live at golden gate bridge nick smith, abc7 news. >> great information, nick. thank you very much. 6:03 is our time. if you have to make the drive from the north bay to san francisco this weekend, the detour will take you over the richmond-san rafael bridge along interstate 80 and over the bay bridge that. drive typically takes about an hour but with all the extra traffic expected, plan ahead for a much longer commute. it is difficult, though, to predict exactly how much the shutdown will affect traffic and transportation. transportation officials aren't taking chances. they are preparing for a rough weekend. abc7 news reporter alan wang has that part of the story. >> this has never really been done on this scale before. >> the closing of the golden gate bridge this weekend could cause gridlock all over the bay area. the expectation is that drivers between san francisco and the north bay will funnel through the oakland bridge, down the 85-80 corridor and across the richmond-san rafael bridge. >> the richmond-san rafael bridge is two lanes in each direction. you

at the golden gate bridge nick smith, abc7 news. >> nick, i have to tell you i saw yourselffy on ""theebsite this morning. pretty cool. >> thank you very much carolyn. >> it is historic, after all. thank you, nick. and for those who typically don't take interstate 80 into the city, here is a reminder. the the fols om street exit. visit us online for public transit options and detours. you can also download the traffic app waze on your phone. it's free on apple's app store or google play. join the ay7 morning news team tomorrow morning to see how the changes are affect being the commute. we will have live reports from the bridge and the traffic reports tomorrow starting at 4:30 a.m.. >>> list all over the nation are cracking down on drivers who abuse disabled parking passes. undercover investigators for the california dmv recently staked out an area of l.a. known for drivers parking illegally. it's by the hiking trails in the hollywood hills. parking near the gate is legal only for nearby residents or the disabled. but as you can see many able bodies use it for premiere parking. >> i as

abc7 news reporter nick smith joining us live now from the san francisco side of the bridge. who are you talking to nick? what's the latest? >> i was just talking to chp. i wanted you to see them but they didn't want to be on camera. people have obeyed the traffic signals and that's one of the things we had to be concern about yesterday. my colleague talked to people who honestly did not know the bridge was closing even though we've been talking about it for weeks. they weren't paying attention they didn't know or they were visiting. we spoke to ot only the golden gate bridge about that but chp about redirecting the traffic and how people were being affected. but all of that is nothing they need to worry about because by this time tomorrow morning everything will be back to normal. take a look at the video we shot yesterday afternoon. sky 7 was over the scene. the last place was put in place and engineers took an opportunity to snap a picture or two. the project chief engineer told me things are on track to open in time for tomorrow, but they still have a few things they need

abc7 news reporter nick smith is live at the golden gate bridge toll plaza this morning. ith us. >> chris, it is good to be here. you know i love the morning show but i have to tell you this is the first time i've been able to dance in traffic here on the golden gate bridge. that's because it's closed. right now it's only open to the commuter buses and pedestrian traffic using the actual footbridge. take a look at some of the video when they shut it down last night. we were here and our cameras were rolling. they started shutting the golden gate bridge down late last night so workers can install a movable median barrier designed to prevent head-on collisions. it's part of an effort to increase safety. if everything goes according to plan the bridge is scheduled to reopen to all traffic in time for the monday morning commute. >> there's a little wiggle room in the schedule." not a lot. so things have to go very smoothly from the very beginning. then once all of those pieces are in place, we will bring the big barrier transfer machines, the skipper trucks out and those have

abc7 news reporter nick smith joins us now on the san francisco side. nick, what's the word on the progress? >> right now the word on the progress is all good. carolyn, i just spoke to one of the chief engineers and he told me the only thing they have left to do are two pieces of information to take away from this. they have it remove the metal casings that once held the metal pylons. those still need to come out but it's not are imperative before they open the bridge. it means a lane closer or two down the line. and, two the operators that need to use the zipper trucks every day still have not had a chance to operate those. everyone else had been assigned everyone else operating the trucks have been those are the actual company that makes them. take a look at some of the videos we shot last night. as soon as they close the bridge, our sky 7hd was over the scene. we were there to capture them putting the last piece in place and engineers even snapping a picture or two proud of their work. the project chief engineer told me things are on track to open in

we'll check in with nick smith coming up. developing news now, investigators searching for black boxes in the crashed air asia plane have lifted the tail portion of the aircraft out of the java sea. the tail was hoisted from a tenth of about 100 feet. the operation came two weeks after the plane went down killing all 162 people onboard. officials tell abc news ping-like sounds coming from the plane's black boxes were detected from the sea bed but due to strong currents divers were forced to suspend their under water efforts for the time being. >>> 8:16 is our time. happening today a private funeral will be held as friends and families bid a final farewell to longtime es pn anchor stuart scott. a visitation service was held yesterday in raleigh north carolina. scott died on sunday at the age of 49 after a long battle with stomach cancer. remembered mostly for his quick wit and colorful sports commentary scott became an inspiration especially to those fighting cancer. president obama released a statement saying scott inspired o

nick smith has details from both people. >> people are taken from the streets. >> reporter: demonstrators took to the bull horn. >> advancement for black people is necessary for all humanity to move forward. >> reporter: theirs is one of several planned actions scheduled to happen over the weekend and recognize the work started by the civil rights leaders. they intend to show their power by engaging non-violent protest but supporters weren't the only ones attending today's rally. san francisco p.d. made it known while keeping a respectful distance. >> we're going to get on the buses and talk to people who ride the buses and ask them to join the movement. >> reporter: a short time later, the handful of members did just that boarding the number 49 muni. >> got an earful from community members demanding an end to what they say unfairly target black and brown people. >> now is the time for people who claim to be the elected representatives of poor people black people, oppressed people, some courage, implement policies or solutions that are a mystery to our communities. >> reporter: berkeley m

nick smith has more on the search for its source. >> reporter: the cause of what has sickened hundreds of wild birds has left officials stumped. >> all of these animals are from the event. >> reporter: behind these doors teams trained to work with wild birds are doing everything they can to save them. >> right now 89 were in our care. 109 total have been brought to the center covered in goo some unknown product. >> reporter: at least 20 birds have died since they were affected by an unknown substance in the hayward an leandro shoreline area. >> it's sticky on the netters but is not sticky on our gloves. >> reporter: the substance breaks down the birds' ability to protect them from hippo thermia and prevents them from flying. could it have come from a nearby manufacturing plant. >> the coast guard did a flyover and was not able to see a product on the water. it is still a mystery. and it may be several more days of course with the holiday before we determine what exactly the product is. >> reporter: in san lorn lorenzo the effort to rescue even more birds continues. >> right now they ar

that's where we find nick smith. >> good evening. protesters tell me there will be demonstrations throughout the holiday weekend, some scheduled, others will be spontaneous. >> the people are taking to the streets. >> demonstratorsors to took the street and to the bull horn. >> a lot to fight for. >> they describe it as an effort to reclaim the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. >> i believe very much as a latina that the black struggle and advancements for black people is necessary for all humanity to move forward. reporter: there's is one of several planned actions scheduled to happen over the weekend to recognize the work start by the slain civil rights leader. demonstrators intend to show power by engaging in nonviolent protests. burt supporters weren't the only ones attending the rally. the san francisco'ed made their presence known while keeping a respectful distance. >> also going to get on the buss and talk to people who ride the buss and ask them to join the movement. reporter: a short time later a handful of members did j

that's where we find nick smith. >> good evening. protesters tell me there will be demonstrations throughout the holiday weekend, some scheduled, others will be spontaneous. >> the people are taking to the streets. >> demonstratorsors to took the street and to the bull horn. >> a lot to fight for. >> they describe it as an effort to reclaim the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. >> i believe very much as a latina that the black struggle and advancements for black people is necessary for all humanity to move forward. reporter: there's is one of several planned actions scheduled to happen over the weekend to recognize the work start by the slain civil rights leader. demonstrators intend to show power by engaging in nonviolent protests. burt supporters weren't the only ones attending the rally. the san francisco'ed made their presence known while keeping a respectful distance. >> also going to get on the buss and talk to people who ride the buss and ask them to join the movement. reporter: a short time later a handful of members did j

. >>> nick smith spent the morning with construction crews on the golden gate judge has a closeup look at the work and what commuters can expect come monday morning. >> on monday people should go slow. >> this is the reason why. engineers are calling it the largest safety construction project the golden gate bridge has ever seen. a new $30 million moveable barrier system of high density concrete, timely pinned together, intended to reduce or eliminate crossover collisions. >> this is a great improvement and that's why we are very excited. we making a big step forward. >> a big step and for some a tight squeeze. each block is 12 inches wide, and 32 inches high. >> the center lane of the bridge is supposed to be ten feet wide but with the barrier in place it's less than nine feet. >> we're encroaching six inches into the center lane where you'll be adjacent to the barrier, and if you follow the speed limit itit won't feel different. >> crews started the project this morning and by 9:00 a.m. has completed 54% of the work including the installation of new crash continuators at the toll pla

nick smith was there. >> take a look. this is the view from the sky 7 hd.we were there when more than 100 demonstrators chained themselves to the entrances of the federal building in oakland while other members of the group chanted and said prayers and danced. today's action is about reclaiming the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. >> it's been sanitized over the years. the truth is he$. nonviolent direct action. you'll see that spirit on both sides of the bridge for the next 96 hours. >> that's right. organizers plan demonstrations throughout the holiday weekend ♪ which side are you on ♪ >> this group claimed their ground just after 6:00 this morning. employees were shuffled to side entrances, show id and were given access. but demonstrators weren't the only ones making their presence known. federal protective service police kept their distance and a watchful eye. >> our mantra for the weekend is block stuff, not break stuff. >> demonstrators say their goal was to block the entrance to the federal building for 4 hours and 2 minutes. there have been no a

abc 7's nick smith is live with more. nick? >> reporter: good evening.s tree that i'm standing on is absolutely huge. but to get an idea of how big it is, take a look at the tree behind me. it once stood as tall as those trees. this tree came crashing down just inches from that park office, inches from a house behind me and trees like this have been falling all across alameda. >> this is just unbelievable, right? >> reporter: this has become a familiar sight across alameda. huge trees lying prostate. >> 100-year-old eucalyptus trees have shallow roots. >> reporter: until yesterday, this tree stretched more than 100 feet into the air but it and the root system that secured it were no match for the heavy winds that swept across the bay area and brought it down. once tall and proud, it has become nothing more than a makeshift jungle gym for neighborhood children until it can be reduced to wood chips. >> it was actually old farmland so nothing really happens out here. pretty exciting for this area. >> reporter: across town the scene of toppled trees was mult

nick smith, abc7 news. >> today started out cloudy and foggy. on the golden gate bridge north good day for sightseeing and drivers were warned about heavy fog coverage here's a look at san francisco near the bay bridge today. those million dollar views in the high rise apartments there certainly not paying off today as neither bridge was visible and right now it's cloudy, and it was a dry weekend for most of the bay area but not all of it. abc7 news meteorologist drew tuma has a look at live doppler 7hd. >> the folks in the north bay saw trace amounts of rainfall, thanks to a cold front. it brought the rain this morning and now the cloud cover this evening. live doppler 7hd will show you the sprinkles. they're out of here. earlier this evening as the sun setting we saw a good amount of sunshine mid-day. watch as the clouds pull back in from the north to she south and have overtaken the region tonight. i you add on the town this evening, we have areas of fog develop over the next couple of hers. stays mostly cloudy, and that means we do we have a

nick smith, abc7 news. >> today started out cloudy and foggy. on the golden gate bridge north good day for sightseeing and drivers were warned about heavy fog coverage here's a look at san francisco near the bay bridge today. those million dollar views in the high rise apartments there certainly not paying off today as neither bridge was visible and right now it's cloudy, and it was a dry weekend for most of the bay area but not all of it. abc7 news meteorologist drew tuma has a look at live doppler 7hd. >> the folks in the north bay saw trace amounts of rainfall, thanks to a cold front. it brought the rain this morning and now the cloud cover this evening. live doppler 7hd will show you the sprinkles. they're out of here. earlier this evening as the sun setting we saw a good amount of sunshine mid-day. watch as the clouds pull back in from the north to she south and have overtaken the region tonight. i you add on the town this evening, we have areas of fog develop over the next couple of hers. stays mostly cloudy, and that means we do we have a

nick smith is live in san francisco with a look at how demonstrators are honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader. nick? reporter: you know, we covered two demonstrations today. both demonstrations were without incident. the group here loud but respectful. >> it upabout a dream but the fact that white society -- >> a group of about two dozen demonstrators took over the corner of 24th and mission street in an effort to, as they describe it, reclaim the legacy of martin luther king, jr. >> the struggle against racism, against economic inequality, basic social justice and what he fought for, we're fighting for today. >> theirs is one of several planned actions scheduled for the weekend. demonstrators intend to engage in nonviolent protests. >> we're going to get on the buss and talk to people who ride the buss and ask them to join the movement. >> a short time later a handful of members did that, boarding the number 49 muni. >> my people should not have to be -- >> across the bay in berkeley, things were heat but civil. state and local leaders got an earful from community members deman

in san jose, nick smith, abc 7 news. >>> san francisco mayor commemorates martin luther king day by talking about how the city can imapproval proof inprove in 2015. he wants the upcoming year to focus on making san francisco affordable for all and delivering on old promises. >> what king says is about delivering on old promises. the promises of equality have been with us for decades and generations. promises of having economic opportunity, they are not new promises. >> he will see a screening of the film "selma" did take with public 50 school students and talk about its lasting message afterwards. >>> the bay area is joining the rest of the company in marking martin luther king jr. today. this look in atlanta shows you you where a wreath marks dr. king's grave. this is part of the king center. vice president joe biden delivered a speech this morning and noted the need for peace after the murders of two new york city police officers. >> they had families they had stories. they had a humanity that was denied them by an assassin's bullet who judged them by the kror of color of the uniform they

nick smith abc7 news. >> coming up next renters moving in discovering people are living there. >> find> a san jose family that moved into a home discovered someone was already living there. >> yes. but that is only part of the problem, it gets worse. >> michael finney is here with the rest of the story. >> wow. >> this took sorting out. it did take a bit of work to get this sorted out. >> flora moved into this home with her son, daughter in law and four grandchildren. she began moving her stuff in she made an unwelcome discovery. strangers living in the pool house. >> i see guys coming and going. >> this is where they're to live. this was the pool house the squatters took over. >> they're throwing parties every week or crazy stuff. >> we're told that included 100 people. flora told her landlord she couldn't live there under those conditions. >> too much chaos, just loud all night long. >> i started to move in june 16th but i moved some stuff then seen what is going on with rave parties i told the landlord, no. when they move out, we'll move in. >> so flora and they are family completed

abc 7 news reporter nick smith shows you the damage. >> you know, every high windstorm that we have wee a tree, at least one. and this time they lost 11. 11 gigantic trees. they've been here for what 60 70 years. and the high wind will just. >> reporter: a few view from the ground can only hint at the scope. this shows the enormity. less than five minutes from the oakland airport, the golf course attracts people from across the bay area that. >> old tree right over there. >> reporter: today those same sportsmen are navigating an obstacle course of downed trees and twisted branches. just to show you i'm not exaggerating, take a look. the root system of this eucalyptus is absolutely huge. >> the hole over here the tree is practically covering the green right in front. >> reporter: in fact, no part of the 45-hole golf complex mostly landfill was faired from the damage wrought by the wind. >> it's very dangerous because these trees have very shallow roots, but they're tall and thin. so they'll go down and not even severe wind as that. >> reporter: across alameda it has become a familiar si

. >> our reporter nick smith has a look at the effect on bay area travel. >> i know they can't help the weather. >> reporter: and you need look no further than the departure board to see how powerful airlines is when it comes to mother nanature. up and down the east coast. philadelphia, even chicago thousands of travelers stopped in their tracks. >> i was going in try pai toaipei through san francisco. >> reporter: and brenda mancuso is only half the way home. >> flight in new york cancelled. they put me on a noon flight. an e-mail said it was cancelled. >> reporter: she isn't the only one. dozens of negotiating with ticket agents passing time with apads or -- >> i'm trying to go to newark. >> reporter: language this manike this man a voucher given to him by the airline to compensate for an unexpected layover in san francisco. a storm thousands of mile aces a way packing enough of a punch to be noticed state wide. >> booked me on a flight to dulles. i hope to a train to new york from there frrt you're. >> reporter: if you're expecting someone or leaving your yourself, call the airline f

nick smith generals us -- us. >> we will keep a shot up through the only because this is new. i am northbound 85 and the lights are dark for the last day. starting this morning they will be a regular part of the commute from the south by. the new metering lights are necessary because of pregnant and congestion on highway 85. metering lights are now switched on between i-280 and highway 101. last week caltran turn on the metering lights for the southbound side afternoon commute from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. and this morning the light here will go on and end at 11 o'clock a.m. two hours longer than any other lights in the bay area. this is necessary because of a. intoing economy and more people driving and that means more cars on the road and heavier traffic conditions and congestion on highway 85. there are 474 meetering lights across the bay area and additional 170 are slated to go into affect this year. i am watching the traffic 85 northbound. i will stop a car before they get on the freeway because we do not have a soundbite where someone who is using it. this is the only place to

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abc7 news reporter nick smith will have a live report. thousands of people are marching in unity in paris following last week's terror attacks. we will are the latest on the search for the remaining suspect still on the run. >> good morning to you. from our east bay hills camera livermore and just about one of the only spots not dealing with the fog this morning. and the tenth consecutive spare the air day today, included with a look at some rain headed our way. that's all next on female announcer: get beautyrest, posturepedic even tempur-pedic mattress sets at low clearance prices. save even more on floor samples, demonstrators, and closeout inventory. the year end clearance sale is on now at sleep train. ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ there's a place online where you always get more than you pay for tjmaxx.com. better brands at better prices to help you maxx what matters most to you... anytime. maxx life. shop tjmaxx.com.

nick smith professor joseph landau who is an associate professor at fordham university school of law >> going to switch it up so i can reach the mic. thanks so much and thanks so much to raquel. so i'm also going to be talking about the presidents recently announced defer action programs and am also good to be talking about separation of powers. but i'm going to be talking about it from a slightly different frame and with some of my co-panelists are using to address the issue. unlikeill, not going to talk about the horizontal separation of powers, relationship between the president and the congre unlike folks on the panel after this one, i'm not going to be thinking about a kind of vertical separation of powers between states and the federal government the lens of immigration federalism. things that come up we talk about state and local immigration enforcement policies, sanctuary cities et cetera. i'm going to try a different ame. this is a work in progress and the id of this frame is to think about vertical agency relationships within the executive branch. my thesis is that change c

nick. betsy, director of the smith soon yum art museum and guest of our speaker. jerry, washington bureau chief for the buffalo news, chair of the speakers committee and a former national press club president. skipping over our guest of honor for a moment, amy henderson, historian of the national portrait gallery and co organizer of this luncheon. phillip lewis, vice president of the andrew w. melon foundation and guest of our speaker. [cheers and applause] this year marks the 50th birthday of the national endowment for the humanities, an independent federal agency that is funded by taxpayers. our speaker today has chaired the organization since mid 2014, and we hope to hear bro adams plans for marking that anniversary. like its sister organization, the national endowment for the arts, the n.e.h. had shared its politically charged controversies over the years. those cultural debates have largely been eclipsed in recent years and any $148 million budget grants generally go to state humanity consoles, museums, research and educational institutions. a native of michi

nick, he has meant so much to the democratic party. the loss of him yesterday. he made some very key decisions early on. in harry smith's package there. saying i'm not going to run for president. says a lot about the way he was thinking. what do you think about who mario cuomo is? >> he was a towering figure in state and city and national politics. very principled. he was also the road not taken for progressives in a lot of ways. he was going to be the inheriter of tradition that went back to fdr. the guy who did run was bill clinton. and he became the person who set the tone for democratic politics for 20 years. >> how different history could have been. >> could have been very different, yeah. >> this is a very famous address at the 1984 dnc. we he made a powerful case for liberalism. it's in the midst of the reagan years. let's listen to that first. >> we believe as democrats that a society as blessed as ours the most affluent democracy in the world's history, one that can spend trillions on instruments of destruction, ought to be able to help the midclass in its struggle. ought to be able to find work for all who can