avenue here. a lot of police officers in the area. we also have metro dade police helicopter on top of the scene as well. taking the palmetto expressway to work, we are still looking at slow southbound grind approaching hialeah. here's lauren lane. >> traffic reporter: good morning. checking out the drive, nothing happening here up to speed and both directionss on i-95, it is quiet, eastbound 15 minutes at this point heading out of weston and fort lauderdale. more traffic coming up in 15 minutes. and a, south florida, we are waking up to more clouds in the area and calling for a chance o o showers and it will be a wet one throughout the weekend.

concerned, we have area impacting your ride and the keys on and off again and mainly around key west at this time. temperate readings are on the warmer side, 77 in key west with a warm breeze out of the south running up to 17 miles an hour in key west. we will have an area of clouds and rain showers leaving us with a decent chance of rain through saturday and on sunday, a front will be approach inging south florida. behind the front, we will clear out and cool down. temperatures will be seasonal in the low 60s to wake up to, high temperatures in the mid-70s. that's your 7 on 7 forecast. a firefighter is lucky to be alye after plunging thriugh a

video shows fire fighthts walking through a house on brunswick, maine. up with of them falls rite through. the firefighter was not seriously hurt and started in the back of the building and did not appear to be suspension. no one was home at the time of the fire. wow, talk about lucky there. >> omar: fire fighters put their lives on the line every day. >> ashley: they certainly do. coming up, a good sign for sea cows. >> omar: they aren't out of the

much trorole as they used to be. welcome back. they've been endangered for years. >> ashley: so for the first time in a long-time, their numbers

craig stevens reports. >> reporter: charismatic, recognized by the boaters, they fill the waters of south florida. now they will receive a new classification. they want to rename from endangered to threatened. >> this action today what we're announcing is really in our view demonstrate the successes of how the endangered species can and does wk and making water way safer and cleaner in florida. >> endangered species is one currently endangered of extinction while the threatened specie is like like to be endangered. it has been thriving as a result of federal regulations and impliations to it. the manatee's numbers are

conditions in their habitat are improving and threats are being reducedful >> this is one step in a very long journey an took an enormous amount of effort to get to where we are today. >> over the last 25 year there is's been huge increase up to more than 1200 in 1991 to more 4% than 6,000 now. >> i'm craig stevens, 7 news. >> ashley: and that is good news. they will publish beginning a 90 day period in which the public is invited to submit scientific or other to help them reach a final decision. a rare coin auctioned off, dating back to 1984 sold at auction for nearly two million dollars. the dime's owner and new buyer both anonymous of the 24 made, only nine are accounted for. the math is not adding up there for me.

some people have a lot of money, i guess. straight ahead, we will have a final check on traffic and weather. plus last call, american idol hopefuls giving it all they got.

break.

big storms bring pounding waves to the pier there. officials closed down the area to everyone but residents. people gathered at the base of the it to keep it from going too far out and not from falling down. and causing flooding in san diego where one risky driver almost turned the sports car into a submarine. the further almost submerging the vehicle and just cruised on like nothing happened. and we are waking up to more clouds out there than yesterday eand we will have a decent chance of rain in the forecast, so grab those umbrellas before you head out the door this morning.

approaching the lower keys. if your commute takes you through broward, it is mostly dry. at times we have been seeing quick showers and that's exactly what is taking place in hialeah, doral, sweetwater, tam mile ail and kendall drive. as far as temperature readings are concerned, much warmer today than yesterday in the 70s. # 7, the warmest spot in key west, in the upper 60s for the northwestern bahamas, 70 currently in bimini. the breeze is out of the south, whh is why we have the warmer air and humidity on the rise. from coast to coast we go, another system is developing around the pacific and that will start to push onshore around sections of california, pacific northwest heading into the weekend. we have a cold front that's starting to get its act together around the nation's mid-section. we will see more snow spreading into the upper midwest and coast

it looks like at least through the weekend the mid-atlantic will get a good dose of wet weather while wintry mix will be experience ed experienced rain showers. here at home, going into sunday, more clouds and sunshine and early next week we will start to warm up. in the tropics, we are watching an area, believe it or not, even though the hurricane season is over, we won't see tropical activity throughout the year and close to bermuda we have a nontropical spin that has a low chance to develop over the next couple of days and producing maximum winds and best chance to develop will be for the middle part of next week around the middle of the atlantic ocean. no boating advisory for the keys and happening at 12:23 and key largo at 12:46.

average in the 80s, scattered showers tonight, extended outlook calling for cooler weather next week. >> traffic reporter: good morning to you from 7 skyforce. someone rammed this opa-locka cruiser. flat tire as well, they're looking for the alleged suspect in this one. we are seeing stop and go delays from 125th wing your way down to the 112 taking the dolphin to work, it is jam packed on the 836 eastbound congestion from the palmetto all the way to the approach of 95, the palmetto jam packed as well rounding the big curve to 103rd, hialeah, northbound delays as you get near flagler continuing to 25th. live from 7 skyforce, have

fantastic weekend. here's lauren lane. >> traffic reporter: thank you. in broward county, crash free, thank goodness for that. looking good on i-95 and both directions are up to speed passing cypress creek road. that's 7 traffic. make it a great weekend. one hollywood hopeful putting a new twist on a broadway classic and this was just the start. it's now or never f the singers who have dreamed of becoming an american idol. >> and starting strong. shireen sandoval with the recap. >> reporter: day two of american idol awe dig tour

in little rock, arkansas. season 8 winner chris allen, who is also a local boy, lending a hemping hand with coestants. jennings with her daughter in tow, making it to hollywood with a lot of soul. 24-year-old trend harmon, a boy from mississippi sings r & b mixing it up. >> i was so blown away. >> reporter: then it was onto... >> good morning, san francisco. >> reporter: season nine winner, lee, giving advance to wannabes. >> i said you think this is tiring, if you get through, it's going to be more tiring. >> reporter: 16-year-old olivia

one of many girls going through. brandon brunette singing an original song he wrote. and that would be a golden ticket for one. christy auditioning with her parents, who happen to be major idol fans. yeah, she nailed it. and in true idol form, they safed the best for last. christian wowing the judges. they wowed her right back bringing her military mom, who is stationed overseas back to the states to see her girl go through. >> tristan, she wouldn't miss

that last one made me weep. idol auditions head to philly next week. don't miss it wednesday and thursday next week. in the plex, shireen sandoval, today in florida. >> omar: they're good. >> ashley: so good. i love hen the mom came out. >> omar: and the baby stole the show. coming up, leading man leonardo dicaprio forced to fight for his sur survival. we have a sneak peek in reel news. and we've been asking you to send in your picture perfect morning. one of the hillsboro inlet park sent to us by a 7 news viewer on instagram. can we tell port and hop on the boat? >> ashley: i'd like to.

back. revenant. leonardo dicaprio returns to the big screen in an a maw vee based on a true story. this role finally land the leading man an oscar. he place a legendary explorer fighting for survival after a vicious bear attack in the revenant and supernatch lal force into the forest.

movies. theritty drama the revenant hitting theaters this week. it follows a trapper in the 1800s left for dead and tracks through the frozen wilderness. >> you have to fight. don't give up. as long as you have a breath in you. >> reporter: the star of the film, he tells us he has never been part of the fill l like this. >> we were so independented grate grate -- integrated in nature t lite we needed to capture was onlyt the end of the day. >> reporter: the revenant is rated r. inspired by real life, the faith-based film, the mass saint

and is rated pg 13. and a woman searched for missing twin sister in a japanese forest, despite warnings, she strays from the path getting deeper into super natatal territory. >> she goes into the forest, looks for her sister, guidelines say stay on the path. and see ramifications of that. the forest is rated pg 13. so get to the movies. star wars the force awakens still playing. topping the buzz, a famous

ready to hit the shelves again. off the wall album will be paired with upcoming spike lee film journey from mo town to off the wall. spike lee, an avid jackson filment will debut the film on sunday february fifth. it will be available for purchase february fifth. what does it take to make the perfect curella deville. she's going to play in 101 dalmations remake. stone will have some pretty big shoes to fill. glen close played deville in the 1996 version of that movie. justin timberlake's hit song was apparently not taylor made

the singer saying it was in fact a '70s ripoff. two members of soul trio slice say they're owed royalties after song was sampled and timberlake has yet to comment. you're watching today in florida. we're coming right back. more song and dance for you. stick around. it's friday.

and you may not know what i'm talking about, but, uh. the yogurt made from your milk, is delicious.

that will do it for today in florida at 8. i'm ashley jones. >> omar: and i'm omar lewis. more news and weather on today in florida at 9. it's hot in here.

dancing up in here. >> announcer: now on 7 news. >> on just one station, a little