ktvu's john fowler is live now in oakland where in the last hour a local family received word about their loved ones fate in christ church, john. >> reporter: here in the bay area we have experience but those in christ church have had un

john fowler is finding a lot of stranded travelers tonight. >> reporter: one flight that was supposed to take to chicago still has not. many passengers told us tonight that they were very frustrated. didn't know about cancellations until they walked up to the ticket counter. their flight was cancelled. >> a little bit nerve wracking because at some point you just want to get home. but mother nature i guess. >> reporter: john cruz was on what may be the last flight out of new york tonight. >> when i left it was really bad. a lot of ice and stuff like that. >> reporter: massive snow and ice storms have slashed across america's middle. canceling flights to san diego. >> i am sure there's all kinds of chaos and trying to get flights out from the areas that are canceling flights. >> they are saying it's on time but we'll see. but i know there's an ice storm

our health and science editor john fowler investigates privacy concerns and also the student reaction. >> reporter: the urban school in san francisco's area of ashbury says the history of pioneering will now extend to hiv tests for students. >> you are not going to give it to somebody. and you are probably going to live a normal life. >> reporter: aids pioneer dr. marcus led a frank lunch-time forum. >> when you actually found out that you had it. >> reporter: 80 seniors being asked to take an hiv test. 17-year-old oliver hamilton's service project. >> i was surprised by how some kids had never even thought about it, about testing. >> reporter: some students acknowledged sexual activity but none expressed fear of hiv. >> in that option i would rather get tested and know than live my life not knowing. >> reporter: testing is voluntary. the school hopes to remove the stigma of testing. >> trying to figure out the best way to educate our students. >> reporter: one way is what to

the owner of one restaurant that already uses the traps told our health and science editor john fowlertraps allow her to the spend less on maintenance. >>> taco bell is now offering free tacos to people who like it on facebook. the offer is limited to 10 million coupons. taco bell says they use 88% usda meat. hair and mascara, a lethal combo. i'm jon haber of alto music. my business is all about getting music into people's hands. and the plum card from american express open helps me do that. you name it, i can buy it. and the savings that we get from the early pay discount has given us money to reinvest back into our business and help quadruple our floor space. how can the plum card's trade terms get your business booming? booming is putting more music in more people's hands. >>> well if you don't get enough of glee on fox you can catch the stars on the show as they make a tour across the country later this year. glee live in concert is scheduled to hit the hp pavilion in may. tickets on show go on sale to the general public later this month. >>> football is over let's talk a little ho

the owner of one restaurant that already uses the traps told our health and science editor john fowlerthat the traps allow her to the spend less on maintenance. >>> taco bell is now offering free tacos to people who like it on facebook. the offer is limited to >>> well if you don't get enough of glee on fox you can catch the stars on the show as they make a tour across the country later this year. glee live in concert is scheduled to hit the hp pavilion in may. tickets on show go on sale to the general public later this month. >>> football is over let's talk a little hockey. >> you got me there. we will do it. we can always use a new superstar to talk about here in the bay area. the sharks you know what i don't think it's overstating to say we may have one. logan coture shows up in the highlights every night tonight he shows up in the records. in washington third quarter, score. couture his 24th for the year. dan broil he's been in a slump. hasn't scored a goal since november 23rd, he ends that drought. back to back shut outs for him. four straight wins for the sharks. >>> the giants,

ktvu's john fowler was there as the senior class learned that they will be the first in the nation to be tested for hiv. john. >> reporter: it's this simple test, a mouth swab that literally takes second. but it could mean a lifetime of change for students at the urban school. >> i'm going to give it to somebody. and you're going to probably live a normal life. >> reporter: aids pioneer dr. marcus conan led a frank lunchtime forum. 80 seniors being asked to take an hiv test. it's 17-year-old oliver hamilton's service project. >> i am surprised how some people didn't even think about it. >> reporter: minors need parental consent. >> thoughtfully think about the best way to educate our students. >> reporter: one major issue, what to do with the results. >> it was amazing how the kids realized that this was really a rite of passage. we're not going to share these results with each other. we're not going to start rumors. >> we're not going to get into the habit of taking tests at our school and beyond that too. >> reporter: volunteer medical star will be on hand here next week to give out

john fowler is live on a road tonight that had to be one of the most dangerous. >> we're on highway 17, from my breath you can see it's cold, by looking at the head lights you can see that it's raining. this is now become one of the bay area's most treacherous roads. >> reduce speeds and look for that vehicle in front of you. >> reporter: just minutes ago, truck driver ed sotelo pulled over. >> this kind of condition right now it's really hard to see. so i have to take a break and let it die down a little bit. >> reporter: fog and rain. problem drainage and too much speed. >> we've had several vehicle spin outs, and you know all of which could have been prevented if we just slowed down a little bit. >> reporter: this red honda rolled over on the downhill curve, officers told us it was the most dangerous today. it backed up traffic 3 miles. debris and mud slides covered roads. these homeowners are right now dreading tonight's high tides. >> if we get big waves we're in big problems, because all this damage is done by that creek. >> as we first told you a month ago today, abtos creek div

john fowler is standing by live in san francisco with this story. >> reporter: i'm just a few blocks where jana showed us that report and yes, it is still raining here. in fact, the sky has turned dark and a lot of rain is starting to fall in this area and i'll tell you that although we found no serious problems, this was nerve wracking today for many. >> it's windy on the bridge and in my rental car, it was scary today. >> reporter: high wind warnings were up on bay area bridges and rain slickened streets. >> when i accelerate from a stop sign you lose traction in your wheels. >> reporter: wind driven waves broke over the sea wall. rain pelted late afternoon pedestrians despite the forecast we saw some without rain gear. johnny vaughan prepared rental skis at the mountain west ski shop. weeks of sunny weather had iced business. >> really excited and authentically because snow is coming down. >> reporter: skiers are eager. >> other people are sad when it rains but i get excited. >> reporter: at the golden gate bridge vista point, tourists were wet but happy. >> a beautiful throughout

we begin with john fowler who's in the north bay where they are going to feel the impact of all of this first, john. >> reporter: that's right, we're now getting cold, rainy drizzle here in marin county. it's been raining about an hour. take a look at this now. this is the northbound lanes of highway 101 crossing the golden gate bridge. no serious problem so far. a lot of rainfalling right now, though. as bill has been telling us, this is going to get much much colder d much much wetter perhaps snow right down to sea level. >> holy mackerel, i'm going to have to get some snow shoes. >> reporter: people are stocking up. >> we still have some heaters, people are getting heaters. >> i have a cold spot in my house. maybe becoming soft. >> reporter: below freezing, trouble for plants. especially citrus. >> cover up a lot of your plants. you know that are frost sensitive. >> reporter: what's called frost cloth a big seller today. plus they also sold out of snow shovels. there's been no problems so far but crews will be on through the night. most people seem unconcerned. >> actually went out a

ktvu health and science editor john fowler here now to tell you how your brain may be working right nowjohn. >> money, relationships, job, what in your life causes anxiety? >> reporter: evolution hard wired up to respond to threat. >> i work, everything makes me feel anxious. for some reason. >> reporter: for some anxiety gets the upper hand. >> because i'm wasting a lot of time and energy being anxious. >> reporter: others seem to control it. >> in my family i'm the one that calms everyone down. i'm like the mediator. >> reporter: people do respond differently anxiety primarily because their brains are actually wired differently. important new research today from uc berkeley. >> there's actually two independent path ways to anxiety. people were scared, finding out that fear lighting up two areas. not just one area as had been thought. she says your brain may be lighting up like that right now. >> if you look at the tv news, you see all these images of very negative things happening. but you wouldn't normally be exposed to. >> reporter: some people are better able to use the frontal cor

ktvu's john fowler live in san francisco international airport tonight where bay area travelers are also stuck because of that deep freeze, john. >> reporter: just eight minutes ago we discovered four more flights had been cancelled. and there's people that tell us they literally didn't know that their flights had been cancelled. >> we just came in because you can never get them on the phone when's it's like this. >> right now we're just waiting in line waiting to find out what the status is. we don't know if our flight has been cancelled yet or if we can get another flight to get there. >> reporter: flights to chicago, detroit, new york, newark, boston and other cities cancelled. >> i was flying to iowa city. and i have to join a new job there and tomorrow i'm supposed to report. >> reporter: a massive blizzard is dumping snow and sleet across much of the central u.s. moving east, expect travel troubles to worsen. >> tomorrow i have to go to chicago. and then from chicago to the midlands again. >> what are the chances? >> i don't know, zero probably. >> it would be nice since they do ha

ktvu health and science editor john fowler on what we've learned in a ktvu investigation. >> reporter young people will experiment. >> first it seemed harmless. >> reporter: abby used it for a month. >> not sleeping and not eating. it makes you start seeing stuff that's not there. weird but it's scary. >> reporter: this young man posted to you tube. >> i haven't eaten in over a week now. it's hard to breathe. >> reporter: both those young people say they ingested this drug. it comes in packages labeled bath salts under a variety of names. but this is a powerful new synthetic drug. they actually combine the worse effects of several street drugs. >> this may well be the most dangerous drug experience of a lifestyle. >> reporter: it's 5:00 today, poison control reported to us seven californians including one in the bay area have been hospitalized with overdoses of so called bath salt drugs. >> they have the ability to produce hallucinations, they seem to be highly addictive, they seem to last for an exceptionally lost period of time. these are hallucinations that are absolute nightmares

ktvu health and science editor john fowler on what we've learned in a ktvu investigation. >> reporter young people will experiment. >> first it seemed harmless. >> reporter: abby used it for a month. >> not sleeping and not eating. it makes you start seeing stuff that's not there. weird but it's scary. >> reporter: this young man posted to you tube. >> i haven't eaten in over a week now. it's hard to breathe. >> reporter: both those young people say they ingested this drug. it comes in packages labeled bath salts under a variety of names. but this is a powerful new synthetic drug. they actually combine the worse effects of several street drugs. >> this may well be the most dangerous drug experience of a lifestyle. >> reporter: it's 5:00 today, poison control reported to us seven californians including one in the bay area have been hospitalized with overdoses of so called bath salt drugs. >> they have the ability to produce hallucinations, they seem to be highly addictive, they seem to last for an exceptionally lost period of time. these are hallucinations that are absolute nightmares

john fowler, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> more snow on bay area peaks today. it wasn't just flurries they got some real snow. in the south bay the director of the observatory e-mailed us this imagine. snow has closed mount hamilton road all the way from the grant ranch entrance on the west side to the santa clara-stanislaus line to the east. and for the second day in a row, snow covered the area around skyline boulevard at highway 9 around the santa clara line. it was a rare chance, look at that for kids in the south bay to make snow men. caltrans offered a high wind warning and recommended campers, trailers and big trucks stay off the road on that part of the santa cruz mountains. >>> the national weather service has a winter storm warning in effect until noon tomorrow. we have a live look now of what's happening on interstate 80 in truckee. just about a half hour ago there are chain requirements in effect for i80 starting in nyack. forecasters are calling for as much as 4 feet of rain. there's a lot of snow and it is slow going, big riggs there appear to be

john fowler, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> from the north bay now we head to the peninsula where there were also weather related problems. rita williams is live, where there is concerns of more potential problems as the temperatures continue to drop. >> reporter: frank we're up here on skyline boulevard highway 35 outside of wood saoáeud high above the bay. and people here are excited about some snow. we've got three students that just showed up from minlow park highway. and they even brought -- >> a topagan. >> reporter: that's optimism that it is going to snow and they'll be ready. >> reporter: first some people had to get to their homes. a redwood tree fell about a mile west of skyline taking down some live power lines. so caltrans closed the road to lahonda to avoid the danger. that was before 9:00 this morning after more than five hours, pg & e finally showed up. >> they're going to go kill the power so they can pick up the power lines. >> so you all will be without power. >> something to look forward to. >> reporter: down the hill in portola valley, folks woke up without power. by mid

as john fowler shows us there is a disturbing link between diet cola and a medical problem that couldly. >> auto detailer matt flynn says he drinks nothing else. >> fewer calories and less sugar. >> reporter: after the obesity of many sodas, many people young women especially drink diet soda. >> i like the taste and it has less cash nation. >> reporter: a new study of 2500 followed people for 2,000 people can lead to strokes. a blood vessel in the brain bursting or clogging up killing brain tissue. >> i think that's scary. i think it's very scary. re. >> reporter: research certifies factored out obesity, smoking high blood pressure and other risk factors. diet soda drinkser still had a 48% higher stroke risk. >> i have grown to like the taste of diet soda actually. so i might think about this though. >> reporter: uc berkeley wellness editor cautions against over-reaction. >> it raised some questions. we don't know how good the study is. we don't know how well it was designed. so don't overreact at all to this. it is very preliminary. >> reporter: researchers did say they were unable t

as john fowler shows us there is a disturbing link between diet cola and a medical problem that coulddeadly. >> auto detailer matt flynn says he drinks nothing else. >> fewer calories and less sugar. >> reporter: after the obesity of many sodas, many people young women especially drink diet soda. >> i like the taste and it has less cash nation. >> reporter: a new study of 2500 followed people for 2,000 people can lead to strokes. a blood vessel in the brain bursting or clogging up killing brain tissue. >> i think that's scary. i think it's very scary. re. >> reporter: research certifies factored out obesity, smoking high blood pressure and other risk factors. diet soda drinkser still had a 48% higher stroke risk. >> i have grown to like the taste of diet soda actually. so i might think about this though. >> reporter: uc berkeley wellness editor cautions against over-reaction. >> it raised some questions. we don't know how good the study is. we don't know how well it was designed. so don't overreact at all to this. it is very preliminary. >> reporter: researchers did say they were unab

john fowler has the story. >> reporter: that break is this, sand. ironically the same stuff that caused those cliffs to crumble, the ocean has moved them around. i want you to look at this the eroded cliff sand apparently has buried this pacifica cliff. >> in all the years i've never seen it that high. >> it's scary because the waves push the sand out to the street. >> reporter: just to the north of esplanade drive where these apartments teeter ondisaster. it was just minutes after high tide, 12-foot swells were causing no cliff damage unlike years past. eroded cliff sand created an off reef barrier. >> the cliffs are breaking the waves before they get to the shore. protecting the cliffs, exactly. >> reporter: a multi million dollars sea wall and rock cliff protector could be finished before next winter. >> another eight months, being fairly safe. >> reporter: farly safe? maybe. a city engineer reminds us today that despite best human efforts the ocean has taken this land bit by bit for decades. still, this could be the most encouraging news in a lo

our health and science editor john fowler investigates privacy concerns and also the student reaction. >> reporter: the urban school in san francisco's area of ashbury says the history of pioneering will now extend to hiv tests for students. >> you are not going to give it to somebody. and you are probably going to live a normal life. >> reporter: aids pioneer dr. marcus led a frank lunch-time forum. >> when you actually found out that you had it. >> reporter: 80 seniors being asked to take an hiv test. 17-year-old oliver hamilton's service project. >> i was surprised by how some kids had never even thought about it, about testing. >> reporter: some students acknowledged sexual activity but none expressed fear of hiv. >> in that option i would rather get tested and know than live my life not knowing. >> reporter: testing is voluntary. the school hopes to remove the stigma of testing. >> trying to figure out the best way to educate our students. >> reporter: one way is what to do with the results. teens talk. >> it was amazing how the kids realized that this was really a riot of passag

. >>> for all of those who drink diet soda there is disturbing news tonight as john fowler tells us, diet soda appears to be linked to a serious health problem. >> reporter: he says he drinks almost nothing else. >> fewer calories, not much sugar. >> reporter: after all that the obesity warnings, many people drink diet sodas. >> i like the taste of it, and less carbonation. >> reporter: a new study links regular drinking a diet soda to 61% increase risk of stroke. a blood vessel in the brain blowing up. researchers say they have factored out at the risk factors and diet soda drinkers had a 48% higher stroke risk. >> i have grown to like the taste of diet soda. i might think about this though. >> reporter: they caution against overreaction. >> it raises some questions but we do not know how good this study is being so do not overreact at all two days. it is very very preliminary. >> reporter: researchers say they do not find any reason why the ingredients would be linked to stroke but requires further study. >>> use efs held a grand opening today for its new stem cell research facilit

reporting live, john fowler, ktvu news. >>> our chief meteorologist bill martin has been tracking that snow all day. john sure did look cold there. where do we stand at this hour. >> we have heavy rain. now we have scattered showers. this area to the north just south of port arenas. pretty sure this is the one, i had reports of snow at sea level which is right on the coast probably came from this cell moving down the coast. so that means as that cold air is coming in, these cells are potentially bringing snow to sea level which is sort of in the forecast. it's not going to be heavy snow dusting and a few flurries like john mentioned. but the temperatures are rapidly dropping and we're getting in that kind of a situation where we can easily see snow flurries overnight into the morning hours. a freeze warning, that's really the big story in the north bay. that's where it affects the most people, plants, animals and homeless folks. and if you have elderly people. when i come back, later computer model, we will look at the weekend, we'll look at your forecast as well as in your neighborhoo

john fowler has more from marin county. >> reporter: it is clearing here in skies, but brutally cold. and big waves making the ocean difficult right now. just moments ago, our camera caught a lone fisherman braving the cold. now the big waves and high tides hit the coast all day today. >> it is pretty high, and what i noticed right away, how close to the highway it is getting. >> reporter: waves so powerful along the highway, in fact flooding closed one lane of it earlier today. now the tides were extra high, partly because of a rare lunar double, nearly full moon. and the moon is actually nearing its -- closest approach to earth. and that pushes the -- the tides a little bit higher than they would be, winds pushing them even higher yet. now as bill has told us, the conditions are expected to condition the next couple of days. high tides and winds could make the coast spectacular, but very risky, especially tomorrow around 11:00 in the morning when the tides will be highest again. reporting live, rodeo beach. >>> and you saw the wind out there where john was around the beach. that win

reporting live, health and science editor, john fowler ktvu news. >>> and you will find a special section on earthquakes on ktvu.com. there's more video of the damage in new zealand and a guide for putting together your own earthquake survival kit. >>> everyone's worse fears came true today. those four americans taken hostage by pirates in somalia were killed. and rob roth has some insight on what may have gone wrong. >> reporter: frank the four victims were on a yacht in the middle of an around the world sailing adventure when pirates hijacked them. a bay area professor specifickizing in piracy is saying pirates are becoming more desperate and more violent. authorities say pirates killed this oakland woman's aunt an experienced and adventurous sailor. >> we're very distraught and devastated this morning. >> reporter: and the two were sailing with another couple. for reasons unknown, the sailors broke off from another set of yachts. >> my aunt is a very smart and avid sailor. she was living her dream, sailing around the world for now her third year. >> reporter: the navy had been negotiat

john fowler shows us u how the cancellations had a ripple effect that touched down at san francisco international> reporter: it was unusually quiet this evening at sfo expect for stranded passengers. >> it's a little bit nerve wracking because at some point you just want to get home. but mother nature i guess. >> reporter: john cruise has just arrive ed from new york. >> when i left it was really bad. with ice and stuff. >> reporter: more than 40 flights cancelled, some at the last minute. >> i thought i would come to the airport because you can never tkpwáet them on the phone when you have an energy like this. >> reporter: passengers say they were very frustrated when they arrived and expected their flight to be on time. and they believed that until the moment when they walked up to the check-incounter. >> it would be nice since they have our e-mails if they would send us the updated information. >> reporter: snow and ice blasted through america's middle. >> i was flying to iowa city. i was supposed to start a new job there, now i'm going to be delayed. >> reporter: hundreds of bay area super bo

john fowler shows us u how the cancellations had a ripple effect that touched down at san francisco international >> reporter: it was unusually quiet this evening at sfo expect for stranded passengers. >> it's a little bit nerve wracking because at some point you just want to get home. but mother nature i guess. >> reporter: john cruise has just arrive ed from new york. >> when i left it was really bad. with ice and stuff. >> reporter: more than 40 flights cancelled, some at the last minute. >> i thought i would come to the airport because you can never tkpwáet them on the phone when you have an energy like this. >> reporter: passengers say they were very frustrated when they arrived and expected their flight to be on time. and they believed that until the moment when they walked up to the check-incounter. >> it would be nice since they have our e-mails if they would send us the updated information. >> reporter: snow and ice blasted through america's middle. >> i was flying to iowa city. i was supposed to start a new job there, now i'm going to be delayed. >> reporter: hundreds of bay area super

reporting live, john fowler, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> coming up next at 6:00, more on the developingews involving evacuations on the peninsula because of what happened when a letter was opened. >>> julie haener is in the newsroom now with some of the other stories we're working on. >> reporter: also at 6:00, forced into the sex trade only on 2, a woman takes us into a dark warehouse where she says she was held for months. why she is sharing her story now. >>> veterans describe quick actions that saved their lives. >>> and new numbers that show how much california will have to cut if the voters don't support the governor's plans to cut. >>>-- penn founded one group that has responded to the january 2010 disaster. he's also personally taking part in projects in the caribbean island. penn says haitians are still suffering trauma and what they need most of all are jobs. >>> painting over graffiti is taking on a whole new meaning in santa rosa. the canvas, two fences with a history of chronic graffiti. two artists are going to be chosen to turn their sketches into large murals. the aim is

john fowler,. >>> worldwide sugar prices have gone up 10% in just the past few days.ugar closed at $851 a ton in london today. that continues a trend at the highest prices in 30 years. brazil, thailand and china have also had bad weather. >>> coming up next at 6:00, continuing coverage of a developing news from san francisco where a sand spill created a monster traffic jam. we have a reporter right there on the scene. he's going to show us what traffic is like now and when things might be getting back to normal now that all of the lanes on the lower deck are open once again. julie haener is in the newsroom now with the other stories we're looking at. >> it was simply a bad idea. the explanation the san francisco company is offering for it's gorilla campaign. >>> plus why a berkeley marijuana dispensary says it doesn't owe $6 million in taxes. these stories and much more coming up next at 6:00. >>> back now to our chief meteorologist bill martin, i know we're dry but a lot of people love this weather we're having. >> we just have to enjoy it. i know we're trained to wa

reporting live in san francisco, john fowler ktvu channel 2 news. >> today's rain in the bay area meant snow in the sierra. a winter storm watch has been issued. two feet of snow is expected to fall and a few inches of snow for reno and up to three feet. here's a live look on interstate 80. chain requirements are posted on most mountain roads and a high wind warning is in effect for parts of the sierra. >>> rain and wind caused delays of as much as two and a half hours at the airport. a check light showed things have improved. the longest delays were down to 45 minutes. the airport went through the traffic management program today and it restricts how frequently planes land or take off. oakland and san jose airports didn't report any delays. you can always get more details about the weather on our web site. to find out what's going on in your neighborhood, go to www.ktvu.com and click on the weather tab. >>> san francisco's city hall same sex cup ms wanted to get married on this valentine's day. several of the couples ended up getting arrested today. >> reporter: gasia, eight same sex c

reporting live health and science editor john fowler. >> to south bay community colleges are at risk of losing accreditation. the federal department placed them on probation and issued a warning to san jose's evergreen community college district. both schools have been told they have two years to fix issues with financial planning, evaluation and glove innocence or lose accreditation. if they lose, their courses would no longer be transferable which would hurt enrollment. >>> just more than an hour ago the school board is set to meet and vote on school closures but a final decision could be a new option. the board may consider a new option it could postpone a vote. the district held a series of meetings to discuss plans to close three schools to save 1 and a half million dollar a year. >>> oakland police are sending out a warning after a woman was sexual assaulted in. the woman was attacked as she returned home to her apartment on jackson street last night while police are searching for