i'm leslie brinkley abc 7 news. right here is the look now at the latest covid headlines. we're following for you covid-19 cases hospitalizations and deaths all continue to increase in the united states according to johns hopkins average daily cases. more than tripled over the past three months and health officials believe those are under-reported because of the high use of home tests government data shows hospitalizations have surpassed 40,000 people for the first time in about four months and more than 4,400. people are hospitalized right now in california. meanwhile the rates of monkeypox continue to increase in san francisco. now community activists are demanding more be done at the federal level. they've called out the cdc and fda abc 7 news reporter on sir hussain was at the rally where protesters called for action today. we need the federal government to do what it needs to do and give the state of california the city of san francisco and communities across the state the resources that we need to. communities safe we demand it the demand from community groups that f

today they spoke with abc 7 news reporter leslie brinkley. leslie: 5:00 p.m. june 14. >> [shouting] >>you ok? they just shot through our window! you ok? i am fine. leslie: leaving for work in san leandro, garrett mason and fiance tina do sh find themselves in a shootout as a vehicle cut them off in another tale of them. >> it was 15 seconds of being on the freeway. the first vehicle shot backwards at the second vehicle, which we happened to be lined up with along the freeway. >> i heard a few rounds and when it hit the front windshield, i thought it was a bullet. i was feeling my body making sure nothing else was hurt, and frustrated strike -- reporter: police told them that freeway shootings were not common. more than 80 freeway shootings in the bay area in the last four years. >> the only rare part of the scenario was the fact that the bullet went right past her face. leslie: they posted what happened for two weeks and then posted on instagram, which blew up overnight. they recovered their insurance deductible through a gofundme and then took it down. >> i g

leslie brinkley spent a few hours with the wildflower guy whose seeds are helping to build a better bayldflowers. they plant themselves. >> gil patchett is known in richmond as the wildflower guy. >> there is a marine one in their. >>-- a maroon one in there. i got rid of the weeds as best i couldm and i planted seeds -- could and i planted seeds. every year it grew bigger and bigger. i started with plot a, b and c. it was like my private island. i paid no taxes and no rent and the city gave me water. >> he created this neighborhood garden and another along this scrubby stretch of land along a popular trail. >> when i discovered wildflowers, they live and die and compost and return to the earth. i do not need any storage space like the material world. that appealed to me. if everybody did it, we would not have any pollution what we? >> gil does not only grow flowers. he also grows food, tomatoes and squash that he delivers to neighbors. >> he is one-of-a-kind. he is a good guy. what he does for the neighborhood and everything that grows here is great. >> this is a major street. people p

leslie brinkley spoke with them. leslie: 5:00 p.m. june 14. >> honey, are you ok? they just shot through our window. are you ok? >> i'm fine, yeah. >> we need to call the police. leslie: leaving for work, garrett mason and fiance, tina doak, found themselves in the middle of a shoot out as a vehicle cut them off as another tailbone. >> may be within 15 seconds of being on the freeway, the first vehicle shot backwards at the second vehicle which we happened to be lined up with along the freeway. >> i heard a few rounds at that point and when it the windshield, i thought it was a rock so i did not know it was a bullet at all. i was literally feeling my body, making sure nothing else was hurt. for us, it is like we have minor fractures. leslie: police told them freeway shootings were not uncommon. more than 80 freeway shootings in the bay area in the last four years. >> really the only rare part of the scenario was the fact the bullet went right past her face. >> they processed what happened for two weeks and posted on instagram which blew up overnight. they recovered

reporter: in richmond, i am leslie brinkley abc7news.an: what an amazing man doing great things. 94 years young. let's go back to breaking news. that grass fire burning in the altamont pass. we are seeing firefighters breaking -- making a progress. there's a lot of smoke in the year and a large traffic backup on 580, a car crash on 580 spark this fire. the chp close one eastbound lane on the freeway. alameda county firefighters say the fires 50 to 70 acres. could end up being as much as 120 acres before it has finally stopped. looks more optimistic than that. they are making good progress. ama: thank goodness. they had to keep track of the winds. dan: sandia -- sandhya is tracking that. sandhya: the crews really knew that they had to jump on it. they been doing a great job. less smoke out there, 85 degrees, relative humidity 20%, winds out of the southwest 38 miles an hour gusts. it will remain windy in the next few hours, 30 to over 30 miles an hour. some of the smoke is getting picked up on our radar, as we check out the window directi

leslie brinkley, abc 7 news. larry: we send out this push warn you about the traffic impact. you can customize the appet ama: the fire burning inside yosemite spread another 400 acres. the washburn fire is now more than 2700 acres and threatening the giants a queers. firefighters -- giant sequoias. waghhi r41y closed and they are under a mandatory evacuation order. >> everyone is spread out throughout this entire part of the park. really a main priority on protecting the community. ama: firefighters posted this infrared droneintensity of the . officials say no giant sequoias have burned at this point. larry: a fire in contra costa county is stillldmo sginer ignited. the marsh fire flared up overe a decommissioned power plant in pittsburgh, burned about 200 acres. firefighters got it under control and they stopped it from damaging structures. it is burning not far from the waterfront. crews are still on the scene and they are monitoring hotspots as we bring in sandhya patel. amli? sandhya: it has improvedr. so let me show you the views from yosemite. the top two you can see ho

leslie brinkley spent a few with the wildflower guide whose seats are taking root in helping build a . >> these are wildflowers. they paint -- plant themselves. leslie: he is known in richmond as the wildflower guy. his brilliant blooms have taken over an abandoned strip of dead grass in the center of the street starting in 1998. >> i got rid of the weeds as best i could and i planted seeds. i had a package of wildflower seeds. that is how i started. every year, it grew bigger and bigger. i started with plot a, b, and c. the next year it was the, e, and f. i was like a kid in the sandbox. it was like my private island. i paid no taxes and no rent and the city gave me water. leslie: using hand tools and hours of labor, he created this garden and another elongate scrap of -- another along a scrap of land. >> wildflowers live and die and they return to the earth and i do not need any storage space like the material world. that appealed to me. if everybody did it, we would not have any pollution. leslie: he does not just grow flowers. >> he just gave me a squash. leslie: he also grows foo

today they spoke with abc 7 news reporter leslie brinkley. leslie: 5:00 p.m. they just shot through our window! you ok? i am fine. leslie: leaving for work in san leandro, garrett mason and fiance tina do sh find themselves in a shootout as a vehicle cut them off in another tale of them. >> it was 15 seconds of being on the freeway. the first vehicle shot

leslie brinkley spoke with the couple today. reporter: 5:00 june 14, >> they just shot through her window. are you ok? >> [inaudible] >> leaving for work, garrett mason and tina do found themselves in the middle of a shootout as a vehicle cut them off as another tell them. >> may be within 15 seconds of being on the freeway, the first vehicle shot backwards at the second vehicle, which we happened to be lined up with. >> he heard a few rounds. when it hit the front windshield , i thought it was a rock. i did not know it was a bullet. i was feeling my body, making sure nothing else was hurt. for us, we have minor scratches. reporter: police told them freeway shootings were not uncommon. more than 80 freeway shootings in the bay area in the last four years. >> the only rare part of the scenario was the fact that the bullet went past. reporter: they processed what happened for two weeks, then posted on instagram. they were covered their insurance deductible through gofundme and then took it down. >> i grew up in the south bay. my f

in berkeley i am leslie brinkley abc7 news. dan: still to come, clean up on aisle ocean.ship has pulled out of the pacific, now that is back in the bay area. next, an east bay mystery that has been solved. has been solved. time. it's life's most precious commodity, especially when you have metastatic breast cancer. when your time is threatened, it's hard to invest in your future. until now. kisqali is helping women live longer than ever before when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant... in hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's proven to delay disease progression. kisqali can cause lung problems, or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain... a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chil

i'm leslie brinkley abc 7 news. my sheriff's office says last night was a very busy one for illegal fireworks. it handled over 160 calls related to unsanctioned firework shows and also seized about 400 pounds of explosives. deputies also recovered a short-barreled ar-15 ghost gun from somebody's car the office tweeted that i could not shut down all the illegal activities last night, but just did its best. new developments now in the deadly shooting at the fourth of july parade in highland park, illinois the suspect now facing seven counts of first degree murder abc 7 news anchor karina nova here now with the latest karina. well prosecutors said though seven charges if convicted would result in a life sentence, but they also said kremo could face dozens of more charges in the coming days and earlier today a seventh person died. a result of the parade shooting and we're learning the names of six of the seven people who died they include 63 year old jacqueline sondheim 78 year old nicholas toledo. zarcosa 88 year old s

leslie brinkley spoke with the couple today. reporter: 5:00 june 14, >> they just shot through her window. are you ok? >> [inaudible] >> leaving for work, garrett mason and tina do found themselves in the middle of a shootout as a vehicle cut them off as another tell them. >> may be within 15 seconds of being on the freeway, the first vehicle shot backwards at the second vehicle, which we happened to be lined up with. >> he heard a few rounds. when it hit the front windshield , i thought it was a rock. i did not know it was a bullet. i was feeling my body, making sure nothing else was hurt. for us, we have minor scratches. reporter: police told them freeway shootings were not uncommon. more than 80 freeway shootings in the bay area in the last four years. >> the only rare part of the scenario was the fact that the bullet went past. reporter: they processed what happened for two weeks, then posted on instagram. they were covered their insurance deductible through gofundme and then took it down. >> i grew up in the south bay. my f

. >> i am leslie brinkley, abc 7 news. >> building a better bay area with a focus on health and look at today's covid headlines. out the officials estimate the antibodies of those who recently recovered from covid now last only 28 days. earlier it was 12 weeks. the new variant are blamed for shorter immunity. a new omicron variant has been identified in at these three cases in the u.s. although it is not yet named a variant of concern. they are discussing possibly expanding eligibility of vaccine booster shots to adults under the age of 50. this in an effort to counter waning immunity. cases of monkeypox are rising in san francisco. the department of public health reported 60 cases so far. the city is now trying to ramp up efforts to be vaccinated. >> as long wanted to wrap around the zuckerberg general learning center, the only drop inside from monkeypox vaccinations. public health leaders are scrambling behind-the-scenes. >> we are literally begging our federal partners to provide more vaccine so we can get it into the arms of people who need it most. >> as of tuesday morning, ther

i'm leslie brinkley abc 7 news.sband's one of those people still hasn't gotten it don't know how. all right so ahead on abc 7 mornings making movie magic and some of it starts right right here in the bay area. visual effects create the magic that makes people want to go to the movies meet the rock stars the visual effects behind the scenes. masters at ilm and here's a live look outside this morning. oh, look at that like no visibility out there on the golden gate bridge a lot a lot of fog. we'll check in with lisa when we get back. it's beautiful out here. it sure is. and i earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through chase with chase freedom unlimited. that means that i earn 5% on our rental car, i earn 5% on our cabin. i mean, c'mon! hello cashback! hello, kevin hart! i'm scared. in a good way. i'm lying. let's get inside. earn big time with chase freedom unlimited with no annual fee. how do you cashback? chase. make more of what's yours. oregon are helping to revive crops that were damaged by heavy rain in the s

in oakland, leslie brinkley, abc7news. larry: a bay area tech executive has been arrested and charged in a strangulation murder that happened 30 years ago. 58-year-old john woodward had been tried twice for the murder of lori houtz back in the 1990's, but the case was dismissed by a judge for insufficient evidence when the jury could not reach a verdict. this time, police used new dna technology to connect the rope used to kill the victim to the suspect. her sister spoke with abc 7 news after the announcement. >> my first reaction was, yes, yay, then you come down for that and you go, she's not coming home. it's not like if we win, we get her back. she's not coming back. larry: john kevin woodward was arrested saturday as he entered the u.s., coming back from amsterdam. he faces life in prison if convicted. smoke from a wildfire in yosemite national park has triggered an air quality advisory for parts of the bay area. we have a live look outside. you will see some of the haze in the sky. sandhya patel has a look at the imp

leslie brinkley spoke with the couple today. >> five :00 p.m. june 14. >> are you ok?ndow. >> i am fine. >> we need to call the police. >> leaving for work in san leandro what interstate 80, they found themselves in the middle of a shootout as a vehicle cut the mouth as another tailed them. >> maybe within 15 seconds of being on the freeway, the first vehicle shot backwards at the second vehicle which we happened to be kind of lined up with along the freeway. >> heard a few rounds at that point and when it hurt -- when it hit the front windshield, i thought it was a walk -- i thought it was a rock. i was literally feeling my body making sure nothing else was hurt. we had minor scratches. >> police told them that freeway shootings were not uncommon. more than 80 freeway shootings in the bay area in the last four years. >> the part of the scenario was the fact the bullet went right past her face. >> they processed what happen for two weeks then posted on instagram which blew up overnight. . they recovered their insurance deductible through a gofundme

by gunfire from celebratory shots that were fired nearby in east oakland abc 7 news reporter leslie. brinkleytening scenario as bullet fragments hit fans including kids during the a's fireworks show. it was the biggest home crowd yet this year for the fourth of july a's game at the coliseum 24,000 fans. once the a's won the fireworks began and so did the gunfire but police believe the bullets were fired from inside the coliseum and then rained down on fans inside the a's released a statement saying officers located three fans struck by bullet fragments from what appears to be celebratory gunfire occurring throughout the city of oakland a fourth victim later walked into a local hospital one victim was an 11 year old boy shot in the shoulder the other bul

. >> i am leslie brinkley, abc 7 news.kumasa: a congressional delegation is trying to better understand climate change. the national park is one of hundreds that have been disproportionately impacted by temperatures and trout. eight legislators including california, are touring with park management and researchers. they tell the chronicle that they want to persuade congress to make bipartisan changes. >> this is wild. 's -- shock sticks. eating salt can be bad for your health, but researchers in japan think they have a high-tech tech answer. electric chopsticks that shock the tongue. they are designed to enhance flavor by imitating saltiness. a newly published study shows it could lead to a 30% reduction in salt consumption. if you are thinking, shocking your tongue for more flavor, that doesn't sound like a good idea, you are not alone. researchers say it is not to worry. it is not enough to electrocute you. most people that took part in the experiment did not have a problem. most. researchers say that it is planned to de

leslie brinkley was at the scene and has more about the deadly history plus help police are responding. >> this is what is left of the nissan 300 involved in a fiery crash that killed the driver around 10:30 this morning along james donlon boulevard near contra loma in antioch. witnesses say two people driving the white acura integra walked away unharmed shared the cellphone video was shot by a man who says he goes by the name of paradise. >> i heard a loud boom. i looked to the right and i seen a car on fire. when i walked up to the car, i seen a guy lying on the side. i walked upon them, he started breathing a little bit. trying to fight but he did not make it. >> antioch police launched an investigation saying speed definitely played a factor. >> it appears a tree was hit. once we get more details, we are still looking at the evidence to re-create the collision. >> neighbors describe james donlon boulevard as a tory us racetrack saying it is lined with memorials to others who have lost their lives in accidents including a memorial at the base of the eucalyptus tree at the scene of t

leslie brinkley caught up with some people who never t e virus. >> is getting it covid inevitable? to those who have somehow walked through the minefield unscathed. you could call them covid virgins like this woman who took care of her mom and sister unmasked. >> i was lysol-ing the house, everything was getting sprayed and disinfected but i didn't catch it. i don't know how i didn't. it was a miracle for sure. >> just a few weeks ago my dad actually had it and i have been living at home with them so he would wear a mask and go upstairs to his room and i just tested negative. >> these two friends have avoided covid despite a college roommate testing positive. >> somehow i have just always managed to test negative, which is good. pretty lucky, i'd say. >> for people out there who have still not gotten covid i think it is a combination of what the community looks like including most contacts, their level of protection, and luck. and there is some research out there to suggest that it might also be genetics, but nothing definitive yet. >> this man says he did not get covid despite sit

leslie brinkley caught up with the founder to find out why it is not coming back for 2022. >> young or old, there is nothing like the thrill of a kite. every year since 1986 on the last weekend in july, the kite festival has drawn crowds of 30,000 over three days. the pandemic forced the cancellation of the kite festival in 2020 and again in 2021. this year it has canceled over funding. the price went sky high. >> a bit of a rhythm to it. >> we would always pay permit fees and food vendor fees and things like that. in addition to those, we were asked to pay 45,000 additional dollars to recompense the city for expenses they felt they incurred as a result of the festival. >> things like police, fire, garbage and extra staffing should >> that would have doubled the operating cost. there was no way we could do that. e h iicat is not willing to subsidize special events like the kite festival. they even canceled the fourth of july event this year. the city of berkeley declined to do an on camera interview but told abc7news the city council passed a new ordinance in 2019 that mandates what it

abc7news leslie brinkley as modly fighting scenario -- has more on the fighting scenario. -- frightening scenario. >> it was the biggest crowd for the a's game at the coliseum. 24,000 fans, once the a's one, the fireworks began and so did the gunfire. police believe the let's were fired from outside of the coliseum and then rained down on fans inside. oakland police said they located five fans are struck by bullet fragments from what appeared to be celebratory gunfire, occurring throughout the city of oakland. one victim was an 11-year-old boy shot in the shoulder. the other bullets hit fans in the arms and hands. everyone was treated and released. the bullets were fired as hundreds of illegal fireworks were set off throughout the city. according to oakland city councilmember,noel. >> with the change our behavior in the city of oakland. not only did i see the loud m8 0's but i heard the nunchucks going off. i could hear the oakland a's. but the reality is, it all comes down to enforcement. >> he was dismayed that so many residents spent hundreds of dollars on fireworks and set them off i

leslie brinkley spent a few hours with the wildflower guy whose seeds have taken root. >> these are wildflowershemselves. >> the 94-year-old is known in richmond as the wildflower guy. >> there is a marine one. -- a maroon one. >> they have taken over a strip of grass starting in 1998. >> i got rid of the weeds as best as i could. i bought a $.10 package of wildflower seeds for heaven sakes and that is how i started. every year, it grew bigger and bigger. i started with a, s tb nc. the city gave me water. >> using only hand tools and hours of labor, he created this garden and another along a scrubby stretch of land along a popular trail. >> when i discovered wildflowers, they live, they die and they return to the earth. i don't need any storage space like the material world. that appealed to me. if everybody did it, we would not have any pollution. >> he also grows food. tomatoes and squash he delivers to neighbors. >> he is one-of-a-kind. he is a good guy. what he does for the neighborhood and everything that grows here is really great. >> this is a major street. people pass by the street. the

leslie brinkley caught up with some people who never got the virus despite some close calls. >> is gettingitable? not according to those who have somehow walked through the covid minefield unscathed. you could call them covid virgins like this woman who took care of her mom and sister unmasked. >> i was lysol in the house, i put a towel under the door, everything was getting sprayed with disinfectant, but i didn't catch it. i don't know how i didn't. it was a miracle, for sure. >> just a few weeks ago, my dad had it and i'm living at home this summer with him. he went upstairs and lived in his room and i tested negative. >> these two friends avoided covid despite a college roommate testing positive. >> i've just always managed to test negative, which has been lucky. >> for people out there who have still not gotten covid, i think it take combination of what their community looks like, including their close contacts, their level of protection, and luck. there's some research out there to suggest it might also be genetics that there's nothing definitive about that yet. >> this man says he di

leslie brinkley spent a few hours with the wildflower guy whose seeds are taking root and helping buildese are wildflowers. they planted themselves. >> he's known in richmond as the wildflower guy. >> that is a can and there is a marine one. these are the naked ladies. >> his brilliant blooms have taken over and abandoned strip of dead grass in the middle of the street starting in 1998. >> i got rid of the weeds and got a 10 send package of wildflower seeds, for heaven sakes. that's how i started. every year it grew bigger and bigger. i started with plot a, b and c. then it was d, e, and f. i was like a kid in the sandbox. it was like my private island. i pay no taxes and no rent and the city gave me water. >> using only hand tools and hours of labor, he created this neighborhood garden and another along this scrubby stretch of land along a popular trail. >> when i discovered wildflowers, guess what? they live, they die, they compost and return to the earth. and i don't need any storage space like the material world. so that appealed to me. if everybody did it, we wouldn't have any poll

today, leslie brinkley caught up with some people who never got the virus despite some close calls. > getting covid inevitable? not according to those who have somehow walked to the covid minefield unscathed. you could call them covid virgins, like this woman who took care of her mom and sister unmasked. >> i was like selling the house, i put a towel under the door, everything was getting sprayed and disinfected. but i didn't catch it. i don't know how i didn't. it was a miracle, for sure. >> just a few weeks ago, my dad had it and i'm living with him over the summer. he wore a mask and went upstairs to his room. i tested negative. >> these two friends have avoided it despite a college roommate getting it. >> i've always managed to test negative, which is pretty lucky. >> for people who have not gotten covid, i think it's a combination of what their community looks like, their level of protection and luck. there's some research out there to suggest it might also be genetics but nothing definitive about that yet. >> somehow, this man says he didn't get covid despite sitting next to som