight hours a day, it's a big difference. >> what a difference a day has made in the lives of two families. >> everybody's devastated right now and really upset and sad. it's very sad what happened. >> reporter: so yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. even today the water looks calm. but looks can be deceiving gasia.
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coming up tonight at 6:00 we'll talk about some of the basic things you need to have tonight for safety when you head out in the bay. >> poor larissa. tell us how she is doing emotionally and does she know the full story of what happened. >> reporter: her sister told us she did not know the full story of what happened. she did not know at that time that the other two had not made it through the ordeal. we're not sure what she has been told but her sister's last words are she is not doing very well right now but she is expected to survive. >> poor young lady, thank you noelle. today the u.s. secretary of labor met with both sides, longshoremen and shippers and we've learned that the union has made a small but symbolic change. ktvu's tom vacar has been following this story now for months, tom. we have learned from a reliable source this port will be closed
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on thursday because of a meeting that takes place in the afternoon. that's an apparent in your face move directed at the employers and the secretary of labor. you would think after what was essentially a four day shut down the port of oakland would be a beehive of activity. you would think. what's surprising is even at mid-morning, how busy the port is not. >> the ships didn't off load this weekend so we don't have anything to deliver to our customers. >> reporter: here two ships sat completely idle and unattended while the cranes that would normally load and unload them would move to service ships behind them. everywhere you look containers are stacked, packs and surrounding walls along with many more of them on ships waiting to be undocked. >> we are all on stand by
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waiting for the laborers. >> it means the president is involved. that's meant to bring political pressure to bare on the dispute which is in its end game. >> reporter: end game means either a settlement, lock out or a strike. >> this is meant to breakthrough that with a compromise that neither side might like but both sides feel is much preferable to the alternative. >> if he can help, he's more than welcome. because he has to find an end to it. >> reporter: now again this port looks like it will be closed on thursday adding to a terrible terrible situation making it even worse. we'll have more on all of this at 6:00. tom vacar, ktvu fox 2 news. >> tom, obviously this situation can't go on like this forever. do you think we're headed for either a strike or lock out or do you think there's any real hope that a settlement could be near? >> there's hope, because you
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have to understand what they're looking at. if there's a lock out or a strike, more likely a lock out. then what happens is the president would reluctantly call in the heartily act and they would have to for 80 days go back to work and negotiate with each other. then it will be up to the congress to pass a law to order them back to work. remember this is a republican congress. and even though they may not have an overwhelming majority to overwrite a veto, there's plenty of democrats in places that are being severely impacted by this kind of a shut down and they might decide to say we need to get these guys back to work. there's a whole bunch at stake for the labor movement, for the management movement. and certainly for the economy of the united states. >> yeah there sure is a lot at stake. tom vacar, thank you. a state of emergency in west virginia tonight where for the second day a train carrying millions of gallons of crude oil is burning and leaking oil into a near by river.
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it's a nightmare scenario to watch for people here in the bay area who live near a similar crude oil rail line. ktvu's julie haener is here now with the latest on that situation in west virginia and fears that it could happen at home. julie. >> reporter: gasia, more than a dozen cars jumped the tracks in a snowstorm dumping oil into the river forcing evacuation and contaminating the water supply. the 109 car train was carrying boch and crude oil. it's a variety that's much more volatile. just last year we found concerns that a similar disaster could happen here. that number is expected to increase dramatically. the state estimates that by 2016, 150 million-barrels of bach and crude oil will be coming into california by rail every year. and the rout these trains are taking along pristine rivers before cutting through bay area
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neighborhoods. >> if you get one of those trains derail and that stuff goes into the river, that could affect an entire populations water supply which is in some cases worse than having a derailment in that population center. >> the venetia valero refinery is seeking to bring more trains to the bay area. but the venetia council is still looking through a report. the white house reportedly received a proposal for stricter regulations for tankers. the train in west virginia had already been upgraded. gasia, back to you in the studio. >> julie, thank you. the mysterious death of a man is under investigation. neighbors say they responded to a dog barking in the house.
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paramedics were called, they tried to save his life on the scene but he died. investigators are now looking into the possibility that someone else may have been living there as well. the white house opened a three day anti terrorism summit to explore ways to counter violent extremism. for day one, 60 counter terrorism experts from around the world met with vice president joe biden. also on hand were social media. what's needed are answers that go beyond a military response and finding ways of preventing extremism. >> we need to work from the ground up and engage our communities and engage those who might be susceptible to being radicalized. because they are marginalized. >> the summit comes against a backdrop of a number of extremely violent incidents some by the islamic state.
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others in denmark this past weekend and last month in france. a federal judge temple -- temporary halted a lawsuit in texas. the president's order would have allowed as many as 5 million people who are in the united states illegally to stay without the threat of being deported. most of those people are undocumented immigrants who's children are u.s. citizens. the white house says the justice department will be filing an appeal and u.s. attorney general eric holder says this ruling is just one step of what will most certainly be a long process. >> i expect, i've always expected that this is a matter that will be decided by a higher court if not the supreme court. >> activists say they were expecting the ruling to go against them but they told rob roth this fight is far from
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over. >> activists rallied in san jose today calling a ruling by a federal judge in texas a mere minor set back. >> we think it's shameful that one lone judge in this country has committed this and been on the wrong side of history, on the wrong side of justice. >> reporter: andrew hannen's decision blocked implementation. allowing them to get driver's licenses, work permits and other government benefit that is program was to take effect tomorrow. father richard smith says he works with many undocumented immigrants in san francisco's mission district. >> where we hear the stories of immigration knocking on the door at 5:00 in the morning and taking one of the participants out of the house. >> reporter: but he says he doesn't believe the ruling will be upheld by higher courts. >> we're not surprised by it. it's not going to stop us, it's not really, it's only a delay
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tactic. >> reporter: levine is a constitutional law professor at uc hasting. >> the argument is it is not for the president to pick and choose which laws are going to be obeyed. but it's for congress to write the laws and the president to sign in the laws. >> reporter: it would also allow for parents who have children who are citizens to stay in the country. >> they're going to have to worry a little bit longer. >> reporter: texas governor greg abbott who filed the lawsuit says we live in a nation governed by a system of checks and balances and the president's attempt to bypass the will of the american people was successfully checked. the obama administration says it will appeal the ruling. a decision could be up to a year away. >> think of all the families
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who are in limbo. we haven't heard anything yet. >> reporter: we'll just wait and see. >> thank you, rob. levi's stadium like you've never seen it before. the new work tonight to make an ice rink right in the middle of santa clara. >> temperatures a solid 20 degrees cooler. huddled together in fear while waiting at a bay area pizza place. the moment this couple realized they were in danger.
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have you heard of the new dialing procedure for for the 415 and 628 area codes? no what is it? starting february 21, 2015 if you have a 415 or 628 number you'll need to dial... 1 plus the area code plus the phone number for all calls. okay, but what if i have a 415 number, and i'm calling a 415 number? you'll still need to dial... 1 plus the area code plus the phone number. so when in doubt, dial it out!
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and a man who was shot while on the job at a little cesar's restaurant is back. >> she is expected to recover
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and she has a harrowing story. police say although she did what the robbers asked her to do, she was shot any way. police have released surveillance video. allie rasmus is in el cerrito tonight. >> allie, police really want the viewers to pay attention to the type of firearm that was used. >> reporter: that's right gasia, you can tell from the sign behind me on the window that this little cesars where this happened has been open. they've had the door wide open throughout the day. we've seen customers go in and out. they had four surveillance cameras inside that little cesars all pointed at the cash register and they're giving a clear picture of what happened. two men are seen walk in, their faces hidden from view and their hands covered. >> both of the suspects are apparently in the video wearing latex gloves.
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>> reporter: seconds later one of the men points his gun at the woman behind the cash register. >> she was doing everything they told her to do. >> reporter: and the man shot her any way. the bullet struck her in the arm. the surveillance video has no audio but at this moment, you can see two terrified customers in the background flinch and turn away. >> that's when the shot was fired. >> reporter: as the clerk was bleeding, police say the suspects forced her to open the shop's safe. >> there the safe comes open. the second suspect comes back down. >> the two men ran away with the cash. a third man was waiting outside the door acting as a look out. the weapon they used is clearly visible in the video. >> it looks to be some sort of a break action pistol. like possibly a shortened 410 shotgun. >> reporter: it caught investigators eyes because it's not the type of gun they usually see in armed robberies. >> i don't think i've ever seen one on the streets. >> someone has seen that weapon in the possession of someone they know it's not a very common firearm. so we believe if someone has
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recognized it. it may help us to find the people who did this. >> reporter: now the owner of the cesar's pizza was here, she didn't want to talk to me on camera but said his worker's medical bills will be covered. and at least 20 people were killed in port-au-prince haiti when a float ran into a power line. there was a similar accident in rio today. three people were killed. ralph is accused of killing
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chris kyle the author of the book american sniper and chad littlefield two years ago. yesterday the jury saw video tape confession by ralph. his defense doesn't dispute that he killed the two men but they argue that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and is not guilty by reason of insanity. his mother testified today that he was paranoid after serving in iraq. chris kyle's story is depicted in the movie currently out in theaters called american sniper. seven states have declared a state of emergency after another winter storm hammered the east coast piling up even more snow from boston down to the carolinas. february is now the snowiest month in boston's history. the public transportation service says it could be a month before the system is completely back to normal. >> ridiculous. it was like minus 20. we're all just standing there praying for this train to come. >> reporter: people in southern states such as georgia, north
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carolina aren't used to dealing with such low temperatures. officials there were just telling people to stay off the roads as much as they can. >> i heard some people in massachusetts are now referring to the state as alaska- chusetts. >> i like that. i'm going to refer to it as that now. >> do it, bill. >> and there's no snow melt now because we talked about how cold it is. they have 50 days. >> and they have to figure out a place to put that snow. >> they're hoping it melts because they can't store it. you can't move it. for us it did cool down. temperatures cooled down 20 degrees. the clouds and low fog did not burn off today. check out antioch they got to 65. got a little burn fairfield to 65. right around the bay. it's just one of those cool days. it'll change tomorrow.
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there's going to be plenty of fog tomorrow morning when they wake up. but there's the fog now. the fog is going to burn off more quickly tomorrow. so quicker burn off tomorrow. means a warmer day. it's still a dry pattern. that dry pattern stays with us for a while. the fog tomorrow morning will be as extensive as it was this morning. so here goes the computer model for fog. this looks like the model output from last night at this time. you see a lot of alley fog. a lot of bay fog. so the difference is, it's 6:00 a.m. watch the burn off. 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 it goes away quicker. it's still a little green. 60s, 70s. mostly mid- and upper 60. or mid-60s, some upper 60s tomorrow. oakland, downtown tomorrow. you go to 65 degrees. a very cloudy morning. it's a cloudy start to your day in san francisco as well. sunny in san francisco. partly sunny in the afternoon. 61 is your daytime high. and then you have a bunch of other temperatures. 65 in antioch and brentwood. there'll be fog and low clouds.
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same thing we had today. tomorrow except sun comes out. should come out 10:00, 11:00 for most of us. steady as you go. which includes temperatures warming back into the upper 60s and low 70s. so stop me if you've stopped this before the last three years. the last three months. somebody said, oh my gosh it was raining. you're so busy. my skwr-b -- job is so much harder when it's like this. when you're talking about the same thing night after night after night and the variations are so subtle and so dry. i would love to have my job easier by having some rain. a flight in san francisco was delayed after a passenger says there was a disgusting situation on board. >> and we learned some finalists for a competition are from the bay area. coming up hot wiring a construction vehicle then going for a joyride. that's what police say happened
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during another round of vandalism at a popular san francisco park. how it could affect a major renovation project there. plus a new push by some bay area lawmakers to retract so called future morality classes that are required at catholic schools. these stories and more coming up at 6:00.
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you can find a new frontier. there's nothing stopping you and a lot helping you. technology that's with you always. this is our promise. it's never been better to wander because wherever you go, you'll find us doing everything we can, so you can.
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the chp was called out
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after a jogger had to be air lifted to the hospital. the jogger seriously hurt her leg and couldn't walk because of the steep terrain. she was taken to a hospital near by. san francisco 49er fans are waiting to find out if running back frank gore will be returning for his 11th season with the team. this after gore posted an instagram picture with the caption quote what should i do. followed by another picture that says quote i know the fans love me but i need to know if management does but i'm going to love my fans no matter what. the second postwas later removed. 49ers general manager bochi says he was interesting in signing gore. balchi is expected to speak to the media tomorrow during an nfl scouting combine in indianapolis. a plane flying from san francisco to miami was forced to land in dallas. the bathrooms on board the
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plane malfunctions. she says yes the toilets all malfunctioned so we stopped in dallas, not allowed to disembark which in her words. she said there it may have been because of overflowing toilets. we reached out to american airlines they tell us there was no mechanical issue just that a service light came on. that the service was worried about an abundant leak. landed out of extreme caution. vice president joe biden swore in carter into office from the white house. while most of the federal government was closed because of snow. carter is president obama's fourth secretary of defense, he
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replaces chuck hagel who was pressured to resign. a controversial case involving a police officer, a prostitute and a stolen gun comes to a head. the police chief has been forced out. but the police officer accused in the situation still has his job. >> new details about how many people signed up for covered california. >> and the streets in china town are packed with a look at the lunar year. what people are expected to buy and why.
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(vo) at jennie-o, we heard of a place in iowa where every thursday people ride ten miles for tacos. we thought we'd show up and surprise them with a better kind of taco, made with jennie-o ground turkey, cooked thoroughly to 165. (mom) i'd feed my kids turkey tacos over regular tacos any day. (woman) i think that they're light and they're just fresh tasting. (vo) it's time for a better taco. (kid) the tacos tonight were pretty much perfect. (vo) make the switch. look for jennie-o ground turkey at a store near you.
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bay area police chief loses his job after a bizarre case involving one of his officers, a prostitute and a gun. >> the small east bay community of kessington has been shaken by this case and the police chief has been fired but the police officer has not. >> reporter: the town board of directors did vote today to rid the police chief after this series of incidents that could be called the cop, the prostitute and the gun. the town of kesington is not even officially a town. >> many people like to refer to
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it as mayberry and our little hamlet. >> reporter: it's the kind of place where residents know the police. they always expect officers on their best behavior. when things aren't as expected, they want accountability. >> the board notified the community of what was going on. >> reporter: then the kesington board of directors decided to dismiss the police chief in spring. >> there's a sense in the community that he's lost the community's confidence. >> i think a pretty substantial shock to a lot of people. >> reporter: what do you think should have happened to the officer who lost his gun ? >> i think he should find a job some where else. >> reporter: the officer got his gun back but not before the prostitute's pimp shot his leg
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with it. people seem convinced that ousting the chief was the right move. >> i'm glad that people are looking at the irregularities that have been going on for a long time. >> seems that whenever you engender this kind of public media crisis that's, that's not going to be good for your job. >> reporter: i asked to speak to chief greg harmon and was told he was out of the office all day yesterday and today and inaccessible. >> what about the officer who hired the prostitute and lost his gun. he's still on the force but what happened to him? >> he was suspended but he did not lose his job, frank. >> all right, john sasaki in kesington tonight, john, thank you. state officials say they've reached 1.4 million sign ups for the second year of covered california. now that is lower than the goal of 1.7 million. but still ahead of last year's total of 1.2 million. the deadline for people who started the application process
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has now been extended until sunday. california leaders are expected to announce next week whether or not they will waive a tax penalty for people who failed to sign up by the deadline. officials are reporting 50 cases of measles. most are linked to disneyland. many of this year's cases are people who were never vaccinated. some were children who were too young to get the shot. the total number of cases in the u.s. this year has risen to 141. half of the 20 newest cases are here in california for a total of 98 cases in california. they say in past years it was unusual to see more than 100 cases nationwide in one year. ktvu is once again the proud sponsor of we day. it's an educational event that inspires young people to become involved in local and local
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change. the program culminates in the we day concert. but you can't buy tickets in. each student earns their ticket. today we're visiting catholic academy of sunny vale and looking at their efforts to create change. >> whoever reaches $50 will go over their fences. >> reporter: at the catholic academy of sunny vale, kids are coloring cardboard goats. they're trying to raise money so that real families can buy goats. >> they wanted to learn more about w.e. act and free the children. it really came from the students. that will be changing the world by bringing change. >> reporter: the students divided into 15 groups, one person from each age group starting at kindergarten through eighth grade. each group decorates his cardboard goat and has the goal to collect as much change as
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donors will give. >> it looks perfect. >> how much money does it cost to buy a goat. >> how long is it going to take you to fill that jar? >> i don't know. >> reporter: to emphasize the importance, a special guest star was invited to attend. >> what is the goat's name? >> her name is ty. she's about 10 months and she's a dwarf so she won't get too much bigger. >> reporter: even though only 158th graders get to go to we day. we day has inspired children of all ages to act -- 15 eight graders. >> who's going to change the world this week? because ready, set -- >> go. >> reporter: claudine wong, ktvu fox 2. after two days of raising money, they not only reached their goal, they surpassed it. the the catholic academy raised
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more than $1,300 and with that money they were able to buy 26 goats for needy families. >> two investigates looks into a program that's designed to help people in need keep the lights on and keep people warm. why people who need help aren't getting it while millions of dollars in that program go unspent. >> plus a big announcement this afternoon from san jose international airport. the new foreign destination with nonstop service to and from san jose. >> plus a sea lion so away hitches a ride for more than an hour. >> i could feel something on the kayak because it kind of rocked a little. >> see what happened when said sea lion pup got even closer. plop
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ah! come on! let's hide in the attic. no. in the basement. why can't we just get in the running car? are you crazy? let's hide behind the chainsaws. smart. yeah. ok. if you're in a horror movie, you make poor decisions. it's what you do. this was a good idea. shhhh. be quiet. i'm being quiet. you're breathing on me! if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance you switch to geico. it's what you do. head for the cemetery!
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hey. these are good. what have you been feeding us all these years? kfc popcorn nuggets. 100% white meat, extra crispy, and made from the world's best chicken. try our kfc bucket and popcorn nuggets meal. these don't even come with a toy and i don't care.
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a holiday weekend that one family won't forget. a sea lion pup hitched a ride on the kayak. they were in santa barbara when they noticed they weren't alone. >> i could feel something on the kayak because it kind of rocked a little. then i looked back there and there was a little sea lion up there. >> five or 10 minutes in, i was able to touch him, pet him. and he was putting his head underneath my arm and he was trying to get on my lap. i thought he was going to be slimy. he was more like a short haired dog. >> there's been more sightings
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of sea lion pups this year and probably because there isn't the same food supply this year and they're hungry. but they say this pup didn't appear to be sick or hungry just really, really hungry. now the the federal government has proposed rules for drones. one proposal would make it a trespassing violation to fly over a person's property without their permission. final preparations are under way for the bay area's first outdoor nhl hockey game. this is time lapse video of the stadium's transformation. tonight crews will start painting on the lines on the rink before the final layer of ice goes down. the san jose sharks will be taking on the la kings on saturday. 70,000 people are expected to attend the game. that's about three times the capacity of sap center. >> you may see the warriors
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clay thompson on the cover of a magazine. harden graces the cover of the national edition. but it comes after an exciting weekend for thompson in which he made his all star debut in new york. the warriors are grabbing the attention of sports sports bookies in las vegas. new nonstop international service. the big announcement from san jose international airport. why officials say this flight has a bigger meaning. >> chinese new year's celebrations are about to get under way. we'll have a look at the traditions and why even the leaves on a
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this afternoon, mayor sam licardo announced flights from san francisco and china. the mayor says the flight connects two power houses that would drive the world's economy. >> you look at the two economical miracles that can drive the united states. this flight represents the
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first direct flight between these two increasingly important regions of our globe. >> reporter: maneta san jose already offers daily nonstop service to japan. right now sfo is the only bay area airport with daily nonstop service to china. several bay area residents got the news this week that they are among 100 finalists for a one way mission to mars. the dutch base mars one foundation plans to send five people to mars to form a colony. among them 36-year-old kenya armestrol of oakland. the nonprofit will make teams of four that can endure all kinds of hardships. training will include missions to remote outposts here on earth. chinese new year's celebrations are about to begin as is tradition. chinese families are cleaning their homes and getting ready to welcome in the year of the
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ram. ktvu fox 2's amber lee explains what the means of many traditions means. >> reporter: everywhere you look people are preparing to welcome in the new year, with good fortune and good luck. >> now this is green onion, it's kept in the home. what it means is toning. it means you're smart. >> reporter: wila chen is the founder of a better life for -- >> fire crackers are standard. to scare away the devils. everything you say must be good luck, that means good fortune. this one means plenty of money
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coming in. >> reporter: money is a big part of the new year. merit adults put money in red envelopes to give to children. >> that's a lucky, lucky envelope. >> it's still hot. >> reporter: even food is for luck. >> this is a must for a family. you make with rice and sugar. >> sesame bowl. this is for luck. every family in the has to have that. >> reporter: merchants are temporarily allowed to spill into the street. >> tangerine is good luck. >> reporter: when you talk about chinese new year, if little things matter. these oranges with leaves is $1.50 each. without a leaf, 69-cents. >> it's very important.
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when you buy tangerines must have leaves on it. >> reporter: and what is done now will bring a prosperous year. a warning for people heading to the beach. the last king tide of the season is moving into areas of the coast and the bay. king tides are when the sun, moon and earth all line up so high tides are higher than usual and that could lead to potential flooding in areas. the highest tide hit this morning at nearly 7 feet. tomorrow's high tide will be slightly higher. strong rip currents are also expected at beaches during low tide. we had a sunny, warm weekend at the beach mostly about everywhere. but this morning it was cooler. >> 10 degrees cooler. i just want to rewind to the cute seal. >> when you're in the water and
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the ocean and something climbing up. they're typically trying to get away from sharks. when we see a seal climb up on a surfboard it's a good indication. >> has that happened to you. >> no it looks like, they love people. no i'm trying to get out of the water so the shark won't kill me. >> what was interesting is that he was letting him pet him. >> yeah well he was stoked that he was not going to get eaten. that's not always the case but occasionally. and we might be seeing more sea lions because there may be more
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sharks. and the overnight lows are going to be in the 40s just like last night. tomorrow you wake up. it's going to be a lot of fog and low clouds again. here it comes forecast model. but at 6:00 a.m. you got the valley fog, coastal fog and they all merge in here and make a mess. look at the quicker burn offs. 6:00a.m. 8:00, 9:00. by 10:00 tomorrow it should burn off more rapidly. temperatures get a chance to make it to the mid-50s. upper 50s. some yellows maybe some low 70s. that's the stretch though. san jose tomorrow 67 degrees for a daytime high. you start off cloudy though. just like today but instead of not burning off fog is going to burn up. 65 in vallejo, and 67 in san jose. so if a seal climbs on you, it's probably, it could be good. but it could be bad too. so whenever i see that i think oh yeah. wild animals that's not their thing typically. >> and that poor thing could
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have been hungry. i'm weary, i try to make it like a disney animal but they're not disney animals. >> i've seen guys get bit. he had a bunch of stitches and spent the day at the emergency room. i don't mess with wild animals either. i don't want to harsh your mellow on this story. >> it's way down. i like frank's story better. >> yeah frank's was better. two investigates uncovers problems with a program that's meant to help the elderly keep their lights on. and what new surveillance video is telling authorities about possible lapses in security. >> and why the agency says it needs to add to its ranks this year. these stories and much more are coming up at 6:00.
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tonight 2 investigates uncovered some people who need the most financial help are missing out on federal money that's supposed to help them keep the lights on and heat on.
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only a small percentage of californians who qualify for the assistance are getting it. even though parts of the states aren't even using all the money they're given. >> reporter: it's an easy thing to take for granted. but for this 76-year-old man keeping the lights and the heat on at his mobile home in los altos has never been more difficult. >> how are you paying your bills right now? >> hard money, recycling, picking up garbage cans. it's unreal. >> reporter: a veteran who says he's too ashamed to show his face. but he did sent us this letter that said his application for assistance was approved and to expect to see a payment in eight weeks. more than two months later a different message. >> they said they ran out of money. so you're not getting paid. period. >> reporter: it was no typo. sacred heart community service had used up all of its utility
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assistance money from the previous year. >> you can see here in this valley that there's way more people that need the help than actually we can provide for every year. >> reporter: daren seaton is director of the sacred heart. the money is not unlimited. the federal government commits a certain amount of funding to states every year and california's share is shrinking. $140 in 2013 was 21% less than two years earlier. yet two investigates discovered only 7% of people eligible for lieheap assistance actually get the help they need. >> what it means is we should have no excuse for not spending out every dollar we have. >> reporter: dennis artner administer it is program for santa cruz, monterey and santa clara county. >> when it gets cold there's an
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immediate response. there's an immediate need. we get overwhelmed very quickly. >> reporter: not so elsewhere in california. two investigates found six community agencies handed out less than 2/3 of the money they got from the state last year. el dorado county only spent a little more than half of 2.3 million they received. they told ktvu hiring delays and turnover limited their ability to send out more money. >> reporter: does it concern you? >> it's certainly a concern. our goal is to give out all the money we receive for california. >> reporter: osmer wants dollars to go to other parts of the state that need it. >> at a point the feds are going to look at california and say gee whiz they're not spending the money here so
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there's no need. and that's not the case at all. >> reporter: when this man could not get the help he needed he said he struggled to get a resolution until 2 investigates stepped in. >> when you hear about somebody getting a letter saying you're approved then they get another letter saying we've run out of money. is that how you want it to work? >> definitely no. it was unacceptable that this mistake was made in that way. it's very unique and isolated incident. >> reporter: now he says the money about $280 to help pay the bills has finally arrived. >> the people in charge of the program here in california say the state's share has gone up slightly in 2015 but it's still well below it was in the past. now some agencies are developing an online application process to make it easier for some people to get help. a popular san francisco park hit by vandals again.
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now the park's multi million dollar renovation process could take longer to complete. >> it has been an ongoing problem at dolores park in san francisco. the park is often an oasis for as many as 10,000 people each weekend but it's also a frequent target for vandals an this past weekend was no exception. david stevenson here to show us the damage that was done at the park on sunday. this time it involves a stolen car and gun fear. >> reporter: this vandalism is frustrating for park officials who say it could delay reopening of a large portion of the park. it's one of san francisco's most densely packed parks, undergoing a renovation on its northern side. but neither fences seems to stop vandals from tagging or breaking up portions of dolores park. >> over the weekend, some idiots broke into the
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construction site and did about $100,000 worth of damage. >> reporter: the intruder stole this construction cart. hot wired it and did donuts on a newly sodded field dodging a newly placed irrigation system. this section of the 16-acre park was set to reopen in april now that's up in the air. >> we're still assessing the damage and what it's going to take to actually get the project back on track. >> reporter: vandals also tag the cement roof of the park's new storage facility. they even lit a campfire to make s' mores. police are asking property owners to remove fence covers. >> so that officers and the public can see into the park if there's anybody in here or inside this construction zone that's not supposed to be here. >> reporter: police say the park's lay out gives vandals easy cover at night. the city spent $50,000 on graffiti abatement alone in dolores park in 2013. >> we want people
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