lyanne melendez abc 7 news. >> thank. >> president biden and house speaker kevin mccarthy reached a bipartisan deal over the weekend. it comes nearly a week before the june 5 deadline to avoid a government default to avoid the 90 page piece of legislation including the suspension of the u.s. debt limit until 2025 to get the government time to pay its bills. it increases age and work requirements for food aid programs. a topic both leaders struggled to agree upon. congress will no vote on the bill which is expected to happen on wednesday. quick the last day of michael sunscreens don't offer enough protection. abc 7 alex! mateo, hey how's business? great. you know that loan has really worked wonders. that's what u.s. bank is for. and you're growing in california? -yup, socal, norcal... -monterey? -all day. -a branch in ventura? that's for sure-ah. atms in fresno? fres-yes. encinitas? yes, indeed-us. anaheim? big time. more guacamole? i'm on a roll-ay. how about you? i'm just visiting. u.s. bank. ranked #1 in customer satisfaction with retail banking in california by j.d. power. >> new details ab

reporter lyanne melendez is in the newsroom to explain. year's budget was set aside for this specific program called heart program. the city describes it as the missing piece of the puzzle because many of them have been in the same situation of drug addiction, a few even previously incarcerated. what i am saying is that they have worked in those shoes before and they know what it takes to reach out to those on the streets who are experiencing a crisis. think of an urban alchemist as a school ho how a school holder monitor. there are about 350 of them. now the most experienced ones, about 25 people, will be part of a one-year pilot program called heart, homeless engagement assistance response team. people like louise hammonds trained for nonemergency situations. when you approach somebody who is not all there, what do you know, what kind of training do you have that i don't have, the average individual does not have? >> we do well in uncomfortable situations. i am comfortable being comfortable because i don't see an angry person, i see a hu

reporter lyanne melendez is in the newsroom to explain.ic program called heart program. the city describes it as the missing piece of the puzzle because many of them have been in the same situation of drug addiction, a few even previously incarcerated. what i am saying is that they have worked in those shoes before and they know what it takes to reach out to those on the streets who are experiencing a

abc 7 news reporter leanne melendez has the story. lyann of 2024 is best known for surviving high school during a pandemic that shape their lives. what makes this graduate in class so special? remember, they were freshman when covid shut down in person learning. they had to pivot and attend classes online. donye shared this photo of him as a high school freshman. donye: i did not let anything % going after what i wanted to achieve. i did it. lyanne: armon still carries his freshman id with him. for him, returning to in person learning his junior year was difficult after being isolated for nearly a year and a half. armon: everyone had to kind of bring themselves out to talk in front of the teacher or answer a question. at the start of it, everybody was really quiet. principal moy: just the ability to communicate was a challenge and this year with the strike this group is so resilient and , amazing. selina: it finally feels like my hard work has paid off and i can't wait to really get out there and exit this chapter of my life. lyanne: selina

lyanne: in san francisco, lien melendez, abc 7 news. -- lyanne melendez, abc 7 news. dan: we want to bring in abc 7 news insider phil matier. ama: 77% say the city is going in the wrong direction. last year, it was 76%. how in san francisco turn this trend around? what can be done? phil: it's going to be tough. 73% said the quality of life has gone down. concerns about public safety have more than doubled in that same time period. what can be done? it depends on who you are listening to. aaron peskin, who sits on the board of supervisors, said that his time, rather than going for aspirational solutions, to get down to the nitty-gritty and do simple things like safe streets, clean streets, let's get it going. dan: to that end, one of the measures was a plan to arrest people doing drugs. again, not the aspirational think of just the practical. phil: and there you have a trip word, "plan to arrest," which triggers the idea of the war on drugs, the idea of putting people in jail for possession of narcotics or drugs, something that the state of california has gone the oppo

lyanne melendez was that their first person showcase of the pandemic. reporter: special education students communicate their feelings and emotions. like any other professional artist their work was highlighted on stage and enjoyed by family and friends at the american conservatory theater in san francisco. >> they get to perform on our stages. we provide technical support. it is about giving them the f experience from creating something to presenting it. reporter: them about teamwork and growing socially while derek to try new challenges. >> it a program designed specifically for 18-22-year-olds with disabilities. it was founded in 2012. heidy started it. >> we help students gain important life skills, but also the things that will make them happy in life. for me, it is my hobbies. reporter: off stage, different art mediums were also on display . all the proceeds go directly to the artists and to help purchase their materials. francesca smith calls herself a digital artist. >> i have been doing art for a long time. i wanted to push to the boundaries of

here is lyanne melendez. >> i believe that writing has saved me.guy who feels shared to communicate a message in front of strangers. writing has always been with me. >> my name is gilberto silvio cortez, and i am writing for career and life. lyanne: born in the u.s., he was only five years old when his family left san francisco to return to mexico. >> i am mexican. lyanne: he knew someday he would return to attend college in america, thinking that a sports scholarship would be his only introduction. >> for me, the only way to go to college was through scholarships. lyanne: until he tore the ligaments in both knees. his dreams, now fractured. a cousin explains that college was still obtainable if he would be willing to work on his academics. >>>> that day, i remember i went to my mother and said, hey, mom, is this real? she said, this is real. lyanne: he came back alone, living with an aunt and uncle. at mission high school, he found a mentor who suggested he repeat his junior year. >> all of the grades you have are all a's, english proficiency isn'

in the newsroom, lyanne melendez. >> the last time oakland teachers went on strike was in 2019. it lasted a week. we will stay on top of it takes. follow the latest on the abc7 bay area app on your smartphone or wherever you stream. uc berkeley professor apologizing for falsely claiming an indigenous heritage for years. the environmental policy professor said she's actually white. in a statement, she grew up believing she was native american. hoover conducted genealogical research after rising concerns about her heritage. results showed she had no trace of native american lineage. protected bike lanes will be installed along boulevard following the death of a champion cyclist. they control one stretch whether presidio trust controls the other. it calls for not only protected lanes, but speed cushions. there were calls for improvements to be made after ethan boys died in a crash. the incident is under investigation. the suspect arrested in a string of stabbings in davis has plead not guilty. he appeared in a yolo county courtroom yesterday. he's accused of stabbing three people,

ama: lyanne melendez spok with the student whose ready for a career. >> i believe that writing will savey. i feel scared to communicate my message. writing has always been with me. name is gilberto, aready for a. lyanne: born in the u.s., he w only five years old when his family left san francisco to return to mexico. >> i am mexican. lyanne: he knew someday he would return to attend college in america, thinking that a sports scholarship would be his only introduction. >> for me, my only way to go to college and to pay it was scholarships. lyanne: until he tore the ligaments in both knees. his dreams now fractured. then, a cousin explains that college was still obtainable if he were willing to work on his academics. it meant returning to san francisco to attend a public high school. >> i remember i went back to my mom. i said, mom, is this real? yeah, this is real. i'm going to america. lyanne: he came back alone, living with an aunt and uncle. at mission high school, he found someone who suggested he repeat his junior year. >> all the grades you have is all "a's." 4.0 gpa, but your engl

ama: abc 7 news reporter leah melendez is looking at the data for two of the bay areas biggest cities, san francisco and san jose, lyanne. lyanne: right. when you move, you always have this dilemma, should i buy, rent, weight? what should i do? most of us still believe in homeownership as part of that american dream, but deciding whether to rent or buy in places like the bay area really depends on the years you intend to live here. to live, san jose makes more sense to rent banta by followed closely by the san francisco bay, which includes oakland and berkeley. in the san francisco metro area, the average rent is just over 3000 a month. that was based on rent index, which took into account all rental units. but when it comes to homeownership, the average monthly mortgage in san jose was $9,372, and an san f 7100 $625. todd mccullough is currently renting and is waiting for the right moment and the right price. >> price is largely based upon the fed kind of calming down right now. so putting it down as monthly costs that really start to bleed income as you are paying significant fees. lyanne: the report was put together