to the verdict there in santa cruz in novato. three suspects have been charged with kidnaping a man from a skilled nursing facility, all in an effort to gain control of the victim's finances. police say the three suspects took 60 year old dean birx out the back of the facility in a wheelchair. a nurse who tried to stop the crime ended up getting attacked. the suspects, one of whom is a relative, have been charged with burglary, kidnaping, conspiracy and false imprisonment of an elder or dependent adult. and more protests across the country over cuts to government spending and the department of government efficiency, federal workers union leaders and democratic lawmakers rallied right outside the department of health and human services in washington, d.c. under elon musk, the department of government efficiency, or doge, has cut thousands of federal jobs through buyouts and layoffs, including scientists working on critical health care research. those protests have also stretched to san francisco, where tonight, federal workers

were among those protesting doge related cuts. >> layoffs, cutbacks. they're the worst. >> time to put the people first. >> layoffs, cutbacks. they're the worst. >> a large crowd, including union members, gathered outside a tesla shop right there on van ness avenue. they say the federal layoffs are part of a deliberate strategy to dismantle public services and replace them with for profit corporate control. >> it's not a democrat issue. this is not a republican issue. this is a worker issue. >> you. if you work, if you're retired. >> this is your issue. you need to stand up and fight back like you never have before. >> tonight, the protesters say that these cuts will lead to benefits and services also being cut for seniors and veterans. and a similar scene in colma, where about a dozen protesters gathered right in front of a tesla showroom on collins avenue, most of them holding up

signs expressing support for federal workers and sharing messages critical of elon musk and president trump. now, despite the widespread protests, elon musk is defending those cuts, claiming it will have a positive impact on the economy. he spoke about it in part two of a sean hannity interview alongside president trump that aired tonight. >> if we address the massive deficit spending, the sort of the waste in the government, then then we can actually address inflation. if you cut back on the deficit, you actually have an amazing situation for people because you get you get rid of inflation and you drop the interest rates. and that means people's mortgage payments go down, the credit card payments go down, the card payments go down, the student loans go down. everything their their life becomes more affordable. >> doge claims its cost cutting has saved americans $55 billion in federal funds. but so far it's only publicly disclosed

cuts amounting to less than $9 billion. and as we continue to monitor the developments coming out of the white house, you can keep track by downloading the fox local app. it is available for free on your phone and smart tv. today, a jury in santa cruz made the decision to keep convicted killer adrian gonzalez in prison for at least another two years, saying he is just too dangerous to be released. it is a case that shocked the community. gonzalez, 15 years old at the time, was convicted of killing eight year old maddie middleton in 2015. ktvu lamonica peters has the story. >> madison middleton was eight years old in 2015 when she was sexually assaulted and murdered in santa cruz by then 15 year old adrian gonzalez. gonzalez has spent nearly the last decade in custody, and on wednesday, a jury decided he will spend at least two more years behind bars. >> my heart goes to maddie's mom, laura, that in two years this just took seven months of her life. the last seven months

have been dedicated to this hearing, and to think that she would have to face that again every two years. >> under state senate bill 1391, gonzalez would have been automatically released from custody when he turned 25. gonzalez can also ask to be released on parole every two years, due to the violent nature of his crime. prosecutors asked a jury to deny his release because they believe he is still a danger to the community. >> for the defense. the underlying crime was so horrific it was difficult to overcome. so i think what you saw here is the defense setting the stage for another shot at parole in two years. >> legal analyst steve clark says gonzalez took the stand during the hearing, describing how he murdered middleton and believes that left an impression on the jury. gazelle parsons says she lived near the family when the girl was killed, and now she wants sb 1391 changed.

>> i think there at least needs to be an exception for when a crime is this brutal, you know? and when somebody is this much of a danger, it can't just be a blanket statement. >> i reached out to the santa cruz county da's office for comment, and they simply stated that gonzalez will not be released at this time. i also reached out to gonzalez's defense attorney for comment, but he didn't respond in time for this report. lamonica peters ktvu, fox two news. >> in 2019, governor brown signed senate bill 1391 into law. the law that, in turn, led to this months long trial there in santa cruz. earlier tonight, we spoke to david ball, a santa clara university law professor specializing in criminal law, about the bills core purpose. >> part of the other rationale behind this was that there were geographic disparities and also racial disparities in terms of who was whose cases were filed in adult court. >> the professor says rolling back on the tough on crime trend of the 1980s also played a part

in that senate bill. the marin county sheriff's office says it has seen a spike in internet and phone scams, specifically targeting targeting older adults. the sheriff's office says in some cases, the victims receive a pop up on a computer claiming to be from a bank with a phone number to call. deputies say when the victim calls the number, the person on the other end of the line asks them to withdraw money from their bank. while each incident is unique, sheriff's deputies say they have identified commonalities in many of the cases. >> the two most common that we've had recently have been a bail scam, where someone will call and either claim to be working for a sheriff's department or at the jail, and that a loved one was recently arrested and that they need to post bail money. the other scam that happens very often is they get a pop up or some sort of an electronic alert saying that there was fraud on their bank accounts or some antivirus software pops up and there's a number or email address that they requested to contact. the t calling any phone number

provided on pop ups or alerts. and if a caller claims to be from a bank or law enforcement, hang up and call your bank directly. law enforcement officials also say they would never call to request financial withdrawals. a $1 billion medical campus is coming to emeryville. sutter health making that announcement saying it will build new cutting edge facilities. ktvu is betty yu has more on what thousands of patients can soon expect. >> this lot on 53rd and horton streets in emeryville will turn into a brand new flagship sutter health hospital, with at least 200 beds in 2033. it will include emergency services, an icu and private patient rooms. two existing buildings nearby will house outpatient services and specialty clinics. in 2028. >> emeryville was selected because of this ideal campus 12 acres, two buildings to provide ambulatory. we really want to be able to improve access for patients, to make appointments, get the most advanced care possible in the time that they

need it. >> it plans to hire at least 100 doctors and clinicians. >> when we talk about state of the art facilities, we're talking about advanced imaging care, advanced operating rooms. we also can provide advanced ambulatory surgery programs and then also in the clinical space, be able to provide services, procedures, care with really the latest technology. >> the new medical center will replace acute care services at the alta bates ashby campus in berkeley. sutter health had said it intended to close the hospital by 2030, because it's out of compliance with the state's seismic safety standards. after the move to emeryville, the berkeley site will be repurposed as an ambulatory surgery center, urgent care clinic and possibly a skilled nursing facility. the city of emeryville said it welcomes the new development, as sutter health will be the city's largest employer.

>> i think that the very fact that it's going to bring it's likely going to double the employment, the traffic coming into our city. so i think it's definitely going to be a very good, very good economic stimulator. >> sutter health says it currently serves about 480,000 patients in the east bay. and with this new campus, they can nearly double it to about 800,000 patients. in emeryville, betty yu, ktvu, fox two news. >> the san francisco department of public health says it is continuing to see a decline in overdose deaths. the city says the medical examiner reported 59 overdose deaths last month. that is a 17% decrease from january of last year, but deaths are up from december, when the city saw 49. public health leaders say they're also working to address disparities. nearly a third of overdose deaths are among african americans, who make up

just 6% of the city's population. new developments in a case that gripped the nation, four college students murdered in idaho tonight. the dna evidence that can now be used in court against the suspected killer. and protecting children from being exploited by their parents in social media content. in tonight's west coast rap, the bill that stems from fallout over a former social media influencer for all those making it big out there... ...shouldn't your mobile service be able to keep up with you? get wifi speeds up to a gig at home and on the go. introducing powerboost, only from xfinity mobile. now that's big. xfinity internet customers, cut your mobile bill in half vs. t-mobile, verizon, and at&t for your first year. plus, ask how to get the new samsung galaxy s25+ on us.

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in another deadly plane crash in less than a month. it happened right near marana regional airport, just northwest of tucson, arizona. this story does begin tonight's west coast rap. it happened when two small planes collided mid-air just before 830 this morning. two people were on board each plane. one plane was able to land. the other crashed, killing both on board. the national transportation safety board says it believes the planes collided while the cessna was attempting to land. an aviation expert noted the difference in the two types of planes, especially when it comes to speed. >> a lamborghini or a corvette are really hot sports car, whereas the cessna 172 more like a family car. >> the small regional airport has no air traffic control tower and relies on pilots to communicate their movements over the radio. new developments in the murders of four university of idaho students. a judge denied a defense motion to throw

out dna evidence that prosecutors say links brian kohberger to the crime scene. prosecutors say genetic material was found on a knife sheath at the home where the students were stabbed to death in 2022. investigators say they used trash collected from kohberger's family home to match him as a suspect. now, the defense argued that kohberger's constitutional rights were violated because his dna was collected without a warrant. the judge found no expectation of privacy when it comes to evidence collected at a crime scene. and a bill working its way through utah state legislature is designed to protect children involved in social media content. utah representative doug owens authored the bill in response to a few incidents involving children who have been used primarily by their parents in online content. the bill requires content creators who make $150,000 a year from content featuring children, to set aside 15% into a trust fund, and gives those children the

right to the money, and to ask social media platforms to take down the content when they turn 18 years old. that's something kevin frank, the ex-husband of convicted abuser and former influencer ruby frank, says his daughter wanted to see. >> really? you're selling your life, your privacy, your body and stories to the entire world. and as a child, you're involuntarily giving up all of that. >> the bill has changed since it was first introduced, as utah based social media influencers have pushed back on it. the bill passed unanimously, and it now heads to the full state house of representatives for consideration. and you can hear about the west coast top stories every weekday right here on ktvu. west coast wrap with alex savage here at 7:00 monday through friday. or you can always find around the clock coverage right there at west coast rap.com. bay area celebrity chef tyler florence has left san francisco's union square, less than two years after signing a three year deal and receiving a grant from the

city to open two new cafes. tyler florence opened the miller and lux location in 2023. at the time, saying he wanted to be a part of the neighborhood's economic recovery. the chef received a $440,000 grant from the city as part of this deal. former board of supervisors president aaron peskin said he had concerns about the deal at the time. >> i hope that the mayor really holds rec and park and the office of economic development accountable and asked tough questions and gets real answers and structures future leases in a way where folks like tyler florence will be held accountable. >> san francisco's rec and parks department released a statement reading here in part. miller and lux stepped into the space with a pop up during a critical time for the area, bringing energy and great food when it was needed most. while they've made the decision to move on, we're grateful for their time here and optimistic about the future of these cafe spaces. the office of economic and workforce development says a $2 million

grant from the state for improvements to the cafe spaces will continue, and those spaces will be ready for the next tenant. local bakery be stepped in for the chinese new year and nba all star weekend. the rec and parks department said the pop up was indeed a success. still to come here at 11, moving forward with transit projects at a faster pace, the newly proposed bill, designed to speed up big infrastructure plans across california. plus more snow in the sierra, making for slick conditions out there on the roadways. we take a look at where drivers may need those chains. >> and i'm checking in on the forecast. i'll see you back here in a few minutes. it's going to warm up around here. we' look i'm not happy with the way that pg&e handled the wildfires. yeah. yeah. i totally, totally understand. we're adding a ton of sensors.

as soon as something comes in contact with the power line, it'll turn off so that there's not a risk that it's gonna fall to the ground and start a fire. okay. and i want you to be able to feel the improvements. we've been able to reduce wildfire risk from our equipment by over 90%. that's something i want to believe. [skateboard sounds] it's a bank holiday in the uk no one's been paid you missed a new payment regulation in argentina! you just got stiffed on the rupee exchange rate australia's pay day was yesterday we miscalculated employees' taxes in germany john john john, relax it's just a workmare we use papaya global to pay our workers ♪ ♪

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area this morning. i know how to trace in my yard and in the sierra. meantime, enough snow fell earlier today to need chains on the road. this video posted by caltrans this afternoon showing a pretty snowy interstate out there. at last check. all chain controls though tonight have been lifted, and we're already seeing a boost in water levels in some local reservoirs from last week's storms. storage capacity looking very good across the board. according to recent measurements from the california data exchange center, folsom lake, currently at 70% capacity. lake shasta just a bit ahead at 78%. lake oroville and the new melones reservoir really great shape, clocking 84 and 80%, respectively. these levels expected to increase once snow melt comes down to the reservoirs this coming spring. with that, we check in with our chief meteorologist, bill martin. always a good sign we get those numbers up. >> yeah, and they do move. there's a lot of flood control like in oroville and shasta, so they keep them low. so i think if they didn't they weren't keep they keep them low.

>> they'd be at 100. >> yeah they'd be they'd be 99. >> so they're releasing. >> yeah. yeah. so they actually are releasing right now. absolutely. so around here we did get a little sprinkle activity. they got a little snow in the mountains as well. just enough to say oh winter's here but it's gone now because it's going to warm up. these are the highs from today. highs tomorrow are going to be back into the mid upper 60s. maybe a low 70 down towards salinas and morgan hill. and then we get into mid 70s on the weekend. so it's going to feel pretty darn springlike around here, not just for a day or two, but for a bunch of days, because we've got a dry pattern. the long range models are sinking up saying it's not going to rain south of cape mendocino for down here for until the early part of march. maybe it's got the first week of march kind of dry for the most part. now everything up above point arena and then this area there will be rain like crescent city. got a good amount of rain today, over an inch and a half. they're going to get a couple more inches here as this next flurry of weather comes in. we're just on the southern end,

so we're going to stay dry. we're going to stay warm during the day and mild to cool at night. but no crazy overnight lows, which is pleasant. so the weather headline i think is warmer. that's in the long, you know, down the road and then dry for a while, dry for a while, and won't see anything in southern california. as i mentioned, this pattern has set them up with some santa ana wind conditions. but because they've got all that rain last week, it's not code red. it's not red flag warning stuff. they maybe they'll put they'll post one up. but in terms of fire danger, much, much, much, much, much lessened over what happened a few weeks ago at the palisades event when they had these very strong winds and then dry, everything was just dry. it hadn't rained down there in months, but it had just rained down there last week. so the forecast model, there's tomorrow or yeah, tomorrow night and then there's tomorrow. not going to show much of anything, just some clouds. and then there's friday morning or friday evening or saturday morning, a little bit of valley fog. you get the

picture. it's going to be nice. so you're going to hear it's gonna be one of those weekends, especially sunday, saturday, sunday into monday, where you're going to hear birds and bees are going to start coming out, the plants are going to start to bloom. some of those cherry blossoms will start to pop. it's just going to be that weekend, and it lasts right through into early part of next week, maybe into the first week in march. mike. >> all right, bill, thank you. state senator scott wiener introduced legislation in hopes of streamlining permitting for major transit projects in california. senate bill 445 would contain costs and cut delays in delivering major public transportation projects. this bill would impose deadlines on local governments and public and private utilities to comply with the permitting process, and granting transit agencies authority to begin construction, even if those deadlines are not met. this would apply to big infrastructure projects, including california's high speed rail. all right, here's a look at the stories trending tonight there@ktvu.com. one of our top stories, a kaiser permanente patient suing the bay

area health care giant saying he was sexually assaulted by a medical assistant during a surgery last year. also, after 35 years, a rape and murder cold case in contra costa county has been solved. officials named the suspect john lopardi, after officials say his dna was found on the victim's body. and oakland police say they've made an arrest in connection to a hit and run that killed a leading sociology scholar at uc berkeley. you can find these stories and a lot more, all of it right there@ktvu.com. >> the annual celebration of black vintners is

i guess what i'm looking for from you is, i mean, i know how the fire affected me, and there's always a constant fear that who's to say something like that won't happen again? that's fair. we committed to underground, 10,000 miles of electric line. you look back at where we were 10 years ago and we are in a completely different place today, and it's because of how we need to care for our communities and our customers. i hope that's true. [joe] that's my commitment. [ambient noise] to recognize black history month with an annual celebration that aims to shine a light on black owned wineries in the country

and right here in the bay area as well. ktvu is amber lee spoke with the founder of black vines about the importance of the event. >> elissa harrington executive chef joseph perry at the claremont hotel prepares steak free. >> just a little bit of salt. >> a special dish that will be featured on friday during the black vines festival weekend. >> it's a great social dish. it's something you can share. if you're hungry, you can enjoy it yourself. >> shaved prime rib with steak fries served with truffle aioli and cheddar cheese. >> it is a decadent, indulgent dish that you can definitely feel yourself up on. >> the event will be held in the lobby bar of the hotel. it's part of the weekend long festival celebrating black excellence with food and wine, highlighting the skills of artists and vintners. >> this is rose petal. it's 75% roses and 25% hibiscus flowers. >> ali shows me the wines she makes at her livermore winery.

she says she's one of only six vintners in the country who makes wine from flowers. >> it's great to be a creative, and then it's also great to share what you've created. >> we're here to make sure that you guys have a platform. >> for founded black vines 14 years ago, to create the annual festival to break barriers and inspire black youth. >> when you see someone who looks like you doing things that you never even imagined. it then opens up your options. >> and show people that wine is accessible to everyone. this year's event includes a wine tasting and food event to be held on eighth street in berkeley, and black vines will offer wines at the black joy parade in oakland on sunday. >> we've introduced hundreds, thousands of folks to black owned vineyards and winemakers and artisans, musicians, artists. >> black vines kicks off its festival on thursday at the oakland museum of california, but strout recommends the event here at the claremont to be held

on friday. that way, you can get a taste of the festival without having to pay the price of admission. in berkeley, amber lee, ktvu, fox two news. >> new at 11 the san francisco fire department made a special visit to some students today. the new fire chief, dean crispin, brought engine 33 to jose ortega elementary school and to visit its climate change club. chief crispin talked to the students about climate change and its effects on firefighting. students were also able to take a look at the engine and learn helpful fire safety tips. the san francisco police department is now helping teach children discipline and respect through martial arts. the police department launched its new judo program every wednesday. two officers will offer classes to children who live in the tenderloin. the district is home to the most children in the city, but also the most crime. the goal of the program really is to give youth an escape while teaching them valuable skills. officer thomas

smith is a second degree black belt and he says it's a great tool when it comes to teaching respect. >> with judo, you learn mutual benefit and welfare. the kids work together in a in a pair to practice techniques, and they're both working for the same goal, and they're both working to help each other learn how to do the techniques better. >> officer smith says so far, lessons are slated to run as long as possible. a bart car full of oakland students had a surprise visit over nba all-star weekend from a golden state warrior. kevon looney walked right on to the bart car filled with students from claremont middle school. this was on saturday. this was at the west oakland bart station. bart today sharing the video of the moment. there's the high five. looney rode with the students all the way into san francisco, and as you can see there, he also signed autographs, posed for selfies, and joined the students

to shoot some hoop. also right near chase center. a weekend to remember for a lot of students right here in the bay area. all right, that's it for us tonight at 11:00. of course. mornings on two. our next newscast coming up at 4:00. and always do not forget that you can stream the latest news and weather on your smart tv anytime. all you have to do is download the fox local app to your tv. and for all of us here at ktvu, i'm mike mibach. thanks for watching and have an amazing night. >> yeah. >> hey everyone, welcome in here to. >> like it or not, i'm alex savage. you know how the show works. we put out the questions and the topics to our panel, and they are going to let us know if they like it or not. and today we have a special treat for you. it is a kids edition