, sparking an outbreak at san quentin that killed 26 prisoners and a guard. prison officials appealed, seeking immunity from these lawsuits the one time lawd fixer for former president trump, testified, died today in his ex-boss, new york hush-money trial. cohen is the key witness for the prosecution and expected to connect the many dots in this case. prosecutors say trump falsified business records to repay $130,000 to cohen for paying former adult film star stormy daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair. cohen says he was just following the orders of his boss. nbc's alice barr is tracking the story in washington. the first criminal trial of former president trump reaching a crescendo today with testimony from the prosecution's central witness, ex-trump attorney michael cohen. cohen, once mr. trump's fixer and fierce defender, now the linchpin in the prosecution's case, laying out how he says that at trump's direction and for his benefit, cohen paid former adult film star stormy daniels to stay silent about an alleged affair with mr. trump, all clai th

they say prison officials moved inmates from chico to san quentin during a covid outbreak at san quentin that killed 26 prisoners and a guard prison officials appealed, seeking immunity from the lawsuits. but today the supreme court denied that appeal, allowing the suits to move forward. the pleasanton man accused of killing, dismembering and dumping the body of his girlfriend near an alameda shoreline last year, is now facing life in prison. today, a jury found joseph roberts guilty of that gruesome murder of rachel buckner. nbc bears velena jones spoke to the victim's family after that verdict was read. the trauma is still with me, but today i can breathe a little bit easier on the steps of an alameda county courthouse surrounded by family. as jameelah buckner is reacting to the guilty verdict in the murder of her daughter, 27 year old rachel elizabeth amani buckner. her justice has been served and we can now feel, we won't have, the trauma that i and my family has faced for the last four years. today, a jury found rachel's fiance, 42 year old joseph roberts, guilty of second degree mu

legal action against the state for a deadly covid outbreak at san quentin prison during the pandemic,ho died at san quentin, as well as inmates and staff who were infected but survived, have filed four lawsuits against the state. they say prison officials moved inmates from chino to san quentin during a covid outbreak in the chino facility, triggering a new outbreak at san quentin that killed 26 prisoners and a guard prison officials appealed, seeking immunity from the lawsuit. today, the supreme court denied that appeal, allowing those suits to move forward for the first time in years. lake tahoe is expected to fill up. that's the word tonight from the nevada water outlook report, which came out earlier this month. it's projected the lake will be full for the first time in five years. that's because of two particularly wet winters and all that snowmelt that comes with it. when the lake is full, it means it can provide enough water for the next three years. although it is good news if you're heading to tahoe this summer, you might have a hard time finding somewhere to sit on the beach

meanwhile san quentin is undergoing a transformation on its own, renamed the san quentin rehabilitation center. all part of his efforts to empty death row and focus on rehab, education, and job training. >>> still ahead, how likely is it that any of these death row cases will be overturned? a criminal justice professor from cal state east bay joins us live to weigh in. >>> alameda county d.a. is reviewing the death row cases as she, herself, faces a recall campaign. we'll have the very latest on the efforts to get her out of office. >>> welcome back. today we are digging into a federal judge's order requiring alameda county to review 35 death penalty cases. joining me live is dr. lisa hill, a criminal professor at cal state east bay. thank you for joining us. >> it's good to be here. >> so what is the likelihood that the death row cases will be overturned, do you think? >> well, when cases go to appeal for review, the appellate court has three ashes. once they review the case, they can decide to affirm the lower court's decision. they can modify the decision or reverse the decision. err

at the time san quentin had no known covid cases. state attorneys told "the times" they have the benefit of hindsight now, but back then they didn't receive any notice that their actions could be considered unconstitutional. >>> the cdc is watching a new covid-19 variant that could drive a summer surgery. kp.2 is now the leading variant in the u.s. in mid-march it made up just 1% of cases. now it makes up at a quarter of them. early lab information says it could be slightly more infectious than previous variants. the cdc says there's no reason to believe it would cause more severe illness than any other covid strain. >>> google is eliminated 55 positions in san francisco. an electric vehiclemaker rivian will also cut 28 jobs in its palo alto office and another 92 at its southern california facility. earlier this year rivian laid off about 150 workers in the bay area as part of its plan to reduce salaried staff by 10%. >>> employees at an apple store in maryland are threatening to walk off the job. they voted to authorize the first st

san quentin had been covid free, but after the transfer, hundreds of people got sick and more than two dozen died. state lawmakers later blasted the decision, calling it the worst prison health mistake in state history. the supreme court's rejection means the state cannot claim immunity in the case, and multiple lawsuits can move forward. >> today, donald trump's former personal attorney and ally took the stand in the former president's criminal trial. abc news reporter christiane cordero has more on michael cohen's testimony today. >> michael cohen, who previously said he would take a bullet for donald trump, took the stand against him, saying under oath the former president directed him to pay for multiple women's silence. >> we paid a lawyer a legal expense, and we have a legal expense is a legal expense. it's marked down in the book, quote, legal expense. >> trump is charged with falsifying business records linked to the $130,000 cohen paid actress stormy daniels days before the 2016 election. prosecutors say the payment was to prevent voters from hearing daniels graphic story abou

san quentin is undergoing a major transformation. the death row now emptied out with more than 400 of the condemned inmates transferred to other prisons. so, it is all part of a larger effort to shift the focus from punishment to rehabilitation and offer more job training, education, and skills to get inmates ready for life outside the walls of prison. while there may be some skepticism about this model, one former gang member says he is proof that it works. we have the story of eddie who found his passion for photography behind bars. his work was featured in rolling stone magazine. >> reporter: he spent nearly 15 years in prison for many including second-degree murder. >> i did not a lot of ugly stuff. >> reporter: he was in gang life as a teenager. while serving a lifetime sentence at san quentin he found the beauty of photography through the art program. >> once the camera was put in my hand i realized i liked it. i don't want to do anything else. >> the now 41-year-old poured his energy behind his new passion. published in magazi

you are looking at san quentin and there's a new chance for people to start over again.with the story of how photography classes helped a former gang member find his passion behind bars. >> reporter: eddie herena spent nearly 15 years in prison convicted of various crimes, including second degree murder. >> i just have to look at my life and like -- reflect on the things that i did, you know, in the past. and like -- i did a lot of ugly stuff. >> reporter: the san jose native became entrenched in gang life as a teenager. but while serving a lifetime sentence at san quentin prison, he found the beauty of photography through its art program. >> once the camera was put in my hand, i just realized i really like this, man. i don't want to do nothing else. >> reporter: the now 41-year-old poured his energy behind bars into his newfound passion. some of his work was published in magazines, including "rolling stone." >> i'm in prison doing a life sentence and like my pictures are in a popular magazine. >> reporter: his work, along with those of nine other formerly incarcerated m

wondering about a new surge of covid and today the key ruling after the virus killed a guard at san quentin prison. >>> over the last four or five days things kind of cratered. >> sick pelicans turning up all along the california coastline. >>> cooler temperatures to start off the week with a stronger breeze and deeper marine layer. it will surge far inland tonight. we're tracking that fog and how long the cooler temperatures stick around in the first alert forecast. >>> that explosion demolished a span of the bridge that collapsed in baltimore. the goal is to free the cargo ship that was trapped when the key bridge came down in march. six construction workers were killed. the final body was recovered just last week. 21 crew members have been living on that ship since the collapse. it still took a as soon as this week. >>> on wednesday a house transportation committee will hear testimony about the federal response to the collapse. >>> right now a wildlife crisis is playing out all along the california coast. thousands of pelicans are starving to death. scientists just don't seem to know why

at san quentin a chance for new starts with hundreds o inmates. >> reporter: eddie spent nearly 15 years in prison convicted of various crimes including second degree murder. >> i just have to look at my life and like -- reflect on the things that i did you know in the past. and like -- i did a lot of ugly stuff. >> reporter: the san jose native became entrenched in gang life as a teenager. but while serving a lifetime sentence at san quentin prison, he found the beauty of photography through its art program. >> once the camera was put put in my hand. i just realized i really like this. i don't want to do nothing else. >> reporter: the now 41-year-old poured his energy behind bars into his newfound passion. so much of the work was published in magazines including "rolling stone." >> i'm in prison doing a life sentence and like my picture's in the -- popular magazine. >> reporter: his work along with those of nine other formerly incarcerated men at san quentin is being featured at @ belvedere tiburon library this spring. to showcase and sell their

of virus spread to 500 inmates and staff at san quentin. california is now facing 4 lawsuits from the families of people who died. the supreme court denied the state's appeal for unity with no comment or dissent and all lawsuits may now proceed. >> 800 people packed into the sanctuary at glide memorial church in san francisco on sunday to honor the life of reverend cecil williams. he died last month at the age of 94 for more than 60 years. the reverend fought for civil rights and champion the lgbtq+ community williams first came to san francisco's tenderloin neighborhood in 1963. to help run glide church and glide foundation soon after he bravely made the church inclusive to all the reverend touched the lives of people from all walks of life. whether you are living on the street or a notable leader like congresswoman barbara lee, former san francisco mayor willie brown, vice president kamala harris and political activist professor angela davis. >> those who under >> until lgbt community. >> u.s. like myself. he remains a living manifestatio

and as san quentin transfers away the men on its death row, another california region is sounding the alarm. >> always live abc seven news starts right now. >> we begin tonight with our top story. the case of scott peterson. he is the man convicted in the 2004 of killing his wife, laci, and their unborn child. after endless theories and multiple trial requests. tonight, his defense team is giving new details about how dna testing could give him a chance at freedom. good evening. i'm ama daetz. you may remember, peterson's death row conviction was previously overturned as he is now doing life without the possibility of parole. abc7 news reporter j.r. stone has been looking through these court documents all night and has all new details. j.r. >> umma, i know what you're thinking. what? i thought we've been through this, and you're partially right. right there. there was further testing done in this case in 2013 and 2019, and peterson was denied a new murder trial in 2022. now, though, a group that helps exonerate the wrongfully convicted is involved in this case. this 89 page motion has

san quentin is undergoing a major transformation.ndemned inmates transferred to other prisons. so, it is all part of a larger effort to shift the focus from punishment to rehabilitation and offer more job training, education, and skills to get inmates ready for life outside the walls of prison. while there may be some skepticism about this model, one former gang member

san quentin had been covid free at the time, but after the transfer, hundreds of people got sick andore than two dozen died. state lawmakers later blasted the decision, calling it the worst prison health mistake in state history. >> the battle over public access to martins beach in san mateo county will go to trial again, according to sfgate. a judge has ruled the state's case against the billionaire property owner can go forward. vino khosla has kept martins beach closed to the public since buying 89 acres of the property. there in 2008. multiple lawsuits followed, including 1 in 2020 filed by california's lands and coastal commission. that is the case that's now moving forward again. it's set to go to trial next year. >> coming up, recession concern is why financial regulators are sending out warnings to some mortgage companies. >> with all the talk of businesses leaving san francisco , new numbers show that is not the whole story and just when you thought transparency with airline tickets was going to be required, well, airlines are a slow network is no network for business. that'

, san quentin had been covid free at the time, but after the transfer, hundreds of people got sick andore than two dozen died. state lawmakers later blasted the decision, calling it the worst prison health mistake in state history. >> the battle over public access to martins beach in san mateo county will go to trial again, according to sfgate, a judge has ruled the state's case against the billionaire property owner can go forward. vino khosla has kept martins beach closed to the public since buying 89 acres of property there in 2008, much multiple lawsuits followed, including 1 in 2020 filed by california's lands and coastal commission. that is the case that is now moving forward again. it is set to go to trial next year. >> a sonoma county judge has dismissed multiple felony charges against an animal rights activist who set chickens free from a petaluma slaughterhouse. uc berkeley student zoe rosenberg is an organizer with the animal rights group direct action everywhere. the group posted videos claiming to have found evidence of animal abuse inside perdue poultry slaughterhouse. ro

and as san quentin transfers away the men on its death row, another california region is sounding the> always live abc seven news starts right now. >> we begin tonight with our top story. the case of scott peterson. he is the man convicted in the 2004 of killing his wife, laci, and their unborn child. after endless theories and multiple trial requests. tonight, his defense team is giving new details about how dna testing could give him a chance at freedom. good evening. i'm ama daetz. you may remember, peterson's death row conviction was previously overturned as he is now doing life without the possibility of parole. abc7 news reporter j.r. stone has been looking through these court documents all night and has all new details. j.r. >> umma, i know what you're thinking. what? i thought we've been through this, and you're partially right. right there. there was further testing done in this case in 2013 and 2019, and peterson was denied a new murder trial in 2022. now, though, a group that helps exonerate the wrongfully convicted is involved in this case. this 89 page motion has been fil

san quentin's death row. people in prison are now being sent across the state. why? homes are not adequate and scary moments on the tarmac. >> a routine deplaning turns into an emergency when a plane catches fire. what could be to blame? >> a live look outside as the sun comes up this morning. warm and windy for parts of the bay area today, drew is tracking even warmer temperatures for the end of the week. >> yeah, i'm looking forward to that heat. good morning everybody. >> it's wednesday, may 8th so i don't understand. is it. sky's out. thighs out yeah sun's out. guns out today or is it not. >> it is today. tomorrow and even into friday. so you've got options depending on which day you want to call in sick. you have some time. oh, i'm just saying. listen, that's why we pay such high prices to live here. let's enjoy the weather while we can, okay? >> i'm not mad. >> here's a live look outside from the exploratorium camera. it is sunny out there with clear skies, but we do have some gusty winds right now in parts of the north bay. a wind advisory is currently in effe

the virus spread to 500 inmates and staff at san quentin. facing 4 lawsuits from families of those who died. the supreme court denied the state's appeal for immunity with no comment, no dissent and all lawsuits may now proceed. >> well, convicted killer scott peterson's defense team is trying to get him a new trial by gathering new evidence. but the stanislaus county d strict attorney's office is opposing that motion. so the loss angeles innocence project is representing peterson now and they want to do dna testing on rope and a stolen van that was burned near the peterson home around the time that his wife, laci went missing. the da's office is asking the judge to deny that motion because of all the evidence that was previously used to convict peterson. peters was convicted back in 2004 of the murder of his wife, laci and their unborn child. connor peterson has maintained his innocence. he is currently serving a life sentence in prison in the east bay. a man was sentenced to house arrest for shutting down the computer network of the discove

new at 730, an inmate on san quentin's death row was found dead in his cell. prison officials say. 68 year-old daniel jenkins was found dead monday morning. he was convicted of murder in the shooting death of an off duty los angeles police detective in 1985, while he picked up his six year old son from daycare. prosecutors say jenkins plotted to kill the detective after he testified against jenkins in a robbery case. officials are investigating jenkins death as a possible suicide. still ahead, we're getting more details on the celebration of life planned for the late reverend cecil williams. also ahead, the project by fire crews in the east bay to prepare for wildfire season. >> and in barry weather. a nice little warm up today. lots of sunshine out there looking out above san francisco. another nice forecast for tomorrow. and eventually we'll we will be talking about some rain drops back in the forecast. we'll have the celebration of life is planned for sunday, may 12th at 1 p.m. at glide. organizers say the celebration will feature music, live performances a

supreme court rejecting an appeal from california officials seeking immunity over covid deaths at san quentinhat were caused by a prison transfer. what that means moving forward. plus, why alameda cosnty's district attorney pamela price is taking several major car insurance companies to court. and governor newsom taking heat from state lawmakers over his updated budget proposal. we're going hear what the we're going hear what the critics have to say. etwork is o network for business. that's why more choose comcast business. and now, we're introducing ultimate speed for business —our fastest plans yet. we're up to 12 times faster than verizon, at&t, and t-mobile. and existing customers could even get up to triple the speeds... at no additional cost. it's ultimate speed for ultimate business. don't miss out on our fastest speed plans yet! switch to comcast business and get started for $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. call today! >> our top story this half-hour shuttered for good bogged down by poor finances and low enrollment. a private elementary and middle scho

plus, families of san quentin inmates get the green light to sue the state. what california did during the pandemic that families say led to deaths among inmates, and a warning out on the waters after a few deaths in northern california waterways this past week. why snowmelt is making some rivers more dangerous. the news six starts right now. thanks for joining us. i'm jessica aguirre and i'm terry mcsweeney. an ambitious plan to connect caltrain to downtown san francisco just got a big boost from the federal government. we're talking about nearly $4 billion, but some critics point out if the project happens, it will be one of the most expensive two mile stretches of public transit ever built in the united states. as for why it's so expensive, here's nbc bay area sergio quintana. if you build it, they will come. that was a bit of the philosophy when the san francisco transit center was built below the street level bus concourse is another massive structur accommodate trains, but the trains can't get there. currently the hope was funding to connect the station

including one guard, as well, following a transfer of infected inmates from chino state prison to san quentin state prison in 2020, attorneys said the prisoners were not tested, were not quarantined. federal courts denied the state's claim of qualified immunity. they found that state prison officials can be held liable for harms caused by dangers it created or failed to prevent it. >> a somber ceremony in the north bay as police agencies across the country marked the start of national police week, the marin county sheriff's department held its annual peace officers memorial ceremony in memory of the men and women who sacrificed their lives in service of their communities. this morning's tribute to those officers included a flag raising ceremony and a moment of silence. us attorney general merrick garland kicked off national police week by paying tribute at the national law enforcement officers memorial in washington, dc. the names of more than 23,000 officers have been carved onto the memorial wall, recognizing those who died in the line of duty. new names of fallen officers are added every y

weeks ago, we took you inside san quentin as it prepares to close its death row and send prisoners elsewherecalifornia after men were sent to the prison there. now san bernardino county leaders are pleading with the state over this issue. elected leaders from the county and the city of chino say the california institute for men is old and in poor condition, with a history of escapes. they argue the overcrowded and underfunded prison can't handle potentially dangerous inmates. >> in a letter to governor newsom, we called on him to remove the condemned inmates already housed at c.i.m. effective immediately, the state agency overseeing prisons says it is following the law and the condemned inmates are being moved to the highest security facilities. >> san jose police made 87 arrests during enforcement over the cinco de mayo weekend. they also issued more than 150 traffic citations for various offenses, including illegal sideshow activity. the department gave us a recap of their response to the celebrations and some of the crimes. police responded to included a double stabbing sunday night on ki

inmates and one prison guard died after infected inmates were transferred from chino state prison to san quentinys claim the inmates were not tested or quarantined. federal courts denied the claims by the state that it had qualified immunity and said state prison officials can be held liable for harms caused by dangers the system created or failed to prevent. the fbi has issued a warning involving this summer's pride celebrations in the u.s. federal agents say foreign terrorist groups may attempt to target pride parades and other events celebrating the lgbtq community. the warning issued does not specifically mention any bay area pride events, but the fbi is especially concerned isis may now be planning an attack on u.s. soil. next month will mark eight years since the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in orlando, florida, that led to 49 deaths. isis praised that attack . >> san francisco says it's doing its part to combat disinformation heading into the november election, but officials say that more needs to be done. at a hearing yesterday, the city said it's working with the california secretar

conditions will lighten up once you make it across over into the san quentin area. >>> new this morningderal safety investigators have opened a preliminary investigation into dozens of incidents involving waymo's self-driving vehicles. this continues being a talker in the bay area. the in national transportation safety board logging into 22 incidents where they exhibited behavior that potentially violated traffic safety laws. they included 17 collisions and some reports of the vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road. we've reached out to the mountain view based company for comment but so far no word back. >>> it the talk of the town in half-moon bay. ahead of a vote tonight that put the city in the spotlight even california governor gavin newsom is watching closely. seeing what happens with the controversial farm worker housing project. the deadly mass shooting last year exposed the poor living conditions of farm workers in the coastal city. photos exposed show people were housed in storage sheds with no running water. half-moon bay it's been under pressure to build more affordab

davis like other death row inmates were moved from san quentin when governor newsom put a moratorium on the death penalty in court. the judge spoke davis's request, but ultimately sided with prosecutors saying that his case did not qualify for re-sentencing. >> 1996, when the jury recommended death from a judge sentenced him to death. i believe i stood on very steps of being poured and said finally the to govern and we can move forward with our lives yet. here we are. 28 years later, based on a new law. retroactively throws out special circumstances. class says that when it comes to having any closure in the case, he has strong opinions, especially based on davis's actions. >> then and now. >> don't know what's closure no longer this guys alive. there's no real closure. proven by his words and deeds and his actions in his testimony that there's not going to be ending any anything. justice will follow. you want remain to why? >> after polly's murder class launched a foundation in his daughter's name helping hundreds of families in their search for missing children. class recently clos

prisoners and one guard died following a transfer of infected inmates from chino state prison to san quentin attorneys said the prisoners were not tested or quarantined. federal courts denied the state's claim of qualified immunity. they found that state prison officials can be held liable for harms caused by dangers the system created or failed to prevent. >> coming up, some big headliners expected at a bay area festival this coming fall. >> also ahead, an inspiring story of a man who turned his life around, his message of hope coming up after the break. >> and on this monday night, we give you a live look outside. we're going to check back in with chief meteorologist bill ma in. he ( ♪ ) you made a cow! actually it's a piggy bank. my inspiration to start saving. how about a more solid way to save? i'm listening. well, bmo helps get your savings habit into shape with a cash reward every month you save. both: cash reward? and there's a cash bonus when you open a new checking account to get you started. wow. anything you can't do? ( ♪ ) mugs. ♪ bmo ♪ a slow network is no network for business.

inmates, and one prison guard died after infected inmates were transferred from chino state prison to san quentin back in 2020. now, the attorneys claim the inmates were not tested or quarantined. federal courts denied the claims by the state that it had qualified immunity, and said state prison officials can be held liable for harms caused by dangers. the system either created or failed to prevent. >> smoke from canadian wildfires has prompted health warnings in the united states. for the second year in a row, more than 100 wildfires are now raging out of control. all across british columbia and alberta. strong winds have pushed heavy smoke from northern canada across the border into the u.s. smoke has also now filled the skies in montana, the dakotas, minnesota and wisconsin. on. the canadian government is warning the situation could get worse over the next two days. the next 48 hours will be a challenging situation for the rock northern rockies regional municipality, given forecasted ongoing westerly winds and extremely dry and volatile fuels in the area. just last year, dangerous levels of ca

inmates, and one prison guard died after infected inmates were transferred from chino state prison to san quentinn 2020, attorneys claim the inmates were not tested or quarantined. federal courts denied the claims by the state that it had qualified immunity and state prison, and said state prison officials can be held liable for harms caused by dangers the system created or failed to prevent. >> new. this morning, the bay area's newest pro sports team just announced its name. >> when i hear the golden state valkyries, i think of power. i think of community. i think of achieving the impossible together and showing the world what is possible. >> jess smith, president of the bay area's new wnba team, which we now know will be named the golden state valkyries. valkyries originate from norse mythology. they're a group of warrior women who were strong and bold. the team's logo includes the bay bridge, seen as a tie between oakland and san francisco. the valkyries will begin playing in the wnba next season. >> well, we have a crash in san mateo county in san mateo. time now is 809. let's go right to it.

i'd rather than be in prison than yale's the situations in san francisco have so bad send me to san quentind end conditions are they want to go to prisoner rather than stay in san francisco jails all that is foreseeable what is mayor. the police chief, the da and the sheriff allow to a lesser extent launched war on drugs .2 we're going to two to the intend to and arrest tlaerlz but arrest users and they them in jail without proper medical services we know about the jailhouse services not proposed to handle the level of detook in the jail not able to handle not only because it is not a place to handle three but can't hire the staff they need why cannot they in that neighbor want to work in the jail under those sequences when they're are medical professional that says you shouldn't treat individuals in jail in the way i'm not going to work there that is against any oath. we knew that the budget crises we're facing right now was coming i get press releases in the mayor's office let's celebrate we arrested one hundred and 60 people drug users in the tenderloin let's celebrate celebrate but the