>> bay area residents finding a number of different ways to celebrate the start of the holidays. some choosing to go to church, some finding community through comedy, while others chowed down with loved ones. hello again. i'm allie rasmus and i'm greg lee. >> christmas is in an hour away, and tomorrow is also the first night of hanukkah. as ktvu betty yu shows us, there's lots of holiday spirit here in the bay area. >> the beloved san francisco institution, house of prime rib, served a full house on christmas eve. many diners made reservations a year in advance. on this night, there was a three hour wait for a table for walk ins. for the last seating at 10 p.m. >> this place has been the same since i was a kid, and i mean everything is stayed about the same. i can always count on the food being delicious and i go home like a little too full. actually. >> san francisco native drew babcock continues his family tradition of dining at the house of prime rib every christmas eve. the restaurant said on

christmas eve they will serve a thousand people, not including its to go orders. >> it's a family restaurant, so we have people come in. i've been here 20 years from when they were young until they're old, you know, so we have multiple generations out here. >> light candles, never leave the house with the candles lit. never. right. >> okay. you do not jewish. okay. >> in chinatown, the 32nd annual kung pao kosher comedy dinner show was a sellout. the three day run features four comedians and a multi-course meal every night at the imperial palace restaurant. >> it's amazing, and i've been doing this for 32 years, and i thought it was going to be a one off, and then it just got popular every i mean, from the first year it was popular and kept selling out, and i kept adding days and shows and it brings people together. it's community. you don't have to be jewish. >> proceeds will benefit the chinatown ymca food pantry and shalom bayit, an organization dedicated to domestic violence prevention in north beach. the

pews were full at saints peter and paul church during mass in the evening. fourth generation san franciscan robert icardi brought his family, including his three children. >> i'm of italian and irish descent and my family has been here since 1921, and saints peter and paul church and school has been part of our family. and so besides regularly going mass but just the family, 5 p.m. mass has always been a tradition for my family since my grandparents. >> the church will also hold midnight mass, complete with christmas carolers. [music] of course, the celebration continues on christmas day. grace cathedral will hold its service starting at 11 a.m. in san francisco. betty yu ktvu, fox two news the oakland interfaith gospel choir traveled across the bay tonight to host its annual christmas eve concert. >> oh, i love. the group put on two performances at 730 and 930

this evening at the great american music hall in san francisco. a packed house clapped along as they were serenaded with hymns and holiday favorites. this was the 35th year the choir has come together for a christmas eve performance on this christmas eve. >> some people flocked to san francisco's union square to shop for some last minute gifts, others to soak in the holiday spirit. a trip to the city is a tradition for many bay area residents and visitors this time of year. some said. rather than just celebrating one holiday, they're taking more time to enjoy fun with the family. visitors had some fun on the ice skating on the popular union square ice rink. the union square alliance says that shoppers and holiday revelers are seeking the kind of holiday vibe and atmosphere you can't get online. >> well, i think people realize that you can't click and get all this. this is the experience. this is what it's all about. this is our union square for bay area residents, northern californians, visitors from all over the world. >> union square officials say next year they're already

planning on hosting at least 200 events. >> 49ers superstar christian mccaffrey made the holiday season a little brighter for some children. the hospital and the hospital over the holidays. the all-pro running back recently paid a visit to lucile packard children's hospital in palo alto. mccaffrey handed out footballs and other gifts to the kids. the hospital later posted this video on social media. mccaffrey said it's an emotional day for him. >> it's really humbling coming over here because, you know, you realize how many of these kids and young adults are fighting so hard and especially over the holiday, and to see them to see their families all together with them and just to be able to spend a little time with them is really inspiring. >> this holiday visit to the hospital is part of the work done by the christian mccaffrey foundation. the 49ers star founded a group that works year round to bring smiles to children undergoing medical treatment in vatican city. >> the pope led christmas eve mass.

[music] rosemary oroczo. traditionally, the service starts around midnight, but due to the pontiff's age, today's ceremony began at 7 p.m. in rome around 10 a.m. pacific time. the pope turned 88 a week ago. the service also launches jubilee 2025, a year of catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to the vatican. he's expected to call for peace worldwide, particularly in the middle east. after the mass, pope francis delivered his will deliver his christmas day blessing tomorrow. >> new tonight the christmas eve mega millions jackpot reached an estimated $1 billion in tonight's winning numbers were 38, 45, 14, 46 and 11 with a megaplier of three. ktvu lamonica peters spoke with lottery players who were hoping to win it all. >> i mean, i play fantasy five mega million powerball. you know what i'm saying? super lotto. but right now i'm focused on the

mega million. >> robert clark and other lottery players on tuesday have a billion reasons to focus on playing the mega millions lottery game. an estimated $1 billion jackpot is up for grabs. and of all days on christmas eve. >> i think it would be a greatest gift from santa i've ever gotten. >> so it does have another dimension. it'll be nice to hit with all the family together, you know, all warm and toasty in the house. and it would be, you know, make a memory that you'll never forget. >> mega millions says large jackpots bring out more players, and the more people play, the more prizes are won. the lottery says when jackpots are large, there are also smaller prizes won, ranging from $2 to more than $1 million. >> i picked some numbers, like my kids birthdays and just important dates, and then i'm going to do some quick fix, lottery player todd overholser says he often buys scratch off tickets, and on christmas eve, he bought these tickets as gifts for his family. >> he says he doesn't usually

play mega millions, but since the jackpot is an estimated $1 billion, he decided to take his chances for the mega millions. >> if i hit it, i will donate a lot of it to charities. for a lot of the homeless people and help if i ever win it, but we'll see. >> no one won it all. but you do have another chance to win over $1 billion on friday. lamonica peters, ktvu, fox two news. >> new at 11 santa rosa police arrested a restaurant manager accused of recording at least one customer while they were using the restroom. it happened at the ohana hawaiian barbecue in the santa rosa marketpla shopping center yterday. once on scene, a woman told officers she found a phone hidden in an overhead air vent with a camera lens facing the interior of the bathroom. police say the phone had been recording for 46 minutes. they determined it belonged to the manager, 37 year old daniel napa. detectives seized his phone and laptop. he

was arrested and booked into jail. right now, investigators do not know how long nom has allegedly been recording, but lie it could have been for several months. homicide investigators in san francisco are searching for clues in a deadly shooting. police say they were called to the area of selby andoland streets in the city's bayview district, at about three yesterday afternoon. officers found the victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound. they died at the hospital. anyone with information is asked to call san francisco police. >> police in fremont are asking for the public's help tonight to locate an at risk missing man. authorities say 36 year old kevin james farr was last seen early sunday morning near washington hospital in fremont. farr is five foot 11in tall, about 185 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. anyone with information should contact fremont police. >> the criminal case against alec baldwin for the shooting death of a cinematographer comes to a final close. why prosecutors decided to abandon an appeal to the case, and why

the actor's legal troubles may not be over. >> a sanctuary for big cats becomes a quarantine site. how one animal rescue group, now faced with the daunting task of trying to contain an outbreak of bird flu. >> and an official end to a more than three month long strike. how soon? hotel workers in san francisco are expected to be back on the job, and why? at least ne worker says th r ew

actor alec baldwin's role in the death of a cinematographer on a new mexico movie set is officially over. this story begins tonight's west coast rap. >> a jury dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charges against baldwin earlier this year, and yesterday, prosecutors decided not to appeal that decision. baldwin's lawyers say the dropped case is final proof that he did not commit a crime. but attorneys for the parents and sister of halyna hutchins, the cinematographer who died, said today that they are devastated. >> sudden dismissal with prejudice of the criminal case by the court has left the family reeling from what they feel was an unjust outcome and a denial of justice in the criminal justice system. >> the attorneys say they plan to continue with a civil lawsuit against baldwin and the rust production team in new mexico. >> a washington based animal shelter is closed to the public and is quarantining its animals after 20 big cats, including a bengal tiger, died from contracting bird flu earlier this month. fox thirteen's frankie thompson shows us what's

being done to protect the remaining big cats. >> late november, there were 37 wild cats at the wild feline advocacy center of washington. today, the director tells me there's only 17 left due to a bird flu outbreak. and one of those cats is clinging to life in critical condition. what's supposed to be a sanctuary for wild cats is now a quarantine site. >> this is a serious virus. >> a virus that has claimed the life of tabby, a tiger mix and a favorite at a wildlife advocacy center in shelton. mark matthews, director of felid advocacy center of washington, says they're doing all they can to protect the remaining surviving wild cats from an avian flu outbreak. >> we had 20 cats die of this, this terrible virus, h5n1, a strain of the bird flu, is widespread in wild birds globally. >> and according to the cdc, it's causing outbreaks in poultry, dairy cows and cats. even 65 confirmed reported cases

among humans in the u.s. the washington state department of health says there are currently 11 confirmed human cases, plus three additional probable cases, all of them linked to infected poultry exposure. >> besides anxiety and exhaustion. what? i think we're doing fine. >> they're doing fine because matthews says they too are in quarantine and required by county and state health departments to provide daily reports on their health. he says they're staying safe by using ppe or gloves, disinfectants, bleach and n95 masks and gowns are like $10 each. >> we got to wear in their disposable. >> those ppe costs add up, and the state department of agriculture is stepping in to help through an online registration form, the department is offering gloves, masks and goggles to these specific groups that handle animals and animal products. though the extra ppe could help, mathews says much of his financial strain is from loss of

meat for feeding. state veterinarians say the wild cats possibly contracted the virus through infected carcasses or meat products. >> we usually go through most of all the meat and feed about 100 pounds per day. typically, we had to dump all that food out. 8,000 pounds. so we definitely need more funds to get our meat to stock up. >> the state department of health says it is investigating the outbreak at the center. matthews says the sanctuary has put in about $30,000, covering the loss of the wild cats and continued care for the surviving ones. they started an online fundraiser to cover those costs. in the newsroom frankie thompson, fox 13 news. >> the university of colorado football team has secured what it is calling record insurance coverage for two of its players. the buffaloes say they have added the largest disability insurance policy for a heisman trophy winner. travis hunter and quarterback shane sanders for the team's bowl game. both

players are expected to be selected in next spring's nfl draft. the policies have been secured in the event that either of them gets seriously injured during that bowl game. colorado has not disclosed the amount of insurance coverage each player received. and you can hear about the west coast top stories every weekday right here on ktvu. west coast wrap with alex savage airs at 7:00 monday through friday. or find around the clock coverage at west coast rap.com. well, the last group of striking san francisco hotel workers today voted to approve a new contract, ending a 93 day strike for hilton employees. >> the union says the new four year contract includes an immediate $3 an hour pay increase, with more raises throughout the life of the contract. it also has added protections against understaffing and workload increases and preserves health insurance. the deal with hilton covers roughly 900 workers, most of them at the union square location. marriott and hyatt workers have also ended their strikes after reaching deals with management. a spokesperson for hilton released a statement

reading in part, quote, we believe this agreement is beneficial to both our team members and our hotels. we look forward to welcoming our team members back to work and continuing to provide our guests with our signature hospitality. transportation officials in san francisco have decided against a plan for pay and permitted parking in certain neighborhoods. the sfmta had proposed requiring pay or permitted parking in the marina and cow hollow neighborhoods, but says it will not move forward with the plan after hearing from residents. the proposal drew significant pushback from neighbors who attended meetings on the plan and voiced their opposition. >> high surf led to yesterday's partial collapse of the wharf in santa cruz. why that catastrophe is still causing problems for officials there. >> and it's a white christmas in the sierra. the restrictions in place for some drivers on some of the region's busiest routes, and we will be joined by frosty conditions as well as patchy fog tomorrow morning, followed by a dry, cool afternoon.

>> scattered showers entering the picture late tomorrow night. a better look at what you can expect or the h

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gets there safely and enjoys that snowy christmas. so if you're on driving on, 80 chains are required. this is how the interstate looked this afternoon. caltrans crews are stationed along the interstate to keep the roads clear, and to check out the vehicles heading into higher elevations. make sure they have chains in the proper tires. we heard from drivers traveling on interstate 80 who say it's better to be safe than sorry. >> it's a little bit icy. not too bad. you know, i've seen a couple of a little bit of incidents a couple miles back, but overall, you know, it seems

like your normal, like, you know, icy roads every year. >> as always, caltrans recommends drivers know before they go. right now, chains are required. eastbound 80 on all vehicles except four wheel drive vehicles with snow tires from baxter to boca in placer county. and the same goes for westbound traffic from truckee to east of baxter. no chains are required along highway 50. >> all right, let's check in with meteorologist rosemary oroczo. rosemary, it is a white christmas there. and a dry christmas for us here. >> yes. and i have a feeling a lot of folks are happy about that. greg and ali, especially for the little ones that want to be out and about with their new toys. we will be off to a very chilly start, but once we get past that, we are in pretty good condition. until we get to the evening hours, we're going to welcome back wet weather. here's a look over san francisco, where again dried out this afternoon after a good amount of rain fell in a short amount of time, even thunderstorms. we had some flooding going on at times earlier today. high surf warning, now a high surf

advisory so not gone completely. a little better than what we have been experienced over the last 48 hours. in any event, if you're planning on going towards the coast and kind of hanging out there for your holiday, be prepared. never turn your back to the water. as you know, it could be very dangerous. those sneaker waves come up without warning, could sweep you right back into the ocean. it's a calm one out there. we have winds, generally light even in the sierra. finally seeing that storm move there. and as it moved off to the east, the winter weather advisory allowed to expire. here's a look at the futurecast model. and there's a look at the storm into nevada as well as utah. here's a look at the next one. so we do expect to be dry for the holiday. but getting into wednesday night thursday morning this next system already approaching. and you know that term the storm door is open. well let me show you what starts to happen. there's thursday calling for scattered showers. here's thursday night into friday,

another chance for scattered showers and light rain. and then as we get into the weekend, we're calling for soggy weather saturday as well as sunday. you can see here it's not a complete washout, but it's just going to be on and off all the way through sunday, with another half inch to two inches expected for the bay area by the end of the weekend. and more snow. if you're traveling to the sierra any time soon, keep an eye on that forecast. chains, snow, tires and winter travel will be likely. the frost advisory tomorrow morning is for our north bay valleys and hills. from midnight to 9 a.m. we could see temperatures fall even below freezing 34 degrees expected tomorrow morning in santa rosa. a chilly 45 in san francisco, upper 30s concord, livermore. getting into the afternoon. temperatures will be seasonal to slightly below average, with dry conditions in the mid to upper 50s. i don't see any 60s, at least not for tomorrow. we will go back into the 60s thursday, friday, saturday and sunday with

again each passing day off. a chance for a little bit of wet weather. back to you. >> rosemary. thank you. the weather may be to blame for bringing down a large tree across an alameda county road. sky fox was overhead as crews worked to remove the tree from foothill road and country lane. this is near pleasanton in unincorporated alameda county. at last check, the road still blocked by the tree. chp is advising drivers to use interstate 680 in pleasanton sunol road as an alternate route. >> debris from part of the santa cruz municipal wharf that collapsed is now washing ashore. 150 foot section of the wharf sank into the pacific monday. due to those large swells. it sent three men and tons of wood debris and broken up buildings into the ocean. two of the men were rescued by the santa cruz fire department. a third swam to safety. all of them have recovered from minor injuries. the santa cruz harbormaster says a dozen boats sank and 200 are damaged. now it's all hands on deck to clear debris and

safeguard the roughly 900 remaining vessels. >> we can get some of these pilings from the wharf that are that are floating around in the harbor out to prevent damage to other boats. were were prioritizing that right now. >> santa cruz parks and recreation department says they're working with consultants and contract engineering firms to evaluate what structural safety action they need to take moving forward. hundreds of fur seal pups have now taken over the shoreline of the farallon islands national wildlife refuge. this video from the u.s. fish and wildlife service shows the spectacular sight 30 miles west of san francisco. biologists say this is a sure sign that the once endangered sea lions are making a comeback in numbers never seen before. the fur seals are also prompting thousands of comments on instagram and facebook. users are referring to the phenomenon as seal pup daycare and nature's mosh pit. well, tracking santa, the jolly old man making his way around the world tonight. how the folks at norad are keeping tabs

this week. noche de rabanos, also known as night of the radish, is a holiday tradition that dates back 127 years, taking place before christmas eve. artists. cut, peel, carve and grate radishes, creating famous characters and religious scenes. attendees are also treated to music, dance and a fireworks show. the tradition began when farmers began decorating their vegetable stands with figures of carved radishes to attract customers. >> the biblical birthplace of jesus is planning to have another quiet christmas, as violence and war in the region have kept most tourists away. bethlehem typically has thousands of people visiting the town during the christmas holiday, but for the second straight year, there will be no

christmas tree in main, in manger square, no marching bands, and very few public displays or decorations and celebrations. with many americans turning to weight loss medications like ozempic, some employee health plans have started to offer insurance coverage for those drugs, but adding weight loss drugs to employee benefits could lead to higher health care costs for employers. still, industry experts say a significant number of employees surveyed said they would consider changing jobs in order to access a benefit like weight loss drugs. >> we're just going to see a growing trend of people being able to go and seek out workplace benefits that really cater to their individual needs, not just the blanket benefits that we've seen for the past few decades. >> and as more companies start covering weight loss drugs and employee benefit plans, experts suggest reading the fine print, as many companies may also add more caps or limits to their coverage in order to cut down on costs. >> in case you didn't know,

santa claus is coming to town and you can track his journey. the north american aerospace defense command is tracking santa's sleigh for the 69th year in 1955, the department store misprinted a phone number in a newspaper ad for kids to call santa. what turned out to be the number for norad predecessor government agency that christmas eve. officers took dozens of calls from kids asking the same question where is santa and when will he arrive at my house? after that, a new holiday tradition was born. >> it's something that brings real joy to the members of norad. we have a network of satellites that orbit about 23,000 miles above the earth, and they are aided by the heat from rudolph's nose that helps them be able to see where where the sleigh is. >> kids and the young at heart and news anchors can go online to see where santa is right now. so let's take a look. a live

look at santa's progress across the world. hard to see there, but we can tell you this he is making his way to farmington, new mexico. he'll be there in about a minute and a half. 7.2 million gifts already delivered. new mexico, my home state. which means he'll be in california very soon. so maybe you all should go to bed. >> yeah, get to bed. and who knew that rudolph's nose powered all those satellites? so much power. learn something new every day here. we want to thank you for watching the 11:00 news. our next newscast at 7 a.m. to st am the atest yeah. hello and welcome to like it or not, i'm dave clark. the show is where we talk about what you're talking about. the latest hot topics, what's trending now, and with me today is, well, i have three people who are all smarter than me at financial consultant jason matthews, my good friend. thank you. ali rasmus, one of the great anchors