want installed in new cars and truck that's would make them more like commercial airplane autos michael finneytaking questions on twitter and facebook. he'll answer them here live just a little bit later. you can contact michael on facebook.com and on twitter. >> on a get away friday, downtown commute this is the sky way. there is road work being done on the upper deck of the bay bridge this afternoon.çmj# so that packed everything up that. is why you have problems on the right side of the screen. left side, just usual friday afternoon get away traffic. stay with us. >>> san francisco school officials want the man known as america's toughest sheriff to write a leter to students after being denied an opportunity to speak with them in american. the -- person. the sheriff happen owes to be in san francisco for a conference, receiving a bundle of letters from students. the qlerts criticized his efforts to enforce immigration laws in the phoenix area. he called letters hate mail, and he wanted to speak to those students. >> this class had to be controlled by a teacher. it was like a project. why t

i'm michael finney, 7qaannf >rr side. >> all right.xt a heart felt so long to a long time colleague. looking back at the 40 year career of the legendary don sanchez. >> this is a bittersweet day for us on abc 7 news. as our colleague don sanchez is retiring. >> packing away his microphone after 40 years on the job here and abc 7 news anchor cheryl jennings worked with him during his remarkable career with this look back. this is the perks of being a wall flower, wisdom for teenagers. two french films(rjzd are next. a long time married couple facing realities of age. it's emotional. >> that is -- . >> we did that at 4:00. >> number one, lincoln. argo. >> number a good films this year. >> yes. >> and fast few years of his career. >> last few years now. >> you've done it all during that time. >> and i know i didn't sleep in the studio. i understand i'm sup fosd do that. i anchored 5:00 before you. mornings, evenings. sports ampkors a number of times. we did it all. i don't know. we're going to take a look back at -- . >> we zront the tape

>> i wonder if michael finney can fix that. [ laughter ] >> here is a live view from high definition east bay camera in emeryville looking at western sky that is getting cloudier and cloudier by the month movement moment. rain will arrive in the north bay tomorrow. so it's going to be a wet christmas. here is a look at live doppler 7-hd. rain has not begun to fall here yet. clouds are thickening but rain is well off to the north coastguard at the moment but it is moving in our direction and will be here by tomorrow. right now, temperature readings generally in the low 50s but it's dropped below 50 in fairfield and antioch where readings are in the upper 40s. forecast features, cloudier and rainy and showers are likely to link neither wednesday and taper off wednesday evening. low temperatures will be quite chilly in the north bay valleys and east bay valleys. 37 at fairfield. 37 at livermore. 39 at concord and low 40s in most locations near the bay. satellite composite image, big mass of moisture headed in our direction and that more rainfall for christmas day. cloudy and mainly dry

coming up at 11:35, advice from 7 on your side's michael finney. >>> the leaders in the house and the senate did agree on something today. they extended the 2008 farm bill for one more year. that bill expired in october. milk prices could have doubled to $7 a gallon next month if lawmakers failed to extend it. the agreement prevents the government from returning to a 1948 formula to set milk prices. some economists call this the dairy cliff. >>> today was the last sunday for free meter parking in san francisco. next sunday you will have to pay from noon to 6:00 p.m. atish ifer man's wharf from noon until 7:00 p.m. the city set up prepaid options for many meters. the municipal transportation agency says the move will bring in $2 million a year, but the mta says it is not about the money. it is an effort to keep traffic moving. >>> secretary of stit -- of state hillary clinton is in hospital. also -- >> ♪ amazing grace >> a band gets a special request and helps lift the spirits of former president george h.w. bush as he recovers in the hospital. also ahead, no laughing matter for comedi

go michael finney's consumer blog. >> yes. terrific, thank you. >> i know what i'll be doing. >> a live picture where rain or shine it's wall to >>> coming up at 6:00 we're on storm watch. what you can expect on bay area roads tonight and throughout the weekend. >> how the storm is affecting people throughout the bay area from falling tree branches to flooded neighborhoods. >> a woman upset after her car is stolen. it's not the car she cares about, about what is inside. we'll have her plea to return a lap top with videos and pictures. >> cheryl jennings is moderating a fund-raiser event with kite runner author. >> it's through his foundation to build shelters for homeless afghans. there are more than five million who needs homes after being destroyed. >> the event is at harper school in san jose. there will be a time for the audience to participate. >> world news is up next. i'm carolyn johnson. >> from all of us here at abc >>> this is "world news." tonight, terror plot. the fbi arrests two men saying they planned an attack i

coming up at 11:35, advice from 7 on your side's michael finney. ders in the hte did agree on something today. they extended the 2008 farm bill for one more year. that bill expired in october. milk prices could have doubled to $7 a gallon next month if lawmakers failed to extend it. the agreement prevents the government from returning to a 1948 formula to set milk prices. some economists call this the dairy cliff. >>> today was the last sunday for free meter parking in san francisco. next sunday you will have to pay from noon to 6:00 p.m. atish ifer man's wharf from noon until 7:00 p.m. the city set up prepaid options for many meters. the municipal transportation agency says the move will bring in $2 million a year, but the mta says it is not about the money. it is an effort to keep traffic moving. >>> secretary of stit -- of state hillary clinton is in hospital. also -- >> ♪ amaz >> a band gets a special request and helps lift the spirits of former president george h.w. bush as he recovers in the hospital. also ahead, no laughing matter for comedi

michael finney is here with a story on what airlines have in mind. they like this. >> oh, brother. wait until you hear this. >> this is just years ago. okay? airlines have taken in $36 billion, billion with a b, in revenue from airlines fees alone. not the tickets, but fees. they think this maybe they can make more off fees. airline officials met this-to-discuss ways of maximizing passenger fees. they're tossing around new forms of travel insurance or giving travelers a chance to preorder meals for the flight. >> we do have good news to pass along to you tonight. bank of america shelfed plans for new checking akt fees that could have affected 10 million customers. the bank declining to comment. however, "wall street journal" reports any planned fee increases have been postponed until the end of next year. other banks including wells fargo and jp morgan chase have increases in the works. we have no timetable for hem. theer here is a feel good story. 10-year-old james garcia live was a developmental disorder. two years the boy saved every penny he had until he had $100 needed to buy

michael finney is here with the latest. >> good news. reported it consumer products safety commission called it dangerous for babies. today, four major retailer as agreed to pull 150,000 of the baby recliners off shelves. the seats blamed in the death of five babies and injuries to 70 more. the government received dozens of reports of babies falling or hanging out of the sides. the recall affects older and newer models all sold from 2009 to 2012. retailer recalling chairs are am -- amazon, bye-bye baby, toys are us and babies are us. the manufacturer said it's safe when used as directed but says the company is now out of business. if you have one, return it. new year coming up. witness comes broad new protections for social media privacies in california. this is good news for consumers. a state law prevents online snooping, barring ploimys to ask for user names and pass words, considered one of the most far reaching laws in the nation protecting social media privacy. >> in the past some have asked for access to social kbleed sites such a

michael finney is back with something to spice up your life. >> this is what time of the year, nutmeginute. right? so this is from spice island. etc. just about a ride from honduras. no. this company right here in z.they're doing a fabulous thing going to give you a free bottle right there. that size of either nutmeg or bay leafs. using only highest quality merchandise. you can check them. normally costs betweenm=>t $6 bt you're going to get it free. good deal. and have you ever heard of card raising.com? there is one right there. card raising.com there. you're looking at the web site right there. allowing you to down load pictures i should say upload, and then, build greeting cards. es charity of your choice. so you can build them for a class, and then have everybody check in to get them. it's a great program z what you're going to get is a $20 value. >> nice. >> that is great. >> how do we get this great stuff? >> you get it by right there. or any time you can log on to abc 7 news.com. we have two additional items. >> fabulous. >> yes. it is. >> thank you. >> just ahead rocking arou

. >> i'm michael finney. did you receive a new tv over the holidays?ng up, best money-saving options for a home theater system. (;ñ;ñ;ñ;ñ;ñ$x >>> church supposed dob a save haif yerngs a place to worship in peace. >> an east bay mother is in the hospital after protecting her children fromhc a stray bullet. she's talking with abc 7 news about this ordeal. >> nick smith joins us live with the story. nick? >> cheryl, dan, good evening. maria is expected to survive her injuries. she expected them to learn a lesson about the christmas holidays. instead, her children sought mother, shot, hit by a stray bullet. maria has a frightening story to tell. >> we're at church with my daughter and people passed by shooting at church. >> she spoke to me from hervhlé hospital bed, shaken by the scene of events plague out on monday night. >> i look back and saw a bullet coming at my son's head. i threw myself over my son. >> the reverend was selling -- telling a 4i whe when... >> boom, boom.'h7qsç we had to stop the sermon. go down. i said go down. as fast as you can.

i'm michael finney. >>> on a day lake this get the kids out to play. >> -- good morning. 6:17.looking from roof cam towards the port of oakland, gorgeous sunrise, i'll put it on my facebook page. live doppler 7 hd, radar and satellite superimposed on one graphic don't see much in the way of cloud cover until you get to the lower left of the screen nothing in the way of radar returns very dry out there this morning thanks to offshore wind that is keeping oakland at 60°, in our valleys, winds not as prevalent, 39 in santa rosa and fairfield, a lot of 40s inland to the santa clara valley, san jose 46, los gatos 47 around the bay low to mid 50s even half moon bay 59° right now. mid to upper 40s most of the monterey bay and inland gilroy 39°. this afternoon sunny, warmest afternoon this week within a few degrees of record highs. light rains possible tuesday night into wednesday, going to happen, much cooler on back side of that system wednesday through sunday. south bay san jose going to warm up to 66° los gatos warm and spot, redwood city and san mateo 64, half moon bay 65, 63 daly

michael finney with the models coming out on top in a new . >>> welcome back.monday morning christmas eve, partly cloudy this afternoon, breezy along the coast upper 40s to near 50 most of the rain in southern california now where going to stay mid 60s there sierra will die the rain and snow, snow tapering now low 40s there 51 sacramento, 59 fresno, 47 near chico. here's the winter weather advisory tomorrow 4:00, to wednesday 4:00, 10 15 inches of snow above 7,000 feet. >>> if you are getting ready to buy a new vacuum there are lots of choices. >> michael finney shows us which models clean best in a new consumer reports at the time. >> reporter: good morning. no one likes to call have you thought about how many miles you've vacuumed in your life? probably not. the consumer reports has. in its latest test, testifiers vacuumed 16 miles of -- testers vacuumed 16 miles. vacuums are these days are stylish and sleek these are some of the 73 uprights consumer reports put through tough tests. >> from $80 to more than $1,000. >> reporter: the most important test how wel

you can contact me at facebook.com/michael finney abc 7. i'll answer questions here, live, later. >> yes. clouds are beginning to thicken again, meaning more rain is on the way. i'll have the accu-weather forecast coming up. >> outside we go. take a look at traffic on 80. you can see sticky moving in both directions. stay with us. abc 7 news at 4:00 continues here in just a moment. you know how much grandma wanted to be here for your fist christmas? you see grandma lives waaaay down here, and you live way up here. brian, your cousin, he's a little bit older than you, he lives here, in chicago. and your aunt lisa lives here, in baltimore. uncle earnie? waaay out in hawaii. but don't you worry, we will always be together for christmas. [ male announcer ] being together is the best part of the holidays and cheerios is happy to be part of the family. you just ate dallas! >>> checking healthy living news a study finds food allergies may be linked to pesticides found in tap water, researchers say a chlorine found in certain pesticides could be ca

michael finney explains how to get [ female announcer ] martinelli's gold medal sparkling cider is theice for holiday gatherings. martinelli's is non-alcoholic, festive like champagne, and tastes great! martinelli's: since 1868. >>> few people can relate to the connecticut school tragedy than families of bay area shootingm:ák!tims.$ years of sorrow has not dampened their pain but a dozen mothers of crime victims got a chance to forget for a little whi. they were surprised with a makeover at the marinello beauty school this, is more about nails and hair. >> make me feel good. it make me feel beautiful. i mean, people tell me i'm beautiful but i don't feel beautiful. i feel sad on the inside. >> the surprise makeover organized by former perpetrators of violence and united violence prevention group a bay area charity put out a holiday wish list, it's in need of christmas hams. they need to collect 500 hams so it can serve its christmas dinner. it made a similar appeal for turkeys before thanksgiving. st. anthony's serves thousands of meals per day. donations can be dropped off at dining r

. >> also, michael finney taking your questions on twitter and facebook and will answer them here live you can contact michael on facebook.com and on twitter. >> at 4:11 first check of traffic. you know, normal friday afternoon traffic going to be impacted when getting any sort of rain coming down. it's slow. acrawl going left to right on the lower deck of the bay bring. better holding southbound on the right side of the screen. back with >>> we're continuing with storm watch coverage here on abc 7 news at 4:00. this is a view as you can seejÑ, it's coming down there, gloomy skies, and we'll continue to keep you posted as in a little bit of a bull in -- lull in most bay area locations. we're expecting more rain still to come throughout the weekend. >> ross valley fire officials confirm a body was found among ashes of a burnt cabin. thegú small structure in cascade canyon near fairfax burned to the ground. the cabin so remote, firefighters needed 700 feet of hose to reach from the street to the burning structure, at one point, family members showed up at the scene. no information on the

michael finney shows how you >>> good morning on this tuesday at 5:12.it is crystal clear out there, in the 30s in the bay area. kind of a chilly start. mike will talk about how long these dry conditions will continue. >>> the company that under wrote facebook's troubled public stock offering will pay 5 million dollars to the state of massachusetts. morgan stanley is accused of disclosing projected fall in facebook revenue to certain analysts not the general public stock plunged after the news became public. massachusetts sued because the drop forced state officials to revise their expected revenue estimates. >>> elementary school in contra costa county attempting to win a national grant and they've turned to michael finney for help. >> reporter: this is kathy's kindergarten class at alamo elementary. they are excited about a garden and what will be planted there. >> tomatoes. >> reporter: amazing teaching space here's the reality. how do you get from this to this in these tight financial times? you get creative. >> contact 7 on your side if you feel you

i'm michael finney, "7 on your side." >> federal regulators are warning doctors of counterfeit botox. a batch shipped by a canadian supplier could be unsafe. they have written to more than 350 medical practices warning that botox has not been approved it says the company has been linked to ship counterfeit cancer drugs. this is the fifth bogus drug alert the fda has issued this year. >> dan: a nine-year-old cancer patient has raised nearly $9 million. mark and ellen miller learned that she had an inoperable brain tumor. she gets to travel to paris but before she went there, she asked daddy's write letters to santa. >> to believe her spirit during this time, otherwise, these times are really lonely. >> the goal was 10,000 letters. it escalated. to 241,000. despite go treatments, she made her first public appearance this weekend. >> thank you, happy holidays. >> what a sweety and cancer leaves her physically weak and alters her speech but it doesn't diminish her spirit one bit. >> carolyn: good spirits on rodeo beach in marin headlands where they released a healthy sea lion. he was is j

michael finney tells us one of ways you >> katie: welcome back.st lisa argen with the weather. we are in a break with the worst yet to come. >> lisa: plenty of rain out there right now. it is our break. heaviest system and the one that is going to come in tonight and tomorrow. still slated to bring in several inches of rain. this is light stuff. as we take a look outside in the sierra nevada it is raining there. we had sunshine in the mid 40s at tahoe airport. wind gusts up to 46 miles an hour. a lot of these places wanted to open with the higher bases with the wet snow but the wind can gust up to 70 miles an hour. probably not going to happen. san mateo bridge right now, very cloudy. there has been an advisory on local bridges with gusts over 35 miles an hour. emeryville, light to moderate rain all morning long but we are looking at things drying out in the north bay. we will get into drier skies throughout the afternoon before the last and significant heavy rainmaker comes our way. live doppler 7-hd. you will notice the lighter shades indicated

michael finney has what you need to know. >> first america's money report. >>> good morning.tory-making move from the fed for the first time linking interest rates to a specific unemployment number. bernanke says rates will remain ultra low until the jobless rate drops below 6 1/2% which he says could take more than three years. american airlines has a new way to charge fees bundling add ons with plans called choice, choice essential and choice plus which could cost up to $88 round trip. britney spears tops forbes list of top earning women in music, 58 million dollars, taylor behind at 57 million followed rihanna, lady gaga and >>> good morning. you are looking live at the san mateo bridge things appear to be moving smoothly chp dealing with aftermath of a fatal accident on the bridge. right lane blocked they are trying to move the debris out of the way they hope to have it out of the way by 5:30. sue will have the details, coming up. >>> in daly city officials expect cleanup and repair from water main break last month to cost nearly a million dollars. the break turned a neig

i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >>> up next the holiday season is here and fedex is getting readyday in its history. we will tell you how many pa ♪ [ female announcer ] at yoplait, we want you to feel even better about your favorite flavors. so when you call, tweet, and post, we listen. that's why yoplait light and yoplait original are now made with no high fructose corn syrup. and why we use only natural colors and natural flavors in yoplait original. so, anything else we can do for you, let us know. but you'll keep it to yogurt, right? 'cause we shouldn't really help with your love life. yoplait. it is so good! >> shipping companies expect to hit new volume records this holiday season. fedex predicts tomorrow will be the busiest day in company history. fedex expects to move 19 million packages tomorrow alone. and that's more than double the typical day's volume. for the period between thanksgiving and christmas, fedex says it's going to deliver some 280 million packages, and that's 13% more than last year. by the way, if you are trying to get those packages out, fedex says decem

tonight, michael finney is here to show us where to find stuff that's affordable. >> you're done! finding the right gift. we'll have you covered here. part of abc 7's exclusive partnership with "consumer reports," the people at shop smart have compiled a list of 25 web sites where you can find cool gifts for less than $25. tonight our first stop is right here in the bay area. lindsay sullivan is showing a lot of orders those days to meet the holiday rush. the san franciscan operates set boutique in the back room of her home just off russian hill and sells one of a kind items like this tablet cover. >> these are under $20. and the really interesting thing is that they're made out of mitts bushy car seats. >> reporter: the covers were made with the excess material that mitsubishi would have otherwise thrown await a minute everything she sells, like these recycled glass or $24 earrings come from manufacturers that are fair trade certified. >> my very first spenders are actually spenders that train survivors of human trafficking. >> reporter: at the time one of 25 retail web sites fea

and 7 on your side's michael finney helps a bay area couple forced to take a tour of italy without >> did you know abc7 news has the fastest weather tracking system? take a look at live doppler 7 hd. our morning meteorologist tells us how it will keep your family safe during our severe weather season. >> winter is officially two weeks away. the rainy season is already here. abc7 news is the best place to track it. abc7 news has the strongest, fastest, most powerful storm tracking system in northern california. from sky 7 hd you can see our exclusive live 7 hd high above the mountain. it's farther west than any other doppler radar in the bay area. the national weather service's doppler is more than 100 miles south in the santa cruz mountains. together we track the storms as they move through the bay area. when rain is approaching. abc7 knows who will be impacted first. live doppler 7 hd is so powerful it can scan hundreds of miles in seconds and pick up even a trace of precipitation in your neighborhood. the national weather service predicts a dryer and warmer than average winter in ca

i'm michael finney, seven on your side. >> we now know who will share half of the record power ball jackpotulti-millionaires plan to do with their new riches >> here are the winning numbers from last night's mega millions drawing. nobody correctly picked all six numbers so tuesday night's jackpot is estimated to be $13 million. >>> the holders of one of the two winning tickets in this week's massive power ball jackpot have picked up their share of the winnings. cindy and mark hale of dearborn, missouri couldn't help smile as they posed with the ceremonial check for 290 million bucks. cindy said her husband gave her $10.00 to buy the tickets and a quick pick chose the right combination. aside from buying one were their daughter he is a pony, they aren't sure what to do with all the cash. >> we are still stunned by what happened. it's surreal. people keep asking us what are you going to buy with it? i haven't thought about that. i want to go home and just be back to normal. >> if you have an extra pony lying around, you can throw it my way. >> no one has come forward with the other winning ti

i'm michael finney, seven on your side. >> we now know who will share half of the record power ball jackpotti-millionaires plan to do with their new riches come up. ♪ we were skipping stones and letting go ♪ ♪ over the river and down the road ♪ [ female announcer ] at nature valley, we know nature comes together in amazing ways. that's why we bring together natural ingredients, like dark chocolate with toasted oats, or sweet golden honey. perfect combinations of nature's delicious ingredients, from nature valley. ♪ ♪ i was thinking that i hope this never ends ♪ [ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars, nature at its most delicious. >> here are the winning numbers from last night's mega millions drawing. nobody correctly picked all six numbers so tuesday night's jackpot is estimated to be $13 million. speaking of the holders of one of the two winning tickets in this week's massive power ball jackpot have picked up their share of the winnings. cindy and mark hale of dearborn, missouri couldn't help smile as they posed with the ceremonial check for 290 million bucks. cindy said her husb

michael finney and consumer re >>> we come back.ter vapor in the air, narrow band coming through during the evening and overnight hours and how fast that is moving on stream. increasing clouds during the daylight hours, low 60s east bay and south bay areas slowest to receive cooling sea breeze. morning rain gives way to afternoon shower wednesday, thursday, friday, low to mid 50s frost possible both mornings. >>> 6:14. >>> cash mean, a popular gift -- cashmere, a popular gift option do you have to spend a lot to get a good quality sweater? >> reporter: good morning. are you looking for a special gift? cashmere sweaters are heavily marketed around the holidays. do you have to spend hundreds to get good quality? consumer reports says, not necessary. when it comes toè?l!= a sweater, one type stands head and shoulders above the rest. >> if you are going to wear wool and be warm, wear cashmere. >> soft, comfortable. >> reporter: consumer reports checked out dozens of cashmere sweaters. >> if you are picking up a $59.99 from the bargain b

i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >>> still ahead, taking guns off the street.california city after police offered to pay for firearms. >>> shopping scare caught on camera. what led hunts to stampede out of a -- what led hundreds to stampede out of a mall. >>> i'm amy hollyfield live in walnut creek the latest coming up. >>> live look at light bay bridge toll, holiday light, a lot of folks on vacation staying home and we've got a little slowing on upper deck once you get past the toll plaza not a bad ride more coming up after the break on >>> breaking news from walnut creek. a man is dead after officers opened fire on him at an apartment complex overnight. >> amy hollyfield joins us live from the walnut creek police department where investigators are getting ready to update us. >> reporter: they have confirmed they did shoot and kill adn÷!j man overnight. the police captain has just stepped out here to give us an update. i want to turn it over to him and ask him what he has on the qé captain, can you tell us what you have? >> yeah, i don't have any new informat

michael finney explains the run down. >> they keep us looking good. mail carriers get us mail rain or shine. sanitation workers do one of dirtiest jobs around. holidays a good time to show your appreciation with a tip. cindy is founder of advanced etd the question. >> tipping is mostly optional in most instances, as a result it's something more personal. >> the survey of 1800 americans found bar bergs receive an average tip of $10. teachers get an average $20. so do mail carriers and newspaper carriers, pet care providers and sanitation workers gardeners do better a ap at $25 and housekeepers get an average tip of $50. >> you tip what you have extra to spare and to share. >> i tip if i feel people give me a friendly good service and treat me kindly and don't make me feel like, i owe them something. >> she suggests another option. >> the difference is for people who serve you year round. i think a gift is much more personal than just giving money. >> not everyone agrees. they found 39% of those surveyed they didn't tip at all last holiday season. 55% o

. >> money-saving tips for last minute shoppers with michael finney.e'l >> ama: good evening, i'm ama daetz in tonight's headlines we're keeping track of the happen storm, and a canopy at a gas station fell. nobody was hurt. in the oakland hills a tree fell and took powerlines with it. 1500 people were without electricity for an hour. >> there are just a few hours left to finish your holiday shopping. many stores are offering deep discounts and others are staying open longer. one poll says two-thirds of shoppers have not finished getting their holiday gifts. in many instances it's a battle just to find a spot in the parking lot. >> the country is nine days away from falling off the looming fiscal cliff. tonight there are some who think the matter will be resolved and some who think otherwise. >> the first family arrived in the dark but woke up to paradise for the holidays. however the president may not stay because he didn't get his wish, deal with coverage members streamed out of the capitol last night with no agreement to avert the fiscal cliff. john

michael finney and consumer reports look at home theater systems and the convenient option that couldyou money. >>> we are still tracking the storm bringing showers to the bay area this morning. we will check back with meteorologist nike cope >>> welcome back. doppler radar across the state higher elevation snow, lower elevation scattered showers 50s until you get to l.a., palm springs and san diego, 60 there. chains in the sierra. >>> if you got a new high-def tv for christmas you might be considering a new surgeon sound system to go with it. >> mike -- new surround sound system to go with it. >> reporter: watching movies in your living room with surround sound is great, getting set-up can set you back big bucks. home theater in a box systems can save you money and hassle. consumer reports tested dozens that cost from $250 to nearly $2,000. a real movie buff getting sound that does justice to his big screen was a must. >> i was able to get digital high-definition receiver and all the speakers and the subwoofers to go with it, now i have movie theater quality sound and picture in my o

michael finney will be along with morn tips to make sure your loved ones do not become victims. >>> wein this half hour with latest on efforts to avoid the fiscal cliff. the plan being put forward is now coming under fire from within his own party. president obama says there will be no deal unless republicans drop opposition to raising taxes on wealthyest americans. we have more now from washington, d.c.. >> was the white house and congressional republicans put forward a plan to avoid the fiscal cliff, now, they're miles apart, gaining in their heels. the president told bloomberg tv a deal is possible, but... >> this proposal now is still out of balance. >> the plan sent yesterday offers a total of 2 tth $2 trillion in deficit reduction including $1.2 trillion in spending cuts. and00 billion in new tax revenue no. rate increases in top two percent of taxpayers. that is nonnegotiatable for the president. >> we're not going to be able to get a deal without it white house says the math doesn't add up. >> it's magic beebs and fairy dust. >> with just 28 days until deadline, negotiations re

. >> coming up next, michael finney helps a woman settle a dispute with exxon. >> they've been sending her checks to ts wrong place for >>> a san francisco woman inherited her mother's estate, but one company refused to recognize it that is until she contacted michael finney and michael is here now with her story. >> this went on a long time. >> yes. >> her mother died in 2003. nine years ate later she was still battling to get dividend checks which exxon mobile continued to send in her mother's name. gladys shaw remembers her mother's trademark lock autos she's the one with the pretty, curlly hair. >> before her misdemeanor died in 2003, she named gladys exec tore of her will, as her only child, assets, everything went smoothly except for one nagging issue with dividend checks from exxon mobile. >> i couldn't cash the checks they were in my mother's name. we'd write to them, they'd reissue in my mother's name. >> abc 7 legal analyst says this is a dilemma he's seen before. >> there is legal solution there. is a practical solution. unfortunately the two don't necessarily ri go together

. >> michael finney is taking your questions on twitter and facebook and will answer them here live aittle bit later, you can contact michael on facebook.com and on twitter. m finney. >> at 4:13, taking a look at friday afternoon commute. s directions. at the skyway in downtown san francisco, leftx,wjm to right heading towards bay bridge, and also, very, very slow heading southbound if you're heading towards the peninsula. stay with us, more still >>> we intraeking news. you can see accident scene right here, three killed in an auto accident this, is in san mateo county. we're told redwood city on northbound 280. and boy, you can see two vehicles mangled tlchl the chp says one driver was changing a tire in the center divide. they were struck by a car. as you can see, you've got emergency personnel on the scene trying to get this sorted out. traffic restricted to one lane in that direction z we'll continue to monitor the story and will bring details as they become available to us. here on abc 7 news. you can see traffic backed up this is going to take a while to clear awi. >> police cl

michael finney with the products promising to get the job done a Ñsñúa >>> take a look at this sharksg frenzy this is video from perth, australia showing 16 tiger sharks coming close to a beach. it is believed they were feeding on a dolphin carcass, as a result the beach is closed off to visitors. tiger sharks are known to attack humans but there hasn't been a fatal attack in west australian waters since 1930. >> something a little more common. whether you are cleaning up after a holiday party or just regular dinner, getting glassware spotless can be easier said than done. >> michael finney and consumer reports put dish water additives to the test. >> reporter: good morning. are you frustrated by filmy build-up on your glasses? there are additives for dishwashers that promise to help. consumer tested to find out whether they can really deliver crystal clear results. when you set a table for a nice meal you never want to use cloudy glasses like this. consumer reports put clear dish ware to you have test with very hard water and came out with a white film. >> since polluting phosphates

. >> and michael finney helps plant a dreaudsx a school hopes to become the little school that could with >>> a new survey shows growing support for gun control following the connecticut school tragedy. according a poll, 54% support stricter gun control. 71% oppose the ban of hand guns but 52% favor banning semi automatic weaponsnhxv÷ andd in the bay area gun control advocates poining to those number questioning universal background checks. more on that. and last night we heard the president say no set of laws could prevent a mass shooting but added that could not be an excuse for doing nothing. tonight the debate is getting more attention. protestors demonstrated outside of the national rifle association in washington, d.c. this morning and a long time gun rights congressman told msnbc it's time to do something. >> i don't know anyone that needs 30 rounds in a clip to go hunting. >> senator feinstein promising to reintroduce an assault weapons ban. it was in 1993 mass murder in a law office that led to that law. >> it's dark time of my life in 1993. my wife was killed in 101 califor

. >> money-saving tips for last minute shoppers with michael finney.e'l >> ama: good evening, i'm ama daetz in tonight's headlines we're keeping track of the happen storm, and a canopy at a gas station fell. nobody was hurt. in the oakland hills a tree fell and took powerlines with it. 1500 people were without electricity for an hour. >> there are just a few hours left to finish your holiday shopping. many stores are offering deep discounts and others are staying open longer. one poll says two-thirds of shoppers have not finished getting their holiday gifts. in many instances it's a battle just to find a spot in the parking lot. >> the country is nine days away from falling off the looming fiscal cliff. tonight there are some who think the matter will be resolved and some who think otherwise. >> the first family arrived in the dark but woke up to paradise for the holidays. however the president may not stay because he didn't get his wish, deal with coverage members streamed out of the capitol last night with no agreement to avert the fiscal cliff. john

michael finney shows us where to find some at an affordable price. folks at shop smart compiled 25 websites where you can find cool gifts for under $25. >> lindsay is filling a lot of orders to meet the holiday rush. she operates set by toke. she sells one of a kind items like this tablet cover. >> these are under $20, really interesting they are made out of mitsubishi car seats. >> it was made with competence material. everybody everything she sells like $20 recycled glass necklaces or $24 earrings come from manufacture there's are fair tried certified. it's one of 25 retail websites featured this n shop smart magazine. >> if you spend $20 they will donate five dollars to the charity of your choice. >> each one featured were pre-screened for their good customer service and privacy policies. that includes all time kennedy candy. -- that includes all time candy. you will find novelty items, like hand cranked march mellow or hotdog roaster. finally if you would rather shop somewhere with more name recognition, they like pier 1.com. we found endedian gr

i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >> i'm thirsty now. >> i have to see your id. >> thanks. >>> whatou the most popular work resolution and what you may have to do with year boss. >> what it may have to do with [ talking over each other ]uté& >>> bay area school may have gone too far. why one student is in trouble after her poetry sparks raw emotions. >>> police still on the scene of a fatal crash in oakland. why police officers are surprised and calling this investigation unusual >>> good morning. it is friday thank you for what a beautiful morning it is shaping up toúó)@Ñ be you are mount tamalpaisk!bjq sunrise ovr san francisco'j$s, dry now, cold how that is going to change. >> might as well do that now. >>> high clouds, halo around the moon this morning, stunning. second time this week we've had it.y3vw+ if#ñ

you can contact me on facebook.com/michael finney abc 7 and on twitter at m finney.er questions here, live a little later. >> and it's slow going right now. at the mcarthur maze. but for drivers on the right side of the screen making their way to san francisco, once you clear this this is easy going through the toll gate. >>> checking healthy living news, a new study suggests using a breast cancer drug for a longer period of time reduces the chances of getting the disease again, currently millions of women take the druggtx'q tamoxifin for five ye. studies show taking it 10 years lowered the risk. compared to those who took it for five years. another new study shows what is called protective sleep improve as lertness and performance of medical interns and residents. some work 30 hour shifts. the study made a group of interns on extended overnight duty turn off cell phones give beepers to residents and get sleep. that is why they call it protective sleep no. distraction as loued. >> slept earlier. and less disturbed. the three hours, 50% more sleep they got, was benefi

i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >>> former president george h.w.ck into a regular hospital room, more good stuff for him. ♪ ♪ amazing grace how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ ♪ >> barbara bush was able to get some old family friends, the oakridge boys to sing to the president, they are his favorite group. doctors at methodist hospital in houston are not confirming the 88-year-old president is on the mend but mrs. bush is certain he is >>> longtime bay area liberal congresswoman is retiring from congress, lynn woolsey is stepping down. her replacement will be sworn in thursday. the 75-year-old is known for her outspoken anti-war views she supported the 2001 joint resolution that paved the way for the invasion of iraq she regretted that vote and became the first member of congress to call for the withdrawal of troops from baghdad. >>> mike joining us with one of the final morning forecasts of 2012. >>> we could probably squeeze a couple more in before 7:00. did you use the -- you live in the city so you probably didn't have frost in morning. >> no. >> peninsula

plus 7 on your side's michael finney will help you devise a financial plan for your taxes in the event we plunge over the >>> good evening. i'm dan ashley. after days of rain it was a real mixed bag today. some rain, some clouds, some sun. we are still drying out from the christmas day drenching and let's check in with abc 7 news meteorologist lisa argen. nice to get a break. how long will it last? >> as the day went on things sunnier and dryer. cleared out of the south bay last. a live look at live doppler 7hd. all is clear right now. talking about partly cloudy skies and the numbers are dropping quickly tonight. so just a few showers continuing to spots of the salinas landscape. otherwise we are looking at the big rainfall from the north bay from san rafael and even san francisco an inch of rain in the pastth hours. is further to the east a third in liver move. about the same napa and up to the north, not too much in santa rosa. skies cleared. talking about patchy frost in napa and sonoma and we will give you the numbers and outlook when the run returns coming up in the seven day out

. >> michael finney. typing on a touch screen can be frustrating. now a tablet computer accessory could end that. i will tell you whether it's >> abc7 news with live, breaking news. >> an update on the breaking news we told you about at the beginning of the newscast in the east bay. a large fire in a fremont machine shop is in the mop-up phase. we were over the scene, shortly after flames burst out of a metal and fabricating company. located near the mission boulevard exit off interstate 680. heavy oils contributed to heavy, thick, sooty smoke. the 60 people inside the shop, got out safely. the cause of the fire is under investigations. >> they got out before the roof collapsed of just a mess. >> the mayor wants the city to be particularly aware of domestic violence during this holiday season. >> he launched a new public awareness campaign at the end of the year in which domestic violence has received unprecedented attention in the city. mark? >> reporter: ever since the sheriff grabbed his wife's arm on new year's eve, there has been a tremendous a

then at 4, michael finney finds out whether you have to spend a lot for cashmere.at 5, population decline in california in -- >>> it is christmastime at san francisco city hall. the fire department began its annual toy give away with the mayor. >> it started in 1949 the toy drive is the oldest in the nation. >> it continues through december 25th, donations are more than welcome at any city firehouse. the firefighting santas hope to deliver gifts to 25,000 disadvantaged kids this holiday season. [ female announcer ] this is a special message from at&t. [ male announcer ] it's no secret that the price of things just keeps going up. [ female announcer ] but we have some good news. it's our bundle price promise. [ male announcer ] a price you can definitely count on, for two whole years. from at&t. [ female announcer ] a great price for a great triple-play bundle. [ male announcer ] call now. bundles with u-verse tv, internet and home phone start at $89 a month. now get the same great price for two years. [ female announcer ] switch today and get a total home dvr inclu

then michael finney has the best money saving options for a home theater system. then at 5, keeping a close watch over a leaking levee. work being done to keep a creek interest flooding again. >>> now a christmas story waiting for a happy ending. snow chain installer douglas was working on east 80 near kingville, he saw a man jogging he was in panic. >> he lost his wedding ring it fell while he was installing chains without gloves. >> he says after the man drove off with his wife, he decided to help. >> i decided to look for the ring, because i knew where it was approximately, i was hunting with my head lamb and hand light. -- head lamp and it took less than an hour slightly submerged in the snow. >> there it is now he's hoping somebody will recognize the ring, platinum inscription lisa 5th, june, 2010. >> couple was heading from the bay area to that haute. hope you tune in and [dramatic music] ♪ [cheers and applause] >> how are you? mwah! >> [laughs] meredith... i was mesmerized by you. >> [laughs] >> i forgot to walk. >> oh, hello, everybody, and welcome to mill

at 5, michael finney steps in to help a woman when she can't get her tv repaired, even though it is underarranty. those stories and more at 4 and 5. >>> new york city decked out in the holiday spirit. empire state building glowing with red and green lights in honor of christmas and the lights stay on every night through the 6th of january. december 28th, the building will light the colors of syracuse university and west virginia in honor of the bowl at yankee stadium. >>> christmas eve day which means we are tracking san >> this year two competing tracking services norad, north american aerospace demand shows santa is in saudi arabia, google behind showing santa is in turkey. >> wherever santa is now, boys and girls make sure you are being good, santa will be here soon. if you with would like to keep an eye we have links on abc7news.com. click on see it on tv. >> real-time satellite picture amazing the technology we have. >> what did we do before that? >>> from all of us here on abc7 news thanks for joining us. >> who wants to be a >> who wants to be a millionaire is next. captioned by cl

then at 4, michael finney finds out whether you have to spend a lot for cashmere.then at 5, population decline in california in -- >>> it is christmastime at san francisco city hall. the fire department began its annual toy give away with the mayor. >> it started in 1949 the toy drive is the oldest in the nation. >> it continues through december 25th, donations are more than welcome at any city firehouse. the firefighting santas hope to deliver gifts to 25,000 disadvantaged kids this holiday season. [dramatic music] ♪ [cheers and applause] >> thank you. hello, everybody, and welcome to millionaire. broadway giveaway week continues. today we are giving our contestants the chance to win tickets to mary poppins for not just themselves but an entire row of our audience. [cheers and applause] first up is a cashier who is not only hoping to score the tickets. she

at 6:00 michael finney goes to bat for an iphone user claiming his credit card company failed to deliverise that. story at 6:00. we'll be right back here. >>> we've got a great way to end the week and it's kind of comfort food. >> yes. it's the moment we've been waiting for. >> cool out there today. i was like, do you have soup? is there anything i wanted? you'll want this, sit soup from safeway. you've seen them, they have a display when you walk through the store. they come in fiesta chicken, organic chicken noodle. they're very good. >> perfect on a day like this. >> that is for this kind of day. so, what is your new year's resolution? studio mix is a new 30,000 locally owned and operated health club they gave thus video. you're going get a five-day pass worth $100 they've got a ton of classes you can see here. day and night, you can check them out and there are showers and steam. >> perfect for new year's resolution autos how to we get this? >> great question. at any time log on to abc news.com. >> that is too intimidating. >> still ahead a ride back in time. >> why these plates may

. >> michael finney has one shopper's fine from goodwill that is worth immense >>> a team helping investigate the cause of a fire that destroyed a home on straggle lane. firefighters say the house is vacant and the home was full of property including 12 vehicles on the site. various containers filled with unknown material are being inspect bid the team tonight. fire prok out in a home associated with the hippy movement in san francisco today. the blaze started at the top of an apartment building on page street and spread next door. firefighters say there was a lot of electrical equipment in the area, where the fire started. however, the cause of the blaze still being determined tonight. and police discovered a marijuana grow house after neighbors complained about activity they saw. officers say there no one at the home on saddle wood court. they did find pot plants with a street value of $125,000. there is also an elaborate pot growing operation inside. three cars seen leaving before police showed up. >> good news, soon, low income children in san francisco will be allowed to ride muni for fr

michael finney and consumer reports put some to the test.then at 5, the high-tech way you can prove you have auto insurance if you are pulled over in the new year. those stories and more later today at 4 and 5. >>> giraffes are often seen as gentle giants. watch them give new meaning to the phrase neck-and-neck. >> this was kind of shocking a crew caught these two in a violent fight. >> experts say it is a brutal bans for dominance where no one is badly hurt but the neck weighs 500 pounds so there's real poundage thrown around. >> these fights are usually over territory or a mate. experts have the younger one of the two usually loses then comes back bigger and better. >> the documentary is for a new series called africa on the discovery channel. >> looks like it hurts. but they are okay. [cheers and applause] [dramatic music] ♪ >> thank you. >> here i am, you guys! [shouting indistinctly] hey, you. >> hey! >> yeah! >> hey! [laughter] >> hey, you! hey! hello! [cheers and applause] hello, hello, hello! [laughter] >> hello, everybody, and welco

at 5, michael finney steps in to help a woman when she can't get her tv repaired, even though it is underranty. those stories and more at 4 and 5. >>> new york city decked out in the holiday spirit. empire state building glowing with red and green lights in honor of christmas and the lights stay on every night through the 6th of january. december 28th, the building will light the colors of syracuse university and west virginia in honor of the bowl at yankee stadium. >>> christmas eve day which means we are tracking san >> this year two competing tracking services norad, north american aerospace demand shows santa is in saudi arabia, google behind showing santa is in turkey. >> wherever santa is now, boys and girls make sure you are being good, santa will be here soon. if you with would like to keep an eye we have links on abc7news.com. click on see it on tv. >> real-time satellite picture amazing the technology we have. >> what did we do before that? >>> from all of us here on abc7 news thanks for joining us. >> who wants to be a >> who wants to be a millionaire is next. captioned by clos

. >> and 7 on offer o your side michael finney will show us where we can get the coolest gifts for under $25. >>> good friday monk, december 14th, it's 5:00. i'm kristen sze. >> i'm eric thomas. it's chilly and frosty out there for some of us. you may have