conference of high dollar investors in florida. the other notable name on the guest list, with all the millions said to be saved by the department of government efficiency. some are calling for the money to be returned to taxpayers. why? there won't be any refunds issued anytime soon. then a killing in tilden park dating back decades might finally be solved. the major step by investigators to say they now know who raped and murdered a woman there 35 years ago. >> this is ktvu, fox two news at noon. >> good afternoon. i'm gasia mikaelian. >> i'm andre senior. thank you for joining us. new at noon after 35 years, a rape and murder cold case in the east bay has been solved. officials this morning named john lipari of oregon as the man who raped and

strangled maria jane hofer in 1990, in tilden park. lipari died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound last november. east bay regional park service police detectives say his dna was found on her body. lipari became the primary suspect in 2020. >> holding the person accountable. that took maria from her family. justice may have been delayed. but thanks to the hard work of our detectives and our federal partners, justice has been served. >> in 2017, detectives put out a possible image of the suspect. investigators determined he laid in wait on a bench near the entrance to tilden park on that trail before attacking with hofer. so far, he has not been linked to any other crimes. >> hundreds of alameda county court workers have walked off the job, as a labor impasse from last year has led to a county wide strike. ktvu jesse gary has details on the impact on court

operations today. >> what do we want? contact. when do we want it? now. >> with the determination of an army and raising a ruckus to get noticed, thousands of alameda county superior court staffers hit the picket lines wednesday. >> we really didn't want to strike, but we have to strike for our workers rights and for our community, for the public. >> the public had a hard time conducting business at the hayward courthouse. entry was followed by a quick exit as sheriff's deputies announcing all services were shut down. >> it's disruptive for litigants who won't have their day in court. my clients waited two months for a hearing. justice has come to a halt today. >> and delays the court process and the hearing, you know, so we would have to have a new date. i thought i would get, like, an email or something if this was happening. so we had no idea this was happening. >> pickets went up here in oakland and other county locations as an impasse from december reached critical mass.

weeks of negotiations over workload and pay did not produce a breakthrough. union workers point to three negotiations sticking points first, pervasive understaffing. 1 in 5 positions have not been filled. second, workers say they're being forced to perform tasks they have not been trained to do. and third, union members say there has been bad faith bargaining by the county. over 98% of union workers voted to go on strike. >> we're swamped. we're swamped. not no longer hours, but we're swamped. so we're probably doing the job of two courtroom clerks instead of one. >> in a lengthy three page response to the strike, officials with the alameda county superior court say in part, the court has instituted an emergency operations plan, which utilizes available managers and unrepresented employees to fill key positions, helping keep critical cases on schedule and essential court filings processed. nevertheless, the job action instituted by the union has placed our community at risk. county officials say

some workers decided to call in sick or request personal time off. others say they won't cross the picket line. there's no telling how long the strike will last. in hayward, jesse gary, ktvu, fox two news. >> president trump is set to make an appearance in miami today at an investment conference hosted by saudi arabia's sovereign wealth fund. the conference is titled the future investment initiative institute priority summit, and the president is listed as a speaker. several billionaires are expected to be in attendance, along with president trump. there's another attendee who recently has been making waves. we're talking about the us ceo of tiktok. the two have publicly been working with one another following the app's ban last month. >> today, president trump called ukrainians vladimir zelensky a dictator without elections. the comment came as tensions flared between the two presidents over efforts to end the war between ukraine and russia. fox's rebecca castor has more from washington.

>> after nearly three years of war with ukraine, russia is at the table, ready to strike a deal to end the fighting. >> i came away today convinced that they are willing to begin to engage in a serious process. >> u.s. officials held talks with russian diplomats yesterday, but ukrainian officials were not invited. and president zelenskyy is adamant his country be involved in negotiations. president trump says they will be, but also threw some blame on zelensky. >> i heard, oh well, we weren't invited. well, you've been there for three years. you should have ended it three years. you should have never started it. you could have made a deal. >> part of trump's peace plan includes holding elections in ukraine, which is likely a nonstarter for zelenskyy, since millions of ukrainians have fled the country and hundreds of thousands are currently fighting. but trump claims zelensky is just unpopular. >> i hate to say it, but he's down at 4% approval rating and we're a country has been blown to smithereens. >> when i. >> unfortunately, president trump, with great respect for him as a leader of the people,

which we respect very much, the american people who constantly support us, unfortunately lives in this disinformation space. >> today, zelensky meets with u.s. special envoy keith kellogg, hoping to get on the same page. >> part of my. >> mission is to sit and listen and say, okay, what are your concerns? where are we at? we can go back to the united states and talk to president trump. >> president trump also indicated he can meet with vladimir putin by the end of the month. in washington, rebecca castor, ktvu, fox two news. >> tax season is well underway, and americans might be wondering if there is a stimulus check on the way. elon musk's doge has been running count of the amount of money it's saving the federal government. the reports of the actual savings are conflicting. one user on x suggested that musk that taxpayers should get a refund for the savings. now, musk replied with, quote, we will check with the president. now, if approved, those refunds wouldn't come until after doge finishes its work in july of next year.

>> millions of americans could lose their medical benefits as the federal government continues to cut back its spending. the department of government efficiency is debating cuts to medicaid, and many americans are concerned about the possibility they will lose their coverage. the $880 billion program is financed mostly by federal taxes. advocates say low income seniors fear they could lose their coverage and face increased costs. >> today, california receives approximately 63% in federal funding to help pay for medi-cal. so the impact of possible cuts to the older adult population receiving medi-cal funding could be very significant. >> as seniors and their advocates express their concerns, lawmakers continue to debate the issue at the nation's capitol. >> the people out there listening. we spend almost $900 billion every year on medicaid, and if 20% of that is saved, that's almost $200 billion. we got a $1.8 trillion annual

deficit. we just knocked off 200 billion. let's keep this train going. >> for now, there is no specific timeline or deadline as to when the final decision on medicaid funding will be made. >> developing news to tell you about this. noon. two people died in a mid-air collision involving two small planes in arizona. the ntsb says the crash happened near the marana regional airport on the outskirts of tucson. investigators say two people were in each of the aircraft. one plane landed uneventfully while the other crashed and caught fire. this is the fourth major aviation disaster in north america in the last month. we will bring you the latest information on the story as it becomes available. well, compelling video of the delta jet that crashed landed in toronto. one of the wings was ripped off before the aircraft rolled and landed upside down. coming up, why? that's exactly what was supposed to happen. >> and the time to make summer plans is now. if you're looking to make some money, there's a job fair happening at this

moment. in a minute, we talk with the general manager of six flags about filling thousands of spring and summer jobs. >> did somebody say summer? did somebody say spring? i'll tell you what it's going to feel like it. certainly not right now. look at the golden gate bridge. we'll talk about 70 returning to the bay area as the news continues. we'll tough loss, coach. any words? they just played a munch better game. did you say munch? sounds like someone's craving my new crispy boneless wings... jack, what'd you think of today's loss? embarrassing... try my new crispy boneless wings and so munch more! welcome to jack in the box!

♪ ♪ dreams begin here. welcome to the goodnight club. know what i'm doing tonight? i'm pouring chocolate all over... my new banana french toast sticks! crispy, fluffy, and just $3.49! what'd you think i was gonna say? get so munch more. welcome to jack in the box!

chipotle is tapping into artificial intelligence to help them hire 20,000 workers for burrito season. the chain says college basketball season and cinco de mayo make it their busiest time of the year. to assist with the hiring process, they've hired an ai assistant called avocado. the robot uses conversational ai to chat with candidates and answer their questions, collect basic information, and schedule interviews with hiring managers. >> happening now two bay area theme parks are holding a hiring blitz ahead of the summer season. six flags discovery kingdom in vallejo, california's great america and santa clara are teaming up. there's an in-person information session happening right now through 345 this afternoon. for people who are interested in acting and working as ride operators and food and beverage concession workers at great america. tomorrow, discovery kingdom holds another hiring session. hurricane harbor in concord holds another hiring event that will happen a bit later as we get closer to the summer, but let's learn more about all the jobs that are available by welcoming great america's general manager. good afternoon to you, barb. thanks for being with us.

>> thank you very much, i appreciate it. >> of course, thousands of jobs available here. what are some of the most popular roles you're looking to fill? >> the most popular roles? well, where our rides park. so the most popular route is probably ride operator. but we're looking for food and beverage. we're looking for ride operators, lifeguards, park services, employees, public safety, wide range. >> should we assume minimum pay or minimum wage? or what is the starting pay for these positions? >> we're actually pretty competitive. most of our jobs start above minimum wage. i don't want to tell you exactly which job is what. that's much too long a discussion. so i would just say go to jobs dot six flags.com and look that up for yourself. but we're very competitive. >> okay. is this like a good you know i'm 16 first job. or do you get people who have some work experience out in the world already. >> we have a wide range. theme parks are well known for being a first job. so yes, absolutely. this is a fantastic first job for employees. but then again

our ride operators are 18 and over. so it is also a good job for a university student. and we have a lot of employees that have been with us for absolutely years in a seasonal role. >> and let's say i am in that sort of tender, you know, 1617 year old range. is there still work for someone who who is not at that 18 year old mark? >> absolutely. there is starting work for employees that are in high school and we work very well with school schedules. >> okay, barb, i know you have been with theme parks in general for decades here, and i like to highlight that because many people think of great america as a as a one summer, you know, get my money, buy my first car and i'm out of there. other people, though, stick with it and move right on up, don't they? >> they certainly do. this is a career for many people. and yes, it has been decades. i've been with the company for about 40 years, and many of our full time employees started out as ride operators or started out in a restaurant. it's a wonderful place to start in the entertainment world and in that

kind of attraction. yes. >> can you tell me a little bit about whether great america is feeling the same challenges we've seen, for example, in the fast food or in the hospitality industry? those industries and yours changed dramatically during the pandemic. and still feeling the effects, are you still getting all the applicants you need? >> we're having a very good year this year. we had a good year last year, and we're having actually having a better year this year. i just came down the hall from our human resources department and the lobby is full. so there are people out there that want these jobs, and it's just such a fun place to work. if you're going to be in the food service industry, why not do it in a theme park? >> and why not get a discount and maybe take your friends, you know, for less than you'd pay otherwise? can you clear up some misconceptions about theme park work that that some people may have out there that could maybe prevent them from applying? >> i think people sometimes think that because theme parks are seasonal and it's a short term thing, that it might not be a good starting place for them from a career. and i would say

quite the opposite is true. you can start in high school and you can learn and grow, and we can be there for you through university. and by the time you're ready for full time work, you've already got years under your belt in that location. and six flags has 42 parks within its system. so there are lots and lots of opportunities for advancement. >> and i know a little bit later on we can think about hiring there at hurricane harbor in concord. we'll have to leave it here. it's a pleasure to talk with you. i appreciate your joining us, and i really do wish you and the applicants a lot of good luck and hopefully making a match. >> thank you so much. we really appreciate the interest. >> thank you. barb. >> all right. time now to turn things over to roberta gonzalez. she is in the weather center. and roberta, we're looking at a warm up over the next several days. >> oh, yeah. can we say spring fever? and by the way, i love that interview just now. gasia with great america. if i had great america near me when i was growing up, i would have applied there for sure. >> absolutely. >> instead, i was selling enchiladas outside my dad's construction site. it's true.

hi, everybody, and good afternoon to you. how about the rainfall amounts? well, they have been taking place well to the north of santa rosa. let's talk. willits i love willits. have you ever ridden the skunk train to willits? it's so much fun. oh, you got to do it. it is so much fun. you can jump on it in fort bragg, okay. and in hopland to the north. also 12/100 of an inch of rain. lots of viewers there. lots of friends there. hi. and meanwhile, lake sonoma, just over a 10th and only a trace in santa rosa. this area of low pressure is quite anemic as it bangs up against the pacific northwest. now, don't get me wrong. in the northwestern quadrant of the state, we're seeing plentiful rain showers around crescent city, even a smattering of some snow near shasta. and it looks like, for the most part, all the energy is falling apart as it races through the bay area. here's our latest observation. this is live data, and you can see that frontal boundary pushing through the eastern portion of our bay area, anywhere from bethel island to discovery bay, then banking across tracy into manteca and heading towards the

high sierra. if you see any snow, it will just be a dusting. meanwhile, there you have some light precipitation around the santa clara valley as well. this is our live weather camera and these clouds are roughly down to about 2300ft. trying to squeeze out some drizzle, i stuck my head out the door. we do have light drizzle around the oakland area, 53 degrees backing through alameda. it's in the 50s across the peninsula. it is 62 degrees in san jose. winds are calm at mineta international airport. same right now around hayward. but don't get me wrong, these winds will increase later today out of the west to 15. and then tonight we will have an occasional gust with the passage of this front up to 25mph. so here we go. one does it clear out 8:00 tonight? you have mainly clear skies around the bay area, so the temperatures tonight will dip a little bit cooler than last night when we had that blanket of cloud cover. meanwhile, temperatures today average high in santa rosa 63.

pretty spot on for this time of the year. same around san francisco. livermore. your high today, 6263 apiece in palo alto and in san jose. go ahead, pick out your neighborhood. how about 62 degrees today? and throughout castro valley and low 60s around belmont, burlingame and also backing through la honda and 63 degrees in sunnyvale and cupertino and in campbell. next time around, andre, i'm going to answer your question about the temperatures and spring fever and when we should all expect it. >> well, there have been four major aviation disasters in north america, including one today. how aviation experts are preparing passen rs for t ir

[ding] [upbeat music] ♪ yeah, baby, i like it like that ♪ ♪ i like it like that, i like it like that ♪ ♪ si a ti te quiero mi amor, i like it like that ♪ ♪ eeeeeh, baby, i said i like it like that ♪ ♪ stomp your feet if you think i'm neat ♪ ♪ clap your hands if you want some more ♪ ♪ i said i like it like that ♪

into our newsroom, we've learned the two planes that collided in mid-air over arizona were fixed wing aircraft. the federal aviation administration says a lancair aircraft crashed into a cessna 172 in the marana regional airport on the outskirts of tucson. one plane landed uneventfully, we're told, while the other crashed and caught fire. that's the record you're looking at here. according to the faa. the airport is uncontrolled. that means that the airport does not have an operating control tower. this is the fourth major aviation disaster in north america in the last month. meantime, the latest commercial

aviation disaster in north america. that delta airliner that crash landed in toronto. compelling new video, now giving us a better idea of just how the plane landed upside down with its wing clipped ktvu. tom vacar reports. for us. >> this is the moment when a delta regional jet with 80 on board, who all survived, slammed, landed at toronto, canada's pearson airport. the now viral video was posted on x by air plus news with hundreds of thousands of views. aviation accident attorney and pilot mary schiavo, a former inspector general of the u.s. department of transportation, which oversees the federal aviation administration, explains it this way. >> this plane was coming extremely fast, or, as they like to say in the biz, hot. and it landed very close to the end of the runway. it came in very fast, and it just pancaked down on that runway. >> much of the fire came from the wing. >> the commercial aircraft are wet wings. that's, you know, that's where the fuel is. that's

where the fuel is kept. >> many modern aircraft. >> professor michael mccormick, who teaches at embry-riddle aeronautical university in florida, says as the wing broke off the jet, which then rolled over, the wing did what it was designed to do. >> if the forces on the wings are enough to break the wing off because it's frangible, then that fuel source will actually not be a part of the fuselage. and that way you won't have the fuel in and around the fuselage and then cause additional risk to the passengers. >> in extreme circumstances. wing and tail structures are designed to separate from airliners in crashes, where the extremely rare event of a rollover happens. >> but then you see it turn in the right wing break off in this huge explosion. so we know the wing separated at that point. the luck of the draw as to how it came out. >> it had to be a very hard hit.

aircraft wings are remarkably flexible to handle the constant buffeting they encounter in flight. in this airbus test video, an airliner's wing is pulled up 17ft from its normal flying position to assure even the strongest turbulence will not separate the wing from the rest of the plane. a key question. why did the experienced pilots attempt to land in severe weather? >> some of the reports actually put the winds above this aircraft's ratings for crosswind landings. i'm predicting that they will say that this wasn't a stabilized approach, and the pilot should have broken off. don't go around. tried again. >> tom vacar ktvu fox two news. >> as there is increased concern about airplane safety, aviation experts are reminding passengers about what's being done to help prevent and respond to potential emergencies in the air. experts stress that flying remains the safest form of travel. pilots

and airport management go through special emergency response training, and passengers can also help limit injuries in a crisis. >> wearing our seat belts. making sure our chair is fully up because that will allow a full space to egress if needed. wearing closed toed shoes and also dress for the weather that where you're flying into is great. best practices to do when you're flying. >> aviation experts say if an evacuation does happen, flight attendants may need help from passengers to help make sure everyone gets off safely and quickly. >> getting a speeding ticket without ever interacting with a police officer. one neighborhood in san francisco gets a new camera that will catch you even when no one is looking. >> across country investigation with bay area ties involving a series of killings. what we know about the cult like group known as the

in the san francisco neighborhood, even when there's no officer in sight. the camera was installed at geary boulevard and seventh avenue in the richmond district this morning. the location was selected due to high crash rates and significant speeding issues. walk san francisco says it worked with traffic victims for six years to pass legislation to approve these cameras. >> people that shared their stories. the victims of traffic violence, the ones that lost children and siblings and moms

and dads. those are the ones. those are the stories that change hearts and minds. >> 33 intersections will eventually get these cameras. they're expected to be up and running by next month. well, oakland voters are learning more about some of the candidates for mayor at a forum in front of a sold out crowd. three of the ten mayoral candidates answered questions from the audience. former congresswoman barbara lee, former councilmember lauren taylor and neil webb, a former chief of staff for recalled mayor shengtao, responded to questions about how to make oakland a, quote, safe and affordable city. >> it has to be clean. it has to be safe, and we have to be full of opportunities. that is it, the core. >> i fought against the corruption of the stealing and the misuse of our tax dollars. when i was working for the recalled mayor. >> i'll be a hands on mayor. i'll bring leadership on to unify the city and really address the budget issues and really fight for residents of oakland.

>> the special election for selecting a new mayor is scheduled for april 15th. the new mayor will serve the rest of the current term, which ends january of 2027. well, now to a cross country homicide investigation with bay area ties. three people arrested on the east coast and appeared in court. >> authorities say they're tied to a series of killings, in part of a cult like group known as the ians. ktvu betty yu has more on the group and the bay area connection. >> this trio was arrested in maryland sunday after a resident reported suspicious people parked in two box trucks and requesting a camp on private property for a month. two of them were wearing gun belts with ammunition. the guns are linked to several deadly incidents, including a double homicide in pennsylvania. a shootout in vermont, and two knife attacks on a man in vallejo. jack lasota, a blogger and computer programmer, is believed to be the leader of the lasota once lived in berkeley. she identifies as transgender. in

2022, it's believed lasota faked her own death. an online obituary mentioned a boating accident near half moon bay, though her body was never recovered during a coast guard search. an abandoned boat once belonging to lasota rem a pillar point harbor today. michelle zajko was also arrested in maryland on sunday. both zajko and lasota are facing charges of trespassing, obstruction and possessing a handgun. a third suspect, daniel blank, is facing charges of trespassing and obstruction. the trio had been on the run since 2023, when investigators were searching for leads in the double homicide of zac sos parents in pennsylvania. a linkedin page that appears to be blank listed him as a graduate of monta vista high school and uc berkeley with a degree in computer science. he recently worked as a software engineer. his last known address is in sacramento, though his parents reportedly live in the east bay.

blanks father told me via text that he believes his son became a victim of a cult. he added that blank is not accused of any serious crimes. he wrote daniel used to be very gentle and sensitive, incapable of violence. the ians are also connected to the killing of u.s. border patrol agent david malin near the canadian border in january this year, and the 2022 stabbing of a man named curtis lynn, a landlord in vallejo. police say lynn was attempting to evict tenants, including lasota, when he was stabbed through the chest with a samurai sword and partially blinded. lynn shot back at his attackers, killing one of them. lynn was then killed in a stabbing last month. three other members of the are currently in police custody in solano county. 22 year old maximillian snyder has been charged with murder, which prosecutors say was part of a plot to prevent him from testifying in court. snyder had recently applied for a marriage license with teresa youngblood,

who is accused of murdering the border patrol agent in vermont. a passenger in her vehicle was also killed. uc berkeley professor poulomi saha, who teaches a class on cults and pop culture, shared her thoughts on the case. >> we are watching unfold a really interesting phenomenon, which is a group that we want to call a cult, that seems to have its life primarily on the internet. as more and more people live on the internet, build communities, build deep, intense relationships, i think we're looking at a shift in how we understand social relationships. >> lasota is attorney has not confirmed any further details. a judge has ordered all three suspects to be held without bail. in the newsroom, betty yu, ktvu, fox two news. >> why do people fall under the spell of cults? the psychology behind these groups is more complex than many might think. i spoke to an expert about the tactics, the control and the red flags. richard, we've heard of

cults like sex cults, things like that. this particular cult apparently centered around ai and computers and things like that. i mean, it is that interesting to you that that this was used as, as kind of this catalyst for, for this possible cult like behavior and pulling people into this group. >> i think any apocalyptic or catastrophic future prediction has the tendency to be used by cults to create a sense of urgency and questionability in what they are proposing as their beliefs, or as the way to live. right now, ai is very much in the forefront of our thoughts. as a society of what are the potentials for it, but also what are the risks for it? and while it may not be, you know, a classic religious apocalypse of god ending the world, i think that there is a there's enough fear of a future catastrophe or

future. the way that we understand life as we know it is going to come to an end, that it makes sense that that would garner enough energy around it for people to fall prey to that. >> so if you are warning people about, you know, you're just informing people, hey, this is what you should look out for. if you're telling a child this or your child this, you would say, these are the type of things that someone could use, even if it was something about the cult of cars, the dangers of cars they would use a sort of apocalyptic term to get people to be afraid and join this cult and do what they want these people to do. >> yeah. i mean, the tricky thing about cults is it doesn't come down to the actual beliefs. it comes down to the behaviors and the systems of influence and control. so any belief system, any worldview can be. the easiest ones are ones that have a lot of. black and white to them, like politics or religion,

where people have a lot of very strong opinions or very strong beliefs about them. but any belief system could potentially be by a cult. and, you know, if i'm if i'm talking with people about how to inoculate themselves against cults, i'm often pointing to looking at the influence and the behaviors of the cult like, does the does the group try to control your everyday behavior? do they have these rules that tell you how to dress, who you can have relationships with, what kinds of things you can read or access? do they forbid or punish or even threaten a mythical punishment, such as a damnation or bad luck for questioning the group's beliefs, their rules, or their leaders? does the group claim to have access to special knowledge or an exclusive means of accessing salvation, enlightenment, goodness, or of surviving or escaping some catastrophic future? do they make you feel or believe you'll be damned or lost? or that bad

things will happen if you try to leave? >> so in short, not not necessarily what the belief is, but what the belief is making you do or what the group is making you do as a result of believing that. >> yes. like are the rules. is the influence shutting down your ability to have sort of reality checks of other influences outside of yourself, other sources of information outside of the group? are they, you know, making you feel fear about questioning the group or terror at the idea of leaving? are they making you feel like they're the only ones that can love and accept you, or helpl potential?e that. >> rachel, a licensed clinical mental health counselor. thank you so much for joining us and sharing with us some important information in light of this latest news. >> thank you. >> all right. >> the thought of a human life perishing by flame. you know, it's just i, you know, i was just like, i'm not going to let

this happen. >> a police officer risks his life to save a woman from a burning pickup. how? he acted just in time. the roads. >> are damp. we have heavy drizzle and the effect on the evening commute. your bay area forecast is up right after this brief time

♪ ♪ dreams begin here. welcome to the goodnight club. (fisher investments) at fisher investments we may look like other money managers, dreams begin here. but we're different. (other money manager) how so?

(fisher investments) we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client'' best interest. (fisher investments) so we don't sell any commission-based products. (other money manager) then how do you make money? (fisher investments) we have a simple management fee, structured so we do better when our clients do better. (other money manager) your clients really come first then, huh? fisher investments: yes. we make them a top priority, by getting to know their finances, family, health, lifestyle and more. (other money manager) wow, maybe we are different. (fisher investments) at fisher investments, we're clearly different. in the overnight hours for people who live and work near moss landing, they were told to close their windows and doors because of a flare up at the

vistra energy battery storage plant. new video here. from that flare up that prompted the alert about 830 last night. last month, a large fire burned for days at the same facility. the initial fire caused some evacuations in nearby neighborhoods. county leaders say the flare up had some light smoke coming from the burned area. no word yet as to when the current warning will be lifted. pga is laying out a new plan to underground several power lines in south san jose. the utility announced the plan this morning as crews were busy working to underground a mile of power lines near the almaden expressway and camden avenue. pga says the project will remove transmission lines from a high risk fire area and significantly reduce outages for nearly 10,000 customers currently protected by its enhanced powerline safety settings. those settings shut off power if a hazard is detected to help prevent wildfires here. >> the electrical circuit that serves these communities, the 6101 line, passes through both urban and high fire risk areas. so in this case, we want to keep the safety settings in the high

fire risk area, but reduce the impact of eps outages in the urbanized neighborhoods. >> pga says once the power line is underground, it 15 steel transmission towers in the area will be removed. >> the holiday weekend gave a much needed boost to businesses along the santa cruz wharf. last week's storm and high surf warning shut down the wharf, including on valentine's day, but it reopened saturday once large waves were no longer a threat. businesses say while closing for valentine's day was a loss for them, the longer holiday weekend and big events made up for it. >> but i think because there was valentine's day weekend and presidents day on monday, it gave an extra long weekend for lots of people to come in and lots of foot traffic on the wharf. >> officials have said wharf closures are simply the new normal after a portion of the pier collapsed back in december because of high surf. well, the mayor of los angeles, sitting down for her very first

television interview since the southern california wildfires. mayor karen bass faced criticism over the city's preparedness early on in talking with fox's alex michaelson. she said she made a mistake in leaving the city days before the fires broke out. she was asked by the white house to attend an inauguration for president. >> in the white house, called and asked me if i would represent the president. i said yes, it was going to be a very, very short trip. >> what do you mean? there were warnings you weren't aware of? because i know we were talking about it on the news. a lot of people were talking about the problems. >> it didn't reach that level to me to say something terrible could happen. and maybe you shouldn't have gone on the trip. >> mayor bass returned to los angeles a day after the fires started. she says the l.a. fire chief did not warn her in advance of the dangerous fire conditions, and plans to find out why those preparations were not made. governor gavin newsom is proposing $125 million in mortgage relief to victims of recent natural disasters. the governor says this would help homeowners whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged by

recent natural disasters, including the park fire in butte county and the palisades and eaton fires. if approved, the program would provide mortgage relief to homeowners at risk of foreclosure and whose property was destroyed or substantially damaged as a result of a declared emergency dating back to january 1st of 2023. california's housing finance agency will consider this proposal tomorrow. >> there is growing debate over president trump's proposal to end the production of pennies. the proposal comes as americans are increasingly turning to credit cards and virtual payments over cash and coins. doing away with the penny while the u.s. mint reports that one penny cost more than $0.03 to make. some experts say cutting back on pennies would lead to higher costs in other areas. >> nickel actually costs a lot more to produce than the penny. it's almost $0.14 per nickel produced. so as we increase our reliance on nickels because they're going to be the smallest unit, it actually is going to increase costs for the government. >> it's still not clear if it's

within the president's power to end the minting of the pennies. >> well, president trump, he instructed the department of justice to fire all remaining u.s. attorneys appointed by president biden. the doj has already fired the top federal prosecutor based in san francisco. in his first interview since losing his job, former u.s. attorney izzy ramsey spoke with ktvu political reporter greg lee about what he's proud of, what's next, and what he's seeing at the doj. >> it really was an honor of a lifetime, and it was unique for me, having grown up here as well. >> ismael izzy ramsey, reflecting on his nearly two years serving as u.s. attorney for the northern district of california. among his priorities, while the region's top federal prosecutor and all hands on deck approach to cracking down on fentanyl, dealers. >> lives are being lost. we're being lost in large numbers. so i thought it was important for the federal government to bring its resources to bear. >> ramsey also touts his office's work on corporate fraud as well as corruption

investigations into the antioch and pittsburg police department, as well as the bureau of prisons. >> we're going to try to keep people safe and ensure public safety. we have to make sure that the people who are tasked with in giving this power to police society are doing it appropriately and not doing it through racial animus or or abusing abusing women. >> this is a new doj. >> president trump fired ramsey last week. he joins a list of biden appointed u.s. attorneys across the nation who resigned or were let go. it is common practice for incoming presidents to drop prosecutors from the last administration. >> i left work on election evening, and i said to the parking attendant, i might get fired tonight. >> as mr. trump and his attorney general, pam bondi, cleaned house at the doj and looked to reshape its priorities. several career prosecutors have resigned, including seven after they were ordered to drop the corruption case against new york city mayor eric adams. ramsey

said he didn't know the specifics of the case, but spoke broadly about the job of these prosecutors. >> people with high integrity have been in these positions for years across administrations who approach it with what they say. prosecuting without fear or favor. i hope that, you know, whatever political happenings in washington will not deter people from from that mission. it's important for our country, public safety. you know, democracy. >> the president and attorney general brushed off questions about the fallout. >> so when you say resign, they're going to be gone anyway. but i know nothing about the individual case. i know that they didn't feel it was much of a case. >> we have a right to protect the weaponization against weaponization in new york and every state in this country, and also national security. >> there has been sort of this rhetoric around the doj in the last couple of years that the doj was being, quote, weaponized to seek out political opponents. >> there's not a single u.s.

attorney i've worked with or i talked to in the entire time of my two years who, you know, approached this as a way to weaponize criminal justice system and to use the seat to try to advance the objectives of a particular party on a partizan way. >> ramsey said he's still figuring out what he'll do next, but is confident in the men and women at the u.s. attorney's office in san francisco. leaving them with this message. >> i'd say stay focused on the work and the mission. you're there for public safety and defending the constitution. >> greg lee, ktvu, fox two news. >> we'll turn back now to our bay area weather, our meteorologist, roberto gonzalez, monitoring some changes there. still rain in our region, isn't there? >> absolutely. i think it looks a lot more ominous than what it is outside. but we have picked up exactly what the computer models did suggest. less than a 10th of an inch of rain in la honda, san francisco, petaluma. and there you even have

livermore getting into the action at this time. this is live. it's our data. it's our radar, and it is showing you that the front is passing through the bay area with more copious amounts of precipitation to the north of us, from crescent city through eureka, lining the humboldt county area, backing through mendocino. and there is the frontal boundary watch as it slices through the central valley right there. behind it. a little post-frontal action here in the bay area. it's more like heavy drizzle that's being reported right outside of discovery bay, just by passing livermore and the altamont pass, making tracks towards mountain house and in tracy, and making it into modesto and manteca. you see a little bit of light activity right there, also into the east foothills. and then i wanted to zero in on this. the bay bridge. very cloudy at this particular time, the deck of clouds just rising slightly above 525ft. we know that because that's the pillar on the eastern span. but look at those clouds. they are

dark. temperature wise, 54 degrees in oakland across the bay in the mid 50s in san francisco, it's jumped up to 61 degrees in novato, otherwise 62 now in san jose and sporting 60 degrees in concord. these temperatures are still, for the most part, cooler than 24 hours ago, except across the santa clara valley. so the winds are beginning to increase right now at seven and half moon bay. but look at the north bay numbers as this frontal boundary passes to the east. we have 14 mile per hour winds in novato, 13 in napa, and also at buchanan field. this area of low pressure is pretty anemic, except when it bangs up against that northern portion of the state of california right there as it clips that northwestern corner. that's where we're seeing the most rainfall. okay, so when is the rain going to be out of here? as the rain decreases, we see the clearing of the skies. it becomes mostly clear tonight, overnight, but also as it passes

we see the winds on the increase. and take a look at this. here we go. right now. breezy conditions primarily around the san mateo coast, san francisco, and up north of the north of the golden gate bridge. we see lighter winds to the east of us, but those will increase as the afternoon progresses. at this time tomorrow afternoon. but the bottom line is we are going to warm up today's temperatures into the 60s across the board, except for the immediate sea shore. pacifica back through moss beach into montara, otherwise 64, in morgan hill, bottoming out at 42 tonight. everyone's in the 40s except for a couple of reporting stations, santa rosa and in fairfield. but check this out. we're talking spring fever. we do have temperatures into the 70s by friday into the weekend. just plan your outdoor activities. even though we'll see a few increasing clouds by sunday, you can't beat these temperatures. the 70 are primarily across the santa clara valley, but most of the bay area will get into the action as

well. make it a great afternoon, everyone! >> a major winter storm is threatening cleanup efforts after the weekend's deadly floods. i'm jonathan serri in

i don't ever see anyone coming out to maintenance anything, so it's very scary for me because i have everything i love in this home. so, we've now implemented drone technology. how is that safe for me? it enhances the inspection, so it allows us to see things faster. your safety is the most important,

and if you're feeling unsafe, that's not okay. it doesn't el like that in our hearts. i mean, it's worrisome. [dog barks] [dog barks] ♪ yeah, baby, i like it like that ♪ ♪ you gotta believe me when i tell ya ♪ ♪ i like it like that ♪ ♪ i like it like that, i like it like that ♪

perishing by flame. you know, it's just i, you know, i was just like, i'm not going to let this happen. >> well, that mesa, arizona police officer recounting the moment he and an off duty firefighter risked their lives to pull a woman from a burning pickup truck. officer brian larson made that life saving decision during rush hour traffic yesterday morning. he was on his way to work when a cement truck crashed into this nissan pickup truck, rolling it over with the driver trapped inside. the former marine was the first one there. he grabbed his baton and did what he could to get the driver's side window

to break. >> the thought was, i'm not going to let her burn up. i you know, i was like, i hit it three times. i was like, it seemed like it took forever to try to get this window to break. and i was my thought was, she's not dying. i knew as soon as that window broke, oxygen was going to get in there, and it was just going to engulf. and i looked out the corner of my eye and it was just off duty fireman. and he's got all his fire retardant gear on. right place, right time, i guess. >> well, the woman can be heard saying, help me, help me. she was taken to the hospital and expected to make a full recovery. >> the pope is alert and responsive as he receives treatment for pneumonia in the hospital. the vatican says pope francis's heart is responding very positively to treatment, and that he's now breathing without the need of permanent oxygen support. the 88 year old pope was admitted to the hospital friday after a week long bout of bronchitis worsened. millions of americans are bracing for another round of winter weather this week, as fox's jonathan siri reports.

conditions in kentucky and tennessee are threatening to disrupt flood recovery efforts there. >> another winter storm is sweeping across the country this week, and it's bringing snow, ice and bitter cold temperatures to places starting to clean up from deadly weekend floods. >> it's been dangerous so far. i know we've lost a couple of people to hypothermia recently. >> here in kentucky, forecasters expect roughly half a foot of snow to fall. the conditions are threatening to impact rescue missions still taking place across the state. officials say more than 1000 rescues have taken place so far. and as temperatures fall, utility crews are scrambling to restore power to hundreds of homes and businesses. >> where we know it's going to be out the next couple of days. again, very important to make sure those people are are safe and likely out of their house, either with relatives in a state park or another warm, dry place. >> more than two dozen states are under similar snow and ice alerts this week. in texas, crews have been working around the clock to treat and clear

roads. >> we're covering this 24 hours a day. all of our crew members are on call, so we are using anybody and everybody to fight this storm. >> forecasters say by thursday, temperatures could reach record lows in several southern states. cold weather shelters are already filling up, and some are preparing to house hundreds of people before the storm is over. >> me and my husband and my son. we have service dogs and they have to be within us. >> here in kentucky. officials are urging residents to limit travel and to prepare emergency kits with flashlights and blankets. in fulton, kentucky, jonathan terry ktvu, fox two news. >> so at any minute now, president trump is set to speak in miami at an investment conference hosted by saudi arabia's sovereign wealth fund. [music] a live picture now from the conference, titled future investment initiative institute priority summit. several billionaires are set to be in attendance, too, along with president trump. there is

another in attendance who has recently been making headlines. we're talking about the ceo of tiktok, sho chu. the two have publicly been working with one another following the app's ban last month. >> we'll take a quick pause here before our next newscast. a reminder you can stream all of our newscasts and get much more content from the ktvu newsroom by turning to that fox local app. i know these d k clouds lo [music] to. yeah. >> hey everybody. welcome to like it or not, i'm your host, greg lee. you know the show, we fill the series of questions to our panel. they tell us if they like it or not. without further ado, let's meet our panel all the way from the south bay. wordsmith himself. jesse. gary. jesse, thanks for being here. looking sharp as always. thank you sir. the talented and the beautiful rosemary oroczo rosemary oroczo all the way from the weather center. [laughter] thank you. and the incomparable host of west coast rap alex savage syndicated program. alex, thanks for being