well, today, it's bright in union square, and i'm excited about the future of union square and our city. i just wanted to take the opportunity to name a few people that are here today, a few of which you will hear from. the new director of the arts commission in san francisco, ralph remington, and ralph, you're going to have to take your mask off in the street so we recognize you. she's the new director for the grants for the arts, but she's been advocating for so many arts businesses in san francisco. we have vallie brown, the director of grants for the arts, and our new director of the office of economic and workforce development. you'll hear from the other two speakers that are joining us, and i'll introduce them, and i want to recognize deputy chief of the san francisco police department. thank you, chief lozar. i want to say captain, but you went from a captain, and you've moved on up in the ranks, and we appreciate you and the san francisco police department and everything you do to keep our citizens safe. we also have -- thank you, karen, and the union street bid for your work be

he's live for us now in union square with more. well, as you can see behind me, the streets are still relatively empty in union square, though. tourist officials say the numbers are slowly increasing meaning that more and more people are starting to fill up hotels. >> the first group of guests to enter the hilton. san francisco union square got a round of applause from staff monday as the city's largest hotel opened its stores for the first time in more than a year. and this is awesome. being able to be here with everything back open everyone. and with the dobbs and set back lot of fun and it's great time. union square, which has 2000 rooms is taking reopening gradually opening 2 of 3 of its towers to start and one of its restaurants. >> but with memorial day approaching now is the time. >> the city is opening up. there's wonderful vaccination rates here in san francisco. people want to travel you we've been watching occupancies in the city and they're increasing week by week and we thought now it's time to go. well prepandemic san

on live now to the hilton at san francisco's union square where hotel guests are back and side this afternoon, as you know, the pandemic force the hotel to shut down for 14 months. today is a sign of recovery. dustin andrews is live in downtown san francisco at the hotel, an exciting morning, justin? >> reporter: it was a huge celebration right here in the lobby of the hilton union square here in downtown san francisco as hotel workers greeted the first guests and well over a year, the bells in her family, as they were entering, was a pretty exciting time. you can't see their smiles on this video but we heard the chairs. they are first-timers here in the bay and they plan on hanging out for about three days. they are from arizona, the hotel industry loves the spec this means tourism is slowly jumping back into action and hotel revenue will start making a climb very soon. get this, revenue is not expected to hit the 2019 levels until 2025. you might be watching and asking, how does it feel to be the first guest in 14 months of the biggest hotel in the bay? we wanted to know too, so of course,

that's right there at union square. >> kron four's dan kerman live for us in the city with more. dan. >> well, as you can see, the streets behind me are still relatively empty new news. we're despite what it looks like. i'm told by leaders that the number of tourists is slowly increasing, but it's going to take some time to get back to normal. >> a round of applause from employees created the first group of guests to enter the hilton. san francisco union square as the city's largest hotel opened its stores for the first time in more than a year. san francisco. it's been a beautiful then everyone's been super friendly super >> and everyone's been i've been seeing everyone wearing their mask has been but yeah, i'm looking forward meeting more people and some good time. the 2000 room hilton union square is reopening gradually opening 2 of its 3 towers to start with. and one of its restaurants. there's a lot of people who love to travel and we're just waiting to. >> get in the car and take that california road trip for come to san francisco in cs and then head up to napa. so there's

while the streets in and around union square remain relatively empty. those involved with hotels are hoping the occupancy numbers will just continue to grow through the summer for several weeks now we've been seeing but definitely stronger weekend and that's a result of that. >> customers that are coming in that they're coming in as visitors and for tourism. and so that skews heavier toward the weekend. but as we get closer to summer, we're heading up into memorial day weekend we'll start to see that spread out throughout the whole week. business leaders don't believe there will be a full return to normal until approximately 2023. >> by that time they believe in addition to the leisure traveler, there will be a full complement of business travelers as well as those attending meetings and conferences in san francisco, dan kerman kron 4 news. >> still ahead on the fox morning news, a fatal shooting just a block from an oakland police station. we're going to have the latest in the investigation. >> welcome back to the kron 00:00am morning news. i'm reyna h

>> hill and union square is ready for a big reopening tomorrow. it is happening at a time that the bay area is seeing some of the lowest covid numbers in the country. the pound the countdown is on after a display lit up to honor the city during the pandemic. the largest hotel in san francisco will be dark. the hotel employed more than 1000 employees before the pandemic. they are starting off with a small group of workers. >> in 35 years i think when they came through my doors it was the happiest i have been. they are so excited to return to what they have done so well. this hotel has been part of san francisco since 1964. >> expect enhanced screening measures, and protocols. >> i have no fear that tourism will increase case rates. i think it will happen, we will get more tourism. >> monica said currently there are only 13 covid patients across hospitals in the city. 77% of san franciscans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. >> i am just personally very, very excited about having the city return. >> reporter: the cook family is visiting

san francisco's union square is one of the city's top tourist destinations.ear of lockdowns, the mayor says she has a plan to make visitors welcome here. the tourist the 20 million tourists who visit san francisco every year that pay the hotel tax that shop at macy's in a number of our small businesses. downtown is the economic engine of san francisco, the mayor rolled out a $9.5 million plan that includes about 50 community ambassadors scattered throughout the area, making sure that visitors and locals feel safe and that those suffering from mental illness or drug or alcohol addiction are guided to the resources they need. it is so important that as we began to reopen. that were re imagine what downtown can be. we have to make it a safer place for people who live and work here. the plan also calls for public spaces around union square to be transformed in the plaza's for public performances in large scale events, been blind and sits on the city's commissis up the city's bar owners alliancecting life into public spaces in visie city's nightlife to flourish. t

dan kerman live for us at union square tonight with more. what's the plan? dan?, we've talked about mid market before. now the mayor is focusing on here in union square and other big tourist hubs, not just where they're tourists but also locals, not only making them safe and making them clean. but to provide some sort of attraction to get people to come here. and when they leave to want to come back. >> downtown is the economic engine of san francisco and so it is so important that as we began to reopen. that we are re. imagine what downtown can be during a news conference tuesday morning. mayor london breed laid out a multifaceted proposal to spend 9 and a half million dollars from the city's budget. >> to make san francisco's downtown more inviting place for tourists and locals. we have to do more to keep people safe. we have to do more to make sure that people have a rewarding experience. they feel good about being here. >> because when they visit san francisco and they leave. we want them to want to come back. we want people who live and work here to feel saf

playing to get san francisco's union square buzzing again. ktvu christian captain will tell us about mayor. london breeds planted kick start the city's recovery from the pandemic and one of the bay area's most popular events is canceled for a second year in a row. why city leaders in half moon bay say they had to make the difficult decision to cancel the pumpkin festival. despite the state's plan to fully reopen on june 15. and those temperatures cool down a few degrees today, like we thought about four degrees cooler works back up tomorrow and towards the weekend. so and towards the weekend. so we're looking get your spring on at ross. yes! with brand-name looks at prices that say it's on. yeah, it is! get this season's styles for you... ...and you... and you... with the best bargains ever... ...at ross. yes for less! and you... with the best bargains ever... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ monitor, check and lock down you money with security from chase. control feels good. chase. make more of what's yours. after my car accident, i wondered what my case was wor

well, today, it's bright in union square, and i'm excited about the future of union square and our cityrtunity to name a few people that are here today, a few of which you will hear from. the new director of the arts commission in san francisco, ralph remington, and ralph, you're going to have to take your mask off in the street so we recognize you. she's the new director for the grants for the arts, but she's been advocating for so many arts businesses in san francisco. we have vallie brown, the director of grants for the arts, and our new director of the office of economic and workforce development. you'll hear from the other two speakers that are joining us, and i'll introduce them, and i want to recognize deputy chief of the san francisco police department. thank you, chief lozar. i want to say captain, but you went from a captain, and you've moved on up in the ranks, and we appreciate you and the san francisco police department and everything you do to keep our citizens safe. we also have -- thank you, karen, and the union street bid for your work because i know that your work and

while the streets in and around union square remain relatively empty.hose involved with hotels are hoping the occupancy numbers will just continue to grow through the summer for several weeks now. we've been seeing, definitely stronger weekend and that's a result of that. >> customers that are coming in that they're coming in as visitors and for tourism. and so that skews heavier toward the weekend. but as we get closer to summer and we're heading up into memorial day weekend we'll start to see that spread out throughout the whole week. business leaders don't believe there will be a full return to normal until approximately 2023. >> by that time they believe in addition to the leisure traveler, there will be a full complement of business travelers as well as those attending meetings and conferences in san francisco, dan kerman kron 4 news. >> in el dorado county. golfers came together for the 9th annual golf for kids sake tournament. this raises money for the big brothers and big sisters of northern sierra. and if you're wondering what that is, they've

san francisco union square got a round of applause from staff monday as the city's largest hotel openedts stores for the first time in more than a year. and this is awesome. being able to be here with everything back open everyone and woodland jobs and set back lot of fun and it's great time. the hilton union square which has 2000 rooms is taking reopening gradually opening 2 of 3 of its towers to start and one of its restaurants. but with memorial day approaching now is the time. >> the city is opening up. there's wonderful vaccination rates here in san francisco. people want to travel you we've been watching occupancies in the city and they're increasing week by week. and we thought now it's time to go. well prepandemic san francisco hotel sported an occupancy rate near 85%. >> last week saw occupancy at 37%. a considerable jump from 20% in february. while the streets in and around union square remain relatively empty. >> those involved with hotels are hoping the occupancy numbers will just continue to grow through the summer for several weeks now. we've been seeing definitely stronge

hotel in union square.'s the largest hotel in the city starting to hotels are returning to service. >> reporter: at 11:00 this morning the doors to the hilton san francisco union square reopened with much fanfare. staff lined up to welcome tourists. >> i'm just excited to see you guys start to bounce back. because i grew up in monterey. and to be able to come back home and bring my fiance it's wonderful. >> seeing all the people back at work and seeing people just be happen by again and enjoying awesombecae been last yea >> reporreopenhave a financial psychological impact on other businesses in the heart of downtown. >> restaurants and stores around here who have been looking forward to our reopening because they know when we do, you know when we open our doors that's just going to bring more tourism and more people to support the local economy back. >> reporter: muhammad washaha was waiting for this moment after the pandemic stalled the taxi industry for months. >> this is the first day just coming to chec

the hilton san francisco union square.me the first guest to book into the hotel and 14 months with the round of applause. justin bells here from arizona, says the hotel in the city are making him feel welcome. it's been awesome. everyone's been very nice. it's been beautiful and what has been amazing, so nothing to complain about. he says he's ready to see all the traditional tourist favorites. but i've seen the city yesterday. we kind of went through chinatown and really square. so it just kind of exploring more. the city hopefully going to san francisco giants stadium and. i'm just saying, whatever hilton, saying they're proud to welcom with new cleaning protocols in place for the rooms and contact. let's check in for those who wanted the hotel, also saying they re hired staff and i've already got reservations on the books for the upcoming memorial day weekend are beautiful hotel that's been here in san francisco since 1964. we're almost 2000 rooms and we've been suspended since last year, and we're so excited. to welcom

. >> reporter: five floors above union square is the studio of artist chong.is medium is not paint or clay, it's hair. >> when you're done you get to see your work and it's an art form. >> reporter: he's been chasing that art form since middle school when he practiced on friends in his garage. >> the first 20, 30 haircuts were horrific. but i enjoy doing it and it's been my passion since. >> reporter: as a kid his parents hoped he'd be a doctor or a lawyer. his decision to try beauty school didn't go over well at first. >> yeah, they did not support me at all through the first year. they saw how passionate i was about it and they were super, super supportive. >> reporter: before the pandemic, the salon was bustling with eight stylists renting chairs. >> swarming busy. >> reporter: but as the pandemic gripped the city union square emptied. the silence extended five flights up. >> besides from union square being ghost town, my shop is as well. >> reporter: with restrictions loosening, customers are slowly trickling back. but it's not the struggling business that

probably want to think strategically, maybe the heart of union square, we don't want offices on the ground floor, maybe other areas that might be something certainly worth considering. retail in general, even before the pandemic, there's been seismic changes in the retail economy nationally occurring as a result of online shopping and so forth and shake out, so retail in general and how much and where to support that amount of activity is something that the department is looking at and engaging in these conversations and certainly looking at the trends and would be happy to engage in that conversation. >> great. thank you josh. appreciate you being here today.

number 1, union square will be welcoming back guests.re will be disinfecting protocols in place and not all rooms and amenities will be open. >>> a possible link between the covid-19 vaccine and heart inflammation. the condition decreases the heart's ability to pump blood normally in some cases occurred four days after vaccination >> the mass vaccination site at the oakland coliseum is closed and at its peak it was giving 6000 vaccinations a day. the vaccination effort is shifting to schools, neighborhood centers and churches. >>> closing arguments in the lawsuit between apple and fortnite maker. they say that apple created a monopoly with the app store. >>> number 5, partly cloudy skies and temperatures later this afternoon will warm up to the 70s and 80s away from the coast. >>> number 6, you can see the flags whipping in the wind, chp issued a high wind advisory for the bay bridge, venetian bridge and golden gate bridge. >>> number 7, chase beckham went the nation on american idol. the soulful, ragged voice landed him a new deal and h

hilton union square is largest with over 1900 rooms. marriott marquis has about 1500 rooms and they're just shy of 1200 rooms at the wes tin san francis. there are other hotels in the bay planning to reopen, whethet weeks. i am justin andrews, kpix5. >>> to the latest on coronavirus cases. in nine states at least 70% of adults are partially vaccinated but in ten other states mostly in the south less than >>> san jose earthquakes joining the effort to help more bay area residents get vaccinated. team members will help promote a one day vaccination clinic at over felt high school this friday. >>> in oakland after putting half a million vaccines in arms the mass vaccination site at the colosseum is officially closed. demand for shots at the site has plunged in recent weeks. at the peak health officials were vaccinating 6,000 to 8,000 people a day at the colosseum. lately it is down to a few hundred. the county is focusing on mobile and pop up vaccine clinics bringing shots into neighborhoods and churches. >>> an update from cdc. the agency

on thursday live in union square. dan kerman kron 4 news, dan, thank you very much. coming up, the oakland city council voted unanimously to fund community alternatives to policing how the city says it's re imagining public safety us police cruisers collide in a violent crash. but these officers were not racing after a suspect, a blunder that cost one coffee shop, a bad weather and lawmakers on capitol hill are holding a hearing to try to find ways to lower the cost of prescription drugs up next, we'll hear from palo alto. congresswoman anna eshoo. when a truck hit my son, i had so many questions about his case. i called the barnes firm. it was the best call i could've made. call the barnes firm now and find out what your case could be worth. ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ ♪ limu emu & doug ♪ excuse me ma'am, did you know that liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? thank you! hey, hey, no, no, limu, no limu! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ at worksman cycles, we've been building b

again, these changes start taking place on thursday live in union square. kerman kron 4 news. >> all right. dan san francisco mayor london breed. also relaxed mask guidelines outside to align with the cdc's and california's new rules there. mayor breed now says 2, use your best judgment when you're outside and that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors unless they're in a big group of people read adss, especially we need to wear masks. you're inside when you're with folks who don't know because she notes you don't know who is vaccinated. good point. know another big story for us tonight. governor newsome and his republican opponents are ramping up their campaigns with the. >> recall election likely happening later this year. both gavin newsome and john kicking off campaign events in sacramento today. caitlin jenner released a new ad kron four's capitol bureau reporter ashley zavala recaps a wild day in the golden state. >> governor newsome officially kicked off his anti recall campaign here in sacramento with firefighter groups even tho

dan kerman is live at union square tonight with more on this stand. >> well, we've heard before about improvements to the mid-market area. now the focus is on downtown and it's not just about safety and cleanliness but also about bringing attraction sons performances artist things that tourist will like it, get them to keep coming back. mayor says san francisco downtown is really the economic engine for the city. imagine art shows and performances in plazas across the city. >> that's part of what mayor london breed has in mind for her downtown recovery plan. >> a combination of my investments in this upcoming budget have everything to do. which trying to re. imagine beautified provide the level of support necessary to bring this area back stronger than eric ever to make it a vibrant, a more welcoming place and people and make sure that people have great experience is calling san francisco's downtown its economic engine. >> the mayor laid out a multifaceted proposal to spend 9 and a half million dollars from the city's budget today. it calls for 50 community ambassadors station at tran

well, today, it's bright in union square, and i'm excited about the future of union square and our city. i just wanted to take the opportunity to name a few people that are here today, a few of which you will hear from. the new director of the arts commission in san francisco, ralph remington, and ralph, you're going to have to take your mask off in the street so we recognize you. she's the new director for the grants for the arts, but she's been advocating for so many arts businesses in san francisco. we have vallie brown, the director of grants for the arts, and our new director of the office of economic and workforce development. you'll hear from the other two speakers that are joining us, and i'll introduce them, and i want to recognize deputy chief of the san francisco police department. thank you, chief lozar. i want to say captain, but you went from a captain, and you've moved on up in the ranks, and we appreciate you and the san francisco police department and everything you do to keep our citizens safe. we also have -- thank you, karen, and the union street bid for your work be

he tells us over the last two weeks the employees at the hilton at union square have been making their way back to get the hotel and all 2,000 rooms ready for guests. travel and tourism making their way back to the city, demand for motels is on the rise. they're booked through memorial day, good news there, and the reopening doesn't just impact hotel employees, it provides business for neighboring businesses as well. 2,000 rooms provides customers for neighboring shops and restaurants. the owner of a restaurant close to this hotel who has catered for them in the past says he's excited after scraping by on this 18% of his typical business, rajan day says he's ready. >> we are looking forward to it. we are applauding that they are opening. it will bring in a little bit more traffic around here. >> the first group that came n i started to speak and i really i got tears in my eyes because it was joyful seeing their faces. >> reporter: and just before this hit i was doing research on how bad tourism has been hit since covid, and 2020, san francisco travel is reporting there were 10.2 millio

live outside the hilton hotel in union square with this milestone. >> hi, good morning. anticipation has been building. the hilton has been displaying a count down on the side of the building to this big moment. the management says it just wanted to create some excitement and hope in the area as they built towards this big milestone. the hotel has been closed for over a year and will welcome its first guest today, a family from arizona. safety will be a focus. they will offer a contactless experience for those who want to keep their distance, but they say the warm welcome won't change. >>> we're going to be able to welcome people the same way and make people feel very safe and very comfortable. >> even though the hotel was closed it still sent out a message of hope to the city during the pandemic with a message of light saying i heart sf on the side of the building. this hotel has 2000 rooms so they're going to do a slow opening. they're only going to open one of their three towers to start. rates start at $200 a night. the state has launched a campa

san francisco's union square is one of the city's top tourist destinations. and after a year of lockdowns, the mayor says she has a plan to make visitors welcome here. the tourist the 20 million tourists who visit san francisco. every year that pay the hotel tax that shop at macy's in a number of our small businesses. downtown is the economic engine of san francisco, the mayor rolled out a $9.5 million plan that includes about 50 community ambassadors scattered throughout the area, making sure that visitors and locals feel safe and that those suffering from mental illness or drug or alcohol addiction are guided to the resources they need. it is so important that as we began to reopen. that were re imagine what downtown can be. we have to make it a safer place for people who live and work here. the plan also calls for public spaces around union square to be transformed in the plaza's for public performances in large scale events, been blind and sits on the city's entertainment commission and heads up the city's bar owners alliance, he says, injecting life into

after a year closed the hilten union square is reopening to guests in matter of hours. >> it's a majorwn san fra. and the bay area. tourist economy. >> for most of the last year, a big heart has been lit up on the side of the main tower of the hill ton san francisco union square hotel. it's a love all right to the city. over the last few days there's been a series of numbers that appeared enstead. tonight there's a number one. last number in a count down to reopening. >> the numbers appeared on the tower five days ago. photographs they shared with us a subtle signal to san francisco. they are returning to business. >> we're counting down to the big day tomorrow. tonight it will say one. and tomorrow we open our doors. >> over the last wo weeks employees have been returning to work after being furloughed for 14 months. >> it's hard to put into words. >> hotel general manager says ' many staff after not seeing them for so long. >> the first group that came in. i started to speak and got tears in my eyes. it was joyful. >> with 2,000 rooms, it's the biggest hoe it will west of las vegas n

contracts have temporarily been cut at half of the city's parking garage is this is garages and union square, financial district, japan town in the marina district. we are seeing a higher number of assaults and vehicle break- ins and the destruction of property and albums with homeless and drug abuse. i am surprised that we reduce demand security in these locations. >> reporter: according to data compiled as far as my burger like -- burglaries have increased from january to march of this year police reported more than 3300 car break-ins a slight decrease from pre- pandemic totals. june 15th the state will fully reopen the economy. >> this is an odd time for them to cut back in security. >> reporter: we reached out to the city for further comment. they said we need to provide the staff that provides wide ranges of services. they say that they have replaced agent parking equipment with modern technology and significant technology upgrades. david chandler the states association of license security agencies said this may not be a good enough. >> the cameras are good to see what happened your pro

stores this week, similar burglaries were reported at the saks fifth avenue in san francisco's union square. and at the neiman marcus store at stanford shopping center. that one, palo alto police say this group of 10 suspects rushed into the neiman marcus yesterday, no weapons were used but in just minutes, those suspects made off with more than 40 handbags worth 150 thousand dollars. they left in three different getaway cars. separately on tuesday afternoon, the security guard told the sf pd about six juvenile suspects who grabbed merchandise from the saks fifth avenue store on post street. they got into two vehicles parked on nearby palace street and took off. no arrest has been made. >>> join us the sunday for a special presentation, crime and e found out t crime trends in the city, and the e d attorney if the city is tough enough on crime. that is this sunday at 6:30, right here on kpix5. >>> i'm kenny choi in san francisco. more workers are returning to the city, and employers may start asking about the vaccination status. the changing covid work its rules, need better sleep? try natur

hilton union square is welcoming guests for first time in more than a year. the hotel employed more than 1,000 people before the pandemic. now it is restarting with a smaller set rkers. and ntact less arrival options. the hotel has been preparing for this moment for months. >> when they came through the doors, in my 35 years, i think it was the happiest i've been. they're so excited to return to what they do so well. we have a wonderful team here. this hotel has been part of san francisco since 1964. >> hilton is already starting to see small groups from out of town book meetings and a possible sign larger conventions may return too. >>> after putting half a million vaccines in people's arms the mass vaccination site is officially closed. >> this was the last day. i was lucky to have it here. >> having large numbers of people standing around waiting for people to show up is probably not the best use of resources. >> demand for shots at the site plunged in recent weeks. at the peak health officials were vaccinating 6,000 to 8,000 people a day at the colosseum.

identified the suspect as 54- year-old patrick thompson .1 witness tells us he was helping his aunt at union square flowers when they noticed a man wielding a large knife and approaching the bus stop just feet away. moments later the 84-year-old and another asian woman and a 63-year-old were stabbed. police obtained surveillance video that help them identify thompson. they say he lives nearby. >> that was a hate crime. he did not rob them, he just hurt them. what else could it be? that is somebody's grandmother or mother. >> we are hopeful she will pull through. she is very strong. >> in san jose, police are looking for the driver in a deadly hit and run. he struck a man on an electric scooter and then took off. it happened on cruiser road in san jose last night at about 10:30. officers believe dave jones was on a one wheel scooter when he fell off and then was run over by a car. >> i am still in shock. i still can't -- i just can't -- even process it right now. >> people are driving very fast, there taking advantage of the empty streets and empty lanes, so we see faster driving and more reckless d

tonight, the hilton san francisco union square reopened to guests.e pandemic forced them to close their doors in march of 2020. back in business is a good sign for san francisco tourism. the head of hotel san francisco says local and regional visitors are coming back. 214 of the city's hotels should reopen for weeks. buff it will take several years to get the demand and rates they got before the start of the pandemic. >>> here is another reason to pack your bags. a chance for free flights for a year. unite willed be given away tickets throughout june, and july 1th, five winners will get a win. you have to enter your covid vaccination record and you have to be a member of the loyalty program. >> you can just fly every day? >> i don't know. we have to raid the fine print. incentive, i'm sure. >> all right, the a's are back home tonight, news on a possible new contract for steph curry. the story next. this academic year has been, um, challenging. but i think there's so much success to celebrate. woman: it's been a year like no other. man: yet, for educa

. >> at union square there is a party going on.ivists are giving away marijuana, recently legalized in new york state, two people who can prove they have the vaccine. >> more than half of all of those are vaccinated in new york city, at least with the first dose. judging by the queue here, it looks like joints for jabs are only helping even more people to get the vaccine. ♪ >> that brings us to the end of this week's show. we leave you with these pictures from israel, where outdoor mask wearing has now ended, another step towards normality. thank you for watching. o=ÑyÑyÑyÑyqoqo 05/05/21 05/05/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> in order to be able to gear up, we need a broad waiver that covers the whole web of intellectual property rights the big pharma has right now constricting the ability of countries around the world. amy: pressure is growing on the biden administration to support a temporary waiver on intellectual property rights at the world trade organization to help

but the first time in 14 months, the hilton san francisco union square welcome back its first guests. there are new cleaning protocols on site for the rooms and an optional contact. let's check in for guests. the hotel rehired, staff and rooms are being reserved for this upcoming memorial day weekend, city officials say opening the hilton will help bring back customer was to nearby businesses and is really also assigned that tourism is finally coming back after the pandemic, the backbone of the san francisco economy is small business and institutions like ah hotel like the san francisco hilton union square. they are economic drivers for small business, and the chamber says the same thing should happen in other parts of the city, including the financial district to beginnd landlords in san francisco. $90 million in rent relief will be distributed by the city starting friday. residents can apply for up to six months of rental assistance with priority given to the most vulnerable tenants. the funding is coming from the american rescue plan. firefighters down in southern california workin

today, she rolled out a $9.5 million proposal to put about 50 community ambassadors in the union square area. the idea is to make sure the visitors and locals feel safe and that those suffering from mental illness or drug or alcohol addiction are guided. the resource is they need 20 million tourists who visit san francisco every year that pay the hotel tax that shop at macy's in a number of our small businesses. downtown is the economic engine of san francisco. the plan also calls for public spaces around union square to be transformed into plazas for public performances and large scale events. the plan for downtown will be part of the mayor's budget proposal said to be officially unveiled next week. if approved, the ambassadors and performers could be in place by this summer. another sign of normalcy returning to one peninsula city. street's closed for outdoor dining during the pandemic may reopen sooner than anticipated. ktvu azenith smith us here with why the idea has some restaurant owners and retailers divided as it. andre several streets in palo alto, including the city's main dra

. >> reporter: he was helping his aunt at union square flowers when i noticed a man wielding a large knife and approaching a bus stop. >> he was behind her and then all of the sudden it just one out. >> reporter: police say the 84 old family member and both suffered stab wounds. >> we are hoping she will pull through. she is very strong so we are all praying. >> reporter: seconds after the attack he snapped this photo while following this man and multiple witnesses confirm it with the person who stabbed both women and identified the black and yellow black -- bag he was carrying. >> yep. yep. absolutely. all you see is a big silver part in his hand and brass knuckle style. and he slowly puts it in and walks off. >> a military style knife. >> reporter: how long was it? >> oh, man. i saw brass knuckles on the end of it and i can't tell you how long it was because a part of it was still in her. >> reporter: they obtained surveillance video and set a photo helped identify patrick thompson who police say lives nearby and has been booked on two charges of tempted mu elder abuse. >> it was a

the hilton san francisco union square.e first guest to book into the hotel and 14 months with a round of applause. justin bells here from arizona, says the hotel in the city are making him feel welcome. it's been awesome. everyone's been very nice. it's been beautiful and what has been amazing, so nothing to complain about. he says he's ready to see all the traditional tourist favorites. but i've seen the city yesterday. we kind of went through chinatown and really square, so it's kind of exploring more. the city hopefully going to san francisco giants stadium and. i'm just saying, whatever hilton, saying they're proud to welcome back guests with new cleaning protocols in place for the rooms and contact. let's check in for those who wanted the hotel, also saying they re hired staff and i've already got reservations on the books for the upcoming memorial day weekend are beautiful hotel that's been here in san francisco since 1964. we're almost 2000 rooms and we've been suspended since blast year and we're so excited. to wel

the hilton san francisco union square. welcome the first guest to book into the hotel and 14 months with a round of applause. justin bells here from arizona, says the hotel in the city are making him feel welcome. it's been awesome. everyone's been very nice. it's been beautiful. and while there's been amazing, so nothing to complain about, he says he's ready to see all the traditional tourist favorites. i've just seen the city yesterday. we kind of went through chinatown and really square, so it's kind of exploring more. the city hopefully going to san francisco giants stadium and. i'm just saying, whatever. hilton saying they're proud to welcome back guests with new cleaning protocols in place for the rooms and contact. let's check in for those who wanted the hotel, also saying they re hired staff and i've already got reservations on the books for the upcoming memorial day weekend are beautiful hotel that's been here in san francisco since 1964. we're almost 2000 rooms and we've been suspended since last year, and we're

halas unions squared off with israeli police in this predominantly arab neighborhood on >> the violence sparked on monday but ongoing tensions in contested jerusalem. officials say hamas triggered the fight after firing rockets toward jerusalem in support of palestine parties must allow for mediation efforts to intensify with a view to ending the fighting immediately them additional that tim cook, the sugar us israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said in a video statement today that hamas will, quote, pay a heavy price for sending missiles to their city. >> and that israeli forces attacked targets underground to wipe out a network of militant tunnels for possible ground invasion. >> violence escalated in the region on monday after hamas launched a rocket attack in jerusalem. a show of support from palestinian demonstrations there involving a holy site where jewish settlers have been pushing to evict a number of palestinians from their property. >> that's a militants. 4 days have reportedly waged hundreds of rocket attacks. most of them intercepted by missile defense systems accordi

with its tallest tower standing 46 stories and a total of 1921 rooms, the hilton san francisco union squareis the west coast's largest hotel. >> where are you coming from? >> reporter: and now it's open for business for the first time since march 2020. the first guests checked in just before noon. >> we actually did a road trip. we kind of stopped along the way up the coast. >> reporter: and they've already enjoyed some of the sights. >> everyone's been super friendly, super safe. >> reporter: the hotel's gm says it took some work to get the rooms open again. now she's hoping for more visitors. >> i think there's a lot of pent-up travel demand. >> reporter: but a check of available hilton property rooms showed there were still plenty of rooms available at reasonable rates for the entire holiday weekend with prices ranging from $100 to $160 per night. the head of hotel council san francisco says more tourism is starting to pick up. >> we're going to see hopefully more business travel, as businesses start to open. and then also ultimately conferences. but it will be several years before we ge

. >> reporter: mayor london breed is in the heart of union square outlining a plan arts, and maki right investment, and keeping people safe, and cleaning up the city, and coming together just like we did to fight this pandemic. >> reporter: mayor breed wants to spend $7.5 million to hire 50 retired police officers as ambassadors, and the friendly faces who greet visitors to make them feel safer at key tourist attractions and transit hubs. she plans to bring live street performances and other venues to key venues that 26 million people visiteded in 2019. >> imagine the symphony playing right here outdoors where everyone gets the experience. >> and this going to be one of the top art cities of the world. >> reporter: and ben blyman co-founded a group that represents more than 400 san francisco bars, and he says that the mayor is right on the mark. >> we have been saying since the beginning of the pandemic that arts and entertainment were not going to be a part of the pandemic, but the heart of the recovery. >> reporter: but they feel that business owners have to give answers quickly of wh

for nearly a year the iconic hilton at union square was closed because of the pandemic, but this hotel just opened against moments ago and is welcoming back guests. nbc bay area's sierra johnson is live at the hotel with what it takes to get a how tell this size up and running and its impact on local businesses. hi, crier ya. >> reporter: it's hard to believe a hotel of this size taking up an entire city block was closed for a year, 14 months according to the general being ma are. i'm going to direct your attention right here. one of the first families checking in. the it's a lot of staff and housekeeping and kitchen staff as well at the front desk welcoming this family in. i'm being told it's a family from arizona. this moment really significant for everyone involved and imagine not working for that long. the general manager tells us they brought the staff back about two weeks ago to prepare this hotel. 2,000 rooms in all they had to prepare for this day and with travel allowed and tourists making their way pack to the city demand for hotels is on the rise seeing they are getting book

francisco police arrested a suspect accused of robbing an elderly asian woman just a few blocks from union square. police are still trying to determine the motive, but do not believe race was a factor. the attorney general says he wants to make sure there is a balance between holding people accountable and anding to what he calls the broken parts of the criminal justice system. >> hate crime statutes, it is not easy to meet the elements of the hate crime statute because there needs to be a proof of intent. >> we're seeing that with a lot of the cases around the bay area. the a.g. says the bureau will address strategies to address the root cause of hate crimes across california calling for commitments to better cities. >>> governor newsom is throwing a lot of money at the homeless crisis in california. he wants to spend $12 million to address the problem. the governor's new two-year plan would get tens of thousands of people off the streets. the plan would expand on his room key and home key program that he started during the pandemic. those projects used federal funding to place people in hotels

the hilton san francisco union square also reopened this week. >> but we're already experiencing thisr is people have a pent-up demand to travel. so we're seeing significant bookings for the weekend. >> reporter: kevin carol says they're seeing encouraging signs of a rebound. but admit a full recovery will take several years. the local department of public health reminded that even with over two-thirds of san francisco's eligible population vaccinated, it is important to stay vigilant to follow reck men dagss to drop the spread. >> we're at 50% on the inside. on the outside, we still have a six foot distancing. >> reporter: at water bar, the weekend looks promising. >> we're looking pretty optimistic for this weekend. i think that really all the factors are lining up in our favor. it's supposed to be a beautiful weather weekend. and everybody has got monday off, and the vaccination rates are going up. so people actually want to be outside, and they want to be inside. >> reporter: in san francisco, christie smith. >>> he said it pretty well. i think this is the weekend that we need. an

this includes garages in union square, the tenderloin, soma, the financial district, brick center, japanown and the marina district. >> we are seeing a high number of assaults, vehicle break-ins, destruction of property. drug abuse. i am surprised we have reduced the amount of security in these locations. >> reporter: according to data compiled, burglary crimes have increased 51% from last year auto thefts have jumped up 18% from january to march of this year. police reported more than 3300 car break-ins. a slight dree carries from pandemic totals, but it may not be for long. by june 15, the state is set to fully reopen the a company -- the economy. >> reporter: we reached out to the city for further comment and received the following statement. out of necessity we need to prioritize the staff that provide the most wide-ranging services to our garages. security isn't being replaced but responsibility has shifted to other staff who maintain our parking facilities. they have replaced aging equipment with modern technology insignificant operational up rates i can enhanced lighting, signs, a

. >> well, good morning, everybody, and welcome to union square. hello, san francisco. it's a beautiful sunny day here, and the fog has lifted, perhaps like the collective proverbial covid fog that we've all been stuck in the last year. my name is karen flood, and i'm the executive director of the union square business district, and we're so pleased to see you today, and so many visitors. we have missed you all. we have missed the visitors and the workers in union square who come here to dine in our fine restaurants and stay in our beautiful hotels and dine in

she's holding a news conference at 1:00 this morning in union square. she will be joined by representatives from the art, hotel and restaurant industries. they announced a building back stronger program to help local businesses try to rehire workers to get everything up and running again as we all emerge from our little cocoons and come outside. we've been at least having some pretty glorious days, guys. how are we looking today, kari? >> it's going to be very much like yesterday, really nice, starting out cool, and with some clouds as well, but then we'll get some sunshine as we go into today, and let's check out san jose's forecast. 56 degrees right now. you can see the clouds that will be in the forecast throughout much of the morning, and then clear for the rest of the day as our temperatures will be a degree or two cooler than yesterday so enjoy some time outside, maybe go for a hike in the east bay. temperatures at 10:00 at about 62 degrees, reaching into the upper 70s so it's going to be nice with all of that sunshine. we'll talk about a few chan

did as other bystanders called 911, least nephew said he followed at a distance and alerted the union squares imprent district so they could track the suspect with their network of surveillance cameras here is video of the scene from the citizen app. >> police say officers were able to obtain an image of the suspect which they recognized as 54 year-old. patrick thompson of san francisco from prior contacts. they took him into custody 2 hours later, this is a photo of the 85 year-old victim identified by family. >> as chilly fong ing her granddaughter posted online that her grandmother was stabbed in the arm and chest saying, quote, these asian hate crimes need to stop san francisco is my home and my grandma's home. we need to feel safe where we live and not in constant fear in was transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries. but police say she is now out of danger. the 63 year-old second female victim stab wounds are said to be non-life threatening thompson was booked into county jail on 2 counts of attempted murder and elder abuse investigators are still working to determine

this includes garages in union square, the tenderloin, soma, the financial district, brick center, japan town and the marina district. >> we are seeing a high number of assaults, vehicle break-ins, destruction of property. drug abuse. i am surprised we have reduced the amount of security in these locations. >> reporter: according to data compiled, burglary crimes have increased 51% from last year auto thefts have jumped up 18% from january to march of this year. police reported more than 3300 car break-ins. a slight dree carries from pandemic totals, but it may not be for long. by june 15, the state is set to fully reopen the a company -- the economy. >> reporter: we reached out to the city for further comment and received the following statement. out of necessity we need to prioritize the staff that provide the most wide-ranging services to our garages. security isn't being replaced but responsibility has shifted to other staff who maintain our parking facilities. they have replaced aging equipment with modern technology insignificant operational up rates i can enhanced lighting, signs,

. >> reporter: he was helping his aunt at union square flowers when i noticed a man wielding a large knife and approaching a bus stop. >> he was behind her and then all of the sudden it just one out. >> reporter: police say the 84 old family member and both suffered stab wounds. >> we are hoping she will pull through. she is very strong so we are all praying. >> reporter: seconds after the attack he snapped this photo