i'm linsey davis. tonight, the fight to level the playing field. former nfl players living with the aftermath of head injuries sustained in the game accusing the league's concussion settlement program of discrimination. now the nfl pledging to end that controversial practice known as race-norming, just as the outrage reaches a tipping point. here's abc's ryan smith. >> i chose to give everything that i had when playing for these teams. and then not being able to be supported by the fraternity that i gave my all to is hurtful. >> reporter: for lewis leonard, a former nfl defensive tackle, this is personal. months after an abc news investigation examined allegations of racial bias in the nfl's concussion settlement program, lewis and his wife lacy are demanding answers. >> they're making money off the backs of our husbands and our fathers and our brothers. >> i understand that it's a business. but it hurts. it do, it hurts. >> reporter: the leonards are joining a growing chorus of black former nfl players and their families speaking out about the pro

i'm linsey davis. whit johnson is here tomorrow. hope to see you sunday night.ng a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 news.. >> we will start with >> governor newsom draws the first 15 winners of california's vaccine incentive lottery. the bay area is home to 6 of those people. good afternoon, thanks for joining us. i am larry beil. >> i am kristen sze. you are watching us live on abc7 and wherever you stream. here is where the first 15 winners are from, including one in alameda county, 2 in san francisco, and three in santa clara county. there are winners in san luis obispo, and los angeles counties. dion lim watched the vacs to win the event and joins us with more. >> reporter: this is quite an ordeal. unlike a traditional traditionar we are dealing with a health issue. we don't know the names of the winners from today. the cash incentive does have medical experts and the general public wondering, if this is an effective way to get vaccinated. >> reporter: complete with a backdrop, the lottery announcement felt a little like a 70s

i'm linsey davis. whit johnson is here tomorrow. hope to see you sunday night.no mask? we are sorting out the confusion over cal/osha's rules for who has been vaccinated. and the winners are -- california holds the vaccination lottery, and several people in the bay area have won $50,000. it is a lot more than a rainbow flag. the piece of history is at a museum in san francisco just for time -- just in time for pride month. >>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 >> a new job and a long list of challenges, alameda has a new police chief who must deal with the departments pass before he can move forward. thank you for joining us. >> i am dan ashley. you are watching abc7 news at 6:00 live and wherever you stream. the incoming

i'm linsey davis. hope to see you right back here tomorrow night. and all of us here, good night for david and all of us here, good night. [speaking foreign language] >> you owe $3,000? >> [speaking foreign language] >> while politicians talk policy on rent protection, its people like maria who will feel the practical effects of their decisions. she's lost her apartment and this hotel is the last stop before she and her family are homeless. >>> plus 7 on your side joins us. for the first time in a long time it is an he shows you the incentives. >>> at one point the bathroom ceiling caved in but this hotel room remains no one san francisco family who couldn't keep up with rent on their apartment during the pandemic. >> you said that you had to move to this hotel because this is the only thing you can afford at that time. >> [speaking foreign language] >> good evening and thank you for joining us. >> you are watching abc 7 news at 6:00 live here on abc 7, hulu live and wherever you happen to stream. >> we talk about building a better by area we are ta

i'm linsey davis. good night.s a deadly shooting at lake merritt. >> i am in the yard and i am armed. >> a security guard arrived work and find out what happened. >>> they are fighting all wildfire in monterey county. >>> building a better bay area and finding solutions this is abc news spread >>> a dramatic scene , a witness said that he will for cover when gunfire rang out at a celebration. one man was wounded and six other people died. i am dion lynn. you are watching abc7 news live. abc7 news, cornell is covering this shooting. they talked about this investigation today. >> reporter: this happened on a day that should have been filled with joy and celebration but it turned into fear and panic for many. this man who wants to stay anonymous said that he was only fade-away when the gunfire broke out at the 2200 block of lakeshore avenue on saturday. what did you do? >> i don'ti don'ti don'ti don't

i'm linsey davis. we begin with the record-breaking heat wave, and images not seen since before the pandemic. the june heat wave packing beaches up and down the east coast. thousands making their first trips to the shore in more than a year. record highs set this weekend from north dakota to massachusetts, with temperatures soaring into the 90s from minneapolis to philadelphia. heat emergencies declared in boston and washington, d.c. temperatures in some cities soaring earlier than normal. rob marciano leads us off. hey, rob. >> reporter: hey, linsey. for the first week of june, this is significant if not dangerous. take a look at some of the numbers. records broken as far as burlington, vermont. 95. a record in syracuse, 93. new york got up over 90 degrees for the first time this year. and tomorrow, the core will be across the i-95 corridor. you get away from that sea temperatures really get cooking. 93 in philly, 94 in albany, maybe 95 in boston. the heat so widespread, we have red flag warnings from

i'm linsey davis. we begin tonight with the delicate and dangerous rescue efforts in surfside, florida, now in its fourth day. officials are telling anxious families they are refusing to give up the search for survivors. nine people are now confirmed dead. additional human remains have also been recovered. more than 150 still unaccounted for. new video shows workers crawling through the pile. they've also built a massive trench, hoping to find spaces where someone might have a chance of survival. and tonight our team is on the ground with those rescuers and the challenges they face. earlier today families visiting the site. buses making their way to the wreckage. volunteers at a church forming a prayer circle. we now know more names of the deceased. antonio and gladys lazano, a married couple. stacey dawn fang, and manny lafont. victor oquendo on the scene since the beginning, tracking the latest on the investigation. >> reporter: tonight, the death toll now at nine in the catastrophic condo collapse i

i'm linsey davis in new york. good night. >>> next it is almost here.as california is set to reopen. a look at how the bay area is getting ready stepping up to stop the hate. what some alums passed out in chinatown to protect themselves. >>> another sign of how bad this drought is. the emergency emergency emergen this week. >>> it is time to ditch those mask. >> you heard him loud and clear. people in the bay area are ready for the state to reopen. a lawmaker was not shy about telling us what exactly was on his mind. good evening, thank you for being here. you are watching abc 7 news at 6:00 live here on abc 7. hulu live and wherever you stream. abc 7 is counting down the days to june 15th. in less than two days california is set to reopen. that means on tuesday if all goes as expected our 15 month long ordeal of public health restrictions, bans and color coded tiers will all come to an end. the light at the end of the tunnel is as close as it has ever been the past 15 months. bay area businesses and communities are now gearing up for the big day. one c

i'm linsey davis. thanks so much for watching. good night.time for sleep number's memorial day sale on the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it's the most comfortable, body-sensing, automatically-responding, energy-building, dually-adjustable, dad-powering, wellness-boosting, foot-warming, temperature-balancing, recovery-assisting, effortlessly life-changing... proven quality night sleep we've ever made. during our memorial day sale, save $1,000 on the new sleep number 360 special edition smart bed, now $1,799. only for a limited time. >> a man arrested on his way to fight for isis. >> temperatures on the rebound tomorrow. i'll tell you how much warmer coming up. >> get a sneak peek at the the e marvel superhero land at disney california adventure. >> the school year is wrapping up for many kids. how did in-person learning go? >>> he was arrested last friday attempting to board a plane to join isis. >> a 20-year-old man is under arrest accused of trying to join isis. according to the justice department, the santa rosa born man was getting ready

i'm linsey davis. thanks so much for watching. good night.n business, it's never just another day. it's the big sale, or the big presentation. the day where everything goes right. or the one where nothing does. with comcast business you get the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses and advanced cybersecurity to protect every device on it— all backed by a dedicated team, 24/7. every day in business is a big day. we'll keep you ready for what's next. comcast business powering possibilities. someday is finally here and we're ready to sail beyond again. without compromise. our crew is working to perfect every detail. all that's missing is you. so let's go. discover a new collection of award-winning vacations from celebrity cruises. now drinks, wi-fi and tips are always included. >>> we're if the east bay near the epi center of an earthquake. why residents say this did feel like your ordinary california quake. >>> heating up inland tomorrow, i'll show you how hot and how long coming up. >> and concerns over this homeless encam

abc's linsey davis takes a look. >> reporter: chambersburg, pennsylvania, is rooted in american historyumored to be a stop on the underground railroad and burned down in 1864 by the confederacy. it is small town america. overwhelmingly republican and mostly white. a place where linda and marvin worthy and their 11-year-old daughter taila call home. was there ever a time you felt unwelcome in chambersburg because of your race? >> i received a phone call once, asking if i was marvin worthy, and that i understand my wife decided to enroll in your service, but i found out you were [ bleep ]. we want to withdraw. i said, excuse me? >> reporter: they turned their personal struggle into action, forming a group called racial reconciliation. >> marvin and i decided that we were going to start to have conversations about how we can reconcile around the issue of race in our own community. >> reporter: for the next few years, they hosted uncomfortable conversations, mostly with their white neighbors, about what it really means to be an ally. >> it's not enough to be anti-racist. you have to combat

. >> reporter: kevin strickland told abc's linsey davis he has always maintained his innocence in a tripleas convicted of in 1979. two other men who pleaded guilty also insisted strickland was not involved, and a lone witness recanted her story. so last month, the state prosecutors office affirmed strickland's innocence and is fighting for his immediate release, a process now plagued with frustration. >> this is wrong. the right thing is getting mr. strickland out. >> missouri's governor just last week announced the names of 36 people in the state being granted pardons, but strickland wasn't on the list. >> we look at those case, but i don't know that necessarily makes a priority to jump in front of the line. >> the state supreme court has denied a petition to free strickland without giving a reason. so now that we've gotten to this point, i'm just curious why mr. strickland is still behind bars? >> that's a hard reality. the only thing i can tell you about that slightly in defense of the system is that it believes in finality. >> reporter: more than a dozen state lawmakers are now calling

i'm linsey davis. hope to see you right back here tomorrow night. and all of us here, good night. >>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 news. >>> we find ourselves in crisis. we find ourselves reeling from a weekend of violence. our shootings are up over 70% this year. our robberies are up. it's 11% -- we see clearly that crime is out of control in the city of oakland. our response was for less police resources. >> you can hear it in his voice, frustration from the police chief about about to defund his department. he says things will only get worse with fewer officers on the streets. with that, good afternoon and thank you for joining us. i am dion lim. >> you are watching

here's abc's linsey davis. >> very nice to meet you. >> reporter: we met kevin strickland on his 62ndticular on this day? >> i was determined to spend this birthday awake as long as i could. you know? never know if it's going to be the last one. >> reporter: this is the 43rd birthday he's spent behind bars. >> what it does to someone to be behind bars for 43 years? >> i think i've been destroyed. >> reporter: what he calls his destruction is not just the result of decades in prison. it's decades in prison for a crime he says he did not commit. years spent dreaming of a life outside his prison cell. do you think that a lot? >> yes. want it bad. want it bad. people hurt you. >> so 43 years. how have you survived this long, to this point? >> hope. prayer. desire to return to society and bond with my children and grandchildren. >> reporter: the prosecutor who originally tried strickland for a triple murder in 1978 is now deceased. but the same office with prosecutor jean peters hyme baker is at its helling is saying he's innocent. >> it is important to recognize when the system has made w

. >> reporter: paxton telling nbc's linsey davis, she can't believe the response her speech is gettingeech went viral, you've been getting a retweet from hillary clinton, what your reaction to that? >> i was shocked. i didn't expect the speech to really go far past the stage. >> reporter: paxton finished her speech without interruption. >> we cannot stay silent. thank you. >> reporter: the school district says it now plans to review student speech protocols in advance of next year's graduation ceremonies. the school points out that valedictorian speeches do not reflect the school's position or that of its employees. paxton says her parents were the only ones she told about switching her topic. mona, andrew? >> andrea, thank you. >>> and breaking overnight, a big loss for lebron james and the lakers. the suns eliminated the defending champs from the play-offs in the first round, and it is the first time lebron has been eliminated in the first round in his entire career. the nuggets also eliminated the blazer last night. >>> coming up, the video of u.s. soldiers confronting a stubborn ra

here's abc's linsey davis.old valentina smith unleash from the pitcher's mound. >> it's kind of like, oh, she's just a girl. this is going to be easy, because sometimes when i go up to pitch i start with a changeup and some of them laugh and smile. then i throw a fastball, and they're like. uh. they just start getting serious. the smiles just start to fade away. >> reporter: valentina isn't just one of the starting pitchers for the parkland all-stars little league team in florida, she's also a strong hitter. two weeks ago she hit her first ball over the fence. >> i didn't know it was gone until i started getting halfway from first base, because when i heard my whole dugout cheering and i saw it land, i just started crying so hard because it was my first time hitting it over the fence. >> reporter: valentina's been playing some form of baseball since she was 4. and today she works just as hard off the field. >> i've always wanted to show girls that they can do it just as good or maybe even better than what boys

linsey davis will be right back here tomorrow night. the san mateo county coast. what we've learned about the encounter near pacifica. this usually is the biggest weekend for pride but many of the events are canceled. even so, that has not put an end to the celebration. and new developments in the scott peterson case. why his lawyers say he should get a new trial. >>> near pacifica a man was bitten by what authorities say was a great white at gray whale coastal beach. we are told he is expected to recover. cornell bernard joins us live, and cornell, what did you learn about what happened? >> reporter: posted signs say the beach is closed. first responders say a 39-year-old surfer was bit. >> the patient was bitten by a smaller great white shark and was able to swim to shore with assistance from bystanders where they

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i'm linsey davis, in for david. we begin with the searing heat from coast to coast tonight. 60 million americans under heat ale alerts. in the west, that historic, record-breaking heat. and now the second heat wave in a month in the northeast. washington, d.c., philadelphia and boston all declaring emergencies. officials taking steps to save lives. look at the map. scorching heat on both coasts. today boston feeling like it's 105 degrees. philadelphia deploying air conditioned buses as temporary cooling sites. in seattle, highways buckling from the heat. traffic backing up while they're being repaired. in the west, the heat and drought fueling dozens of wildfires. the lava fire forcing evacuations overnight. and with temperatures staying high for days, very little relief from the heat at night. abc's janai norman leads us off here in new york. >> reporter: tonight, millions sweltering as that record breaking heat invades the northeast. >> at noon today, it felt like 105 in boston. >> that is dangerous heat and certa

linsey davis back here tomorrow night.n abc 7 news at 6:00, parties, picnics and lessons in history are part of the juneteenth celebrations with the date carrying even more significance this year. >>> dozens of people hanging on to multiple fire escapes. >> fire crews describe the scene they found when responding to an apartment building fire today in san francisco. the daring rescues of people and their pets. >>> and a wildfire in monterey county could have an impact here in the bay area. abc 7 now. >>> today the nation commemorates the end of slavery and honors black-americans across our country with juneteenth. now, officially a federal holiday. with that, we say, good evening. i'm dion lim. you're watch watching us here, hulu live and wherever you happen to stream. abc 7 news reporter stephanie sierra joins us live. she celebrated juneteenth celebrations happening across the bay area. you have a closer look for us. >> reporter: yes, dion, you could feel the excitement, even though many said they were celebrating the mo

>> whit johnson, we'll be watching and linsey davis right here this weekend. thank you. >>> we turn next to chilling new details after the deadly grocery store shooting. a grandmother and grandson shot. the grandmother trying to protect her child. so far it's not believed the gunman knew his victims but that warning signs were ignored. what was reportedly found on facebook. here's victor oquendo. >> reporter: tonight, chilling new details about the shooting inside a south florida supermarket that claimed the life of a 1-year-old boy and the grandmother who fought to save him. >> the suspects enters the produce section and you can see he's looking towards the victim. >> reporter: the sheriff's office says the alleged gunman, 55-year-old timothy wall, shot the child first. the grandmother jumping in to stop him. >> she struggles with him, his gun jams. she was able -- he was able to overpower her down to the ground and he shoots her down while she's on the ground. wall then turning the gun on himself. >> reporter: the sheriff visibly angry, saying there were war

linsey davis will be right back here tomorrow night.night. >>> assault weapons overturned. what state leaders are saying about the ruling. >>> big races and free vaccine doses? a county fair that has a unique offer kicks off today. >>> we hear from passengers on a flight, including one who rushed to help after a man tried to break into the cockpit. abc7 news starts now. >>> tilting a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 news. >> it is a slap in the face. >> a stronger gun control measures, a federal judge has overturned california's ban on assault weapons. think you for joining us. you are watching abc7 news at 5:00 live here on abc7, hulu live, and wherever you stream. cornell bernard spent the day getting reaction to the ruling that came down late last night. state officials want to judges, they wanted to fight this decision. >> reporter: from sacramento to washington, d.c., lawmakers promising to appeal this ruling. the governor calls it a direct threat to public safety. >> this is a judge that is not teth