i'm michael finney. >> so many languages covered thanks, michael. >>> it is a classic example of people driving too fast for the conditions. take a look at the westbound lanes of highway 24 in oakland with three drivers spun out within minutes of each other around 1:00 this afternoon. the chp said each was driving too fast in a wet and slippery conditions. they all ended up in the same spot right outside of the caldecott tunnel. no one was injured. >>> in the next hour caltrans hopes to reopen part of highway 9 blocked by a landslide in santa cruz. part of the road collapsed along the hillside near the entrance to paradise park yesterday. caltrans provided this image and this closure is between felton and santa cruz. >> announcer: now your accuweather forecast with sandhya patel. >> hi, there, everyone. we are just about done with the showers. maybe another hour or so. let me show you live dopplerp. where we're still seeing damp roadways. in the street level out toward delta and brentwood, carnegie there is some spots there that are wet as we head towards the allen rock area, story road

there is only a week left to enroll for cover california and 7 on your side michael finney is here to help. michael? >> the hotline is open. we're taking questions. we're signing people up. we'll be here until 8:00. 415-954-7621 or go to the website at abc7news.com. >> i'm spencer christian. looking westward. a few kind of scary clouds linger but our the question isn't whether he should be impeached any more. he's the most corrupt president in american history. and we all know it. the question now is, how fast can we move past this president so we can build a more just and prosperous future? please, join the more than 6.5 million americans who are demanding action now. because there's nothing more powerful than the unified voice of the american people. together, we will make this happen. need to impeach is responsible for the content of this ad. >>> as we mentioned, there is only a week left to enroll for health insurance for cover california. >> michael finney and a panel of experts are taking questions and providing answers. are we getting a lot of good calls. >> we are. a ton of ca

reporting live from the 7 on your side offices i'm michael finney. >> good job, michael. thanks so much. >>> it's mostly rumors for now about who will run for president in 2020. >> today a potential candidate from the bay area took his name out of contention. but we still have one local on the list. >>> the current president has actually upset a lot of people today when he threatened to take away fema >> announcer: live where you live this is abc 7 news. >>> the speculation is over. bay area billionaire tom steyer announced today he would not throw his name into the race for president. however, what he plans to do instead is certainly raising some eyebrows. >> the decision comes as many democratic contenders are exploring bids including california senator kamala harris. >> abc 7 news reporter chris nguyen is on the story. >> reporter: after years of publicly toying with the idea of running for president, next gen america founder and bay area billionaire tom steyer announced in iowa today that he would not be seeking public office. but instead devote his time and money int

. >> michael finney is here to tell us what that means for shoppers. >> what is brick and mortar? >> it's almost goi tough year o retailers. 16 national retailers have announced they are closing down or filing for bank rupt si. aft the chairman filed a bid of $4 billion. mattress firm is set to close 700 stores. claires set to close 92. the takeaway is to use all your gift cards that you have on hand sooner rather than later. not all retailers are closing stores, however. amazon is looking to expand whole foods. "the wall street journal" says amazon is planning to add more whole foods locations. not allows amazon to put more people within reach of its two-hour delivery service. amazon bought whole foods for more than $13 billion. >>> many are already starting to plan travel getaways for 2019. here's a tip. flying home on a monday rather than a sunday will save you money. life hacker places the savings as high as 31%. most vacationers want to come back on sunday, but seating is more limited and more costly. if you can come back on tuesday, that's even better. you can save up to 50%

. >>> and 7 on your side's michael finney is b >>> carol channing never forgot the first stage she made her mark, the theater at lowell high school in san francisco. she graduated in 1938. gone but never forgotten, especially not by these drama students. >> as an art teacher, you need those almost hooks to tell the kids, yes, you can get to the next level and the next level and the next level and carol channing sort of served as the perfect example for that. >> she still definitely is an inspiration not only for the theater but also for her role in promoting the performing arts at school. >> reporter: as a tribute to carol channing, studenting will be performing a musical revue. >> hello dolly, gentlemen prefer blonds. >> she asked donations be made to the theater in lowell high school instead of flowers. >> i want my ashes spread over the golden gate bridge when i go. >> reporter: in san francisco, lyanne melendez, abc7 news. >>> the u.s. forest service has built a corral for wild horses in northern california. the facilities in the national forest could allow the agency to bypass fede

for sandhya patel and michael finney and all of us here, thank you so much for joining us this evening. our next newscast is at 6:00. we'll see you then. bye. >>> tonight, breaking news as we come on the air in the west. several officers have been shot in houston. authorities just moments ago confirming five officers, all of them rushed to the hospital. we have late details coming in now. >>> three-quarters of the country bracing tonight for dangerous, life-threatening cold. whiteout conditions already, 34 states on alert. the dramatic rescue from lake michigan. wind chills expected to hit more than 50 below zero in some places. >>> the horrific video tonight. the deadly police shootout. officers responding to a call of shots fired. the gunman opening fire on them. >>> president trump threatening another government shutdown is possible if no wall. and tonight, the cost to the american economy already -- $11 billion. >>> the case of road rage on an american highway.

michael finney, >>> schools are closed, postal carriers not delivering mail. large chunks of ice blocking boats in the chicago river. look at that. crews are setting fires on commuter railway tracks to keep the switches from freezing. >> when the postman says no -- even i -- >> neither rain nor sleet -- >> they're done. >>> we have rain coming. >> meteorologist sandhya patel. >> first the arctic chill gripping midwest and minus 50 in fargo and minneapolis. what it feels like factoring in the wind. not the type of weather you want to deal with. our area, low 50s from san francisco to concord to san jose. get you back to the midwest, wind chills toward tomorrow morning remain dangerously low, life-threatening conditions expected. widespread low and high temperature records expected. minneapolis. 48 below zero. in bay area, east bay hills, looked like summer this afternoon and evening. watched fog rolling in. really has been spreading through this evening. we're seeing views like this from san jose 87 camera looking towards the shark tank. overcast skies you have

michael finney looks back at the top stories and solutions in 2018. all coming up in a half hour at 6:00. thanks. see you then. >> the giants continue to look for new players and fans have at least one to look for in the outfield. >> sky 7 was over at&t park and giants are installing the new mega scoreboard. the $10 project boasts a screen that covers more than 10,000 square feet three times larger than the old one. >> spring training is when pitchers and catchers report for duty. hard to believe it's six weeks away we will be in spring training. >> doesn't feel like it with the weather the way it is. >> from all of us here, we appreciate your time and we will see you here again in a half hour. >>> tonight, several developing stories on this friday evening. the showdown over the shutdown. the high-stakes, closed-door meeting today. afterward, president trump saying that the hundreds of thousands of american workers still waiting to get paid are on his side. and that this could last months or years. he says he's now willing to declare a national emerge

michael finney breaks down the list. that is all coming up at >>> fine he'll rate nally right took a piercing plunge into the pacific. i see some dogs going in as well. at ocean beach they braved 54 degree water at the strike of noon for a quick dip offto celebrate 2019. >> cold, but exhilarating.exhil. >> you feel born again. >> plunge participants 21 and over were invited to get dried off and warmed up at an after party all afternoon at the rip tide bar. >> seeing some smiles. so they enjoyed it. >> thanks for joining us today. >>> tonight, several breaking stories as we come on. a toddler rushed to the hospital after falling into a rhino enclosure at a florida zoo. as we hear the first 911 call from that deadly lion attack. an intern killed. now authorities investigating both incidents. >>> also breaking tonight, the highway chaos. a woman pulled from her sinking vehicle after it flipped off the highway. dense fog blinding drivers and causing pileups in texas. and the new system tonight that will sweep east this week.

how 7's michael finney helped green light a day driving around a race car track. sthoo and a look outside. cool to start. no rain for now but changes are (slurping, kiss) (crunch) a lot happens in a day. outlast happens once. outlast all-day lipcolor with 24-hour stay power. from covergirl. with 24-hour stay power. oh, wow. you two are going to have such a great trip. yeah, have fun! thanks to you, we will. aw, stop. this is why voya helps reach today's goals... all while helping you to and through retirement. um, you guys are just going for a week, right? yeah! that's right. can you help with these? oh... um, we're more of the plan, invest and protect kind of help... sorry, little paws, so. but have fun! send a postcard! voya. helping you to and through retirement. >>> good morning everyone. time right now is 5:38. a live look outside from our east bay hills camera. you can see some drivers getting an early start to their sunday morning as they make tear way over the bay bridge and into the city. where'll get a check of the full forecast in a little bit. >>> miss

michael finney is here with those stories. >> i doubt that one. >> not the pinto. but everything old is new again. in detroit some major carmakers are putting iconic discontinued cars back out on the road. the media got a preview today of the detroit auto show, and one big trend we're seeing is the resurgence of previously hot models. they include the supra which toyota stopped producing in 2002 and the ford explorer last produced in 2011. on another note from the auto show, trucks are big this year, both in size and popularity. the detroit auto show opens to the public on saturday. >>> now here is a place where the partial government shutdown might cost your family some money. southwest airlines said today it can't move forward with its planned service to hawaii because it can't get faa approval for the flights. faa inspectors have been furloughed. so how could this cost you money? well, when southwest adds a route, prices usually drop on competing airlines. >>> have you noticed more drug ads on television programs? a recent study says between 1997 and 2016, spend

. >> michael finney is here to talk more. >> the government shutdown could actually rock the housing market in two ways. real estate website zillow says unpaid federal workers owe more than $1.2 billion in mortgage and rent payments each month. many of those workers will be struggling to pay, and zillow estimates nearly 4,000 mortgages are processed each business day for loans backed by federal government agencies like fha. so what's going on there? there has been no word yet on if there has been a slowdown for those needing loan help. if so, by how much. >>> will you be shopping at sears and kmart this time next year? sears missed a friday deadline to decide whether to sell its former ceo or turn the company over to liquidators. lampert offered nearly $4.5 million. if not accepted, the liquidation could begin tomorrow. >>> amazon is now the mostvaabvy company in the u.sak frcr amazon shares rose 3% to close up more than $1600. tht puts the company's market value at $797 billion. now this is the first time amazon has held the top spot. microsoft had been at the top since november whe

>>> i'm michael finney. you asked, we answered. your questions about the pg&e bankruptcy just ahead. >>> i'm spencer christian. >>> i'm spencer christian. gray, cloudy, and wet. it looks like emily cooking faildinner for ten. it looks like jonathan on a date with his wife. entresto is a heart failure medicine that helps your heart so you can keep on doing what you love. in the largest heart failure study ever, entresto was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. it helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren,... ...or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto for heart failure. yeah! entrust your heart to entresto. ♪ ibeen building them fora 115 years,hat's get a ford. if you want a car with driver-assist techno

i'm michael finney. wbut did you know you could be saving even more?. with the tjx rewards credit card - every time you shop at our stores, you earn 5% back in rewards. tjx rewards credit card. an even better value every day. >>> thanks for waking up with us, i'm chris wnguyen. we're starting this half hour with a quick look at the weather. hi, frances. >> mostly dry today, but we are still expecting some scattered showers through parts of the north bay. here's live doppler 7 and the satellite image under cloudy conditions for the bay area. you see some of those light showers there off the north bay coast. here's what we're expecting throughout the day. we'll see these light showers move throughout the north bay. by lunchtime mostly dry. our latest animation model shows some of these sprinkles reaching as far south as san francisco and then the rain chances continue throughout the north bay. but highs today will be pretty mild with those sprinkles continuing throughout the evening hours into the north bay. look for a high of 66 in some inland neighborho

. >>> i'm 7 on your side's michael finney. from a faulty shirt to fast they say you should always listen to your heart. and where better to do that, than the island of ireland? after all, your heart is the best compass there is. so get out there and fill your heart with the stuff that keeps it beating. fill your heart with ireland. >>> a state of emergency has been declared in washington state, one of several u.s. states coping with dangerous measles outbreaks. abc news reporter danya bacchus has the latest. >> a measles outbreak in the state of washington. in clark county alone, there have been more than 30 confirmed cases, and at least 11 confirm cases of the measles. >> you can actually spread measles for four days before you even know that you're sick. >> health officials saying exposure sites have been places lying this women, infant and children's office, a golden corral restaurant and the arena where the portland trail blazers basketball team plays. the outbreak prompting officials to remind people how contagious it is.

>> 7 on your side's michael finney here with some help. michael? >> oh, we've been crunching some numbers. for all those travelers out there trying to find the best deals on plane tickets when you buy is important. joining me now is liana corwin. she is a consumer travel expert with hopper. thank you very much for joining me. >> thanks for having me. >> it is when you buy and when you fly, right? isn't that the whole deal? >> it is. and it's really hard to, you know, figure this out. so that's why we've created this travel cheat sheet to try and help people figure out these trends. >> so let's start with the easy one. the time of year you fly depends on where you're going, right? >> exactly. if you want to go to -- it's always correlated with demand. if you want to go somewhere warm in the winter it's probably going to cost more than the spring or the fall. these trends just tend to show us when there's more people are trying to fly. that's when you're going to be spending a little more money. >> the airlines hang on to seats. like give me more mon

. >>> i'm michael finney. there are times when your insurance company is no longer allowed to cancel your homeowner's insurance. we'll talk about that. "7 on your side" is coming up. . >>> fires were just some of the big stories this year. tonight, we'll look back what does help for heart fait looks like this. entresto is a heart failure pill that helped keep people alive and out of the hospital. ause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto. yeah! may >>> it is set to be the biggest sporting event in the south bay since superbowl l, the college football playoff national championship is just one week away and preparations are taking on a new urgency. so is a big cleanup. "abc 7 news" reporter david louie looks at the flurry of activities. >> reporter: potentially tens of thousand

. >>> i'm michael finney. you sent in s what'with coverage havinthroughout your home? phseice? vene xfinity gives you the fastest speeds from america's best internet provider to stream on all your devices. plus, with xfinity mobile included, you can switch your wireless carrier and save hundreds of dollars a year. now that's simple, easy, awesome. get started for $29.99 a month for 12 months. plus, ask how you can get xfinity mobile included so all you pay for is data. switch today. >>> if a visit to venice, italy is part of your travel plans for 019, prepare to dig deeper. >> officials announced plans to charge all visitors up to $11 to enter the city's historic center, where san marcos square is. the mayor says it will help better manage the popular tourist destinations. >> an estimated 25 million people visit venice each year. most just for the day. overnight visitors are already charged a small tax each night that they stay. >>> back here, bay area food banks have little to celebrate as they ring in the new year. >> according to the latest check, the second harvest food ban

michael finney helps out a man who thought he had done everything he needed to at the dmv and still didn't get what he wanted. >>> i'm wayne freedman next to the golden gate bridge. there's a lot of >>> the golden gate bridge is not only considered an engineering marvel, its construction led to improved worker safety. >> wayne freedman sfopoke to a woman whose family made it possible. >> this is a place you never visit unless you work here. you may not know it exists amid your commute on the bridge. an alternate universe for workers with the never ending task of painting every square inch. >> you have to be a gymnast or contortionist to climb up. >> they need to wear hard hats. it's mandatory. >> this saved me a bunch of times. knocking my head on steel. >> just wonder what would have happened if i didn't have that hard hat on. >> it's a bit of history dating back to the beginning. as it turns out, the golden gate bridge was the first construction site to mandate hard hats on a job. it comes counsel to personal connections. joseph straws had a friend in the city named edward bullard who ma

. >> and michael finney with information that could prevent at bayer our roots run deep. so chances are you've seen us around the house... or around the yard... on the shelf... or even out in the field. your mom knew she could always count on us, and your grandma did too. because for over 150 years we've been right by your side. advancing the health of the people, plants and pets you love. so from all of us at bayer, thank you for trusting in us. then and now. >>> 22,000 people end up in the emergency room every year with injuries from treadmill accidents. good and thanks to consumer reports, we have some advice. a. tragedy struck this pennsylvania home when a 5 yoel boy died after being pulled underneath a treadmill about it moving belt. >> people really don't understand how dangerous this moving belt can >> it's not a good idea to position the treadmill against the wall. if you fall on the treadmill belt continues to turn, you'll get wedged between the wall and treadmill. you need to keep a couple feet on either side of the treadmill and then at least six feet behind it

a significant part of that came from our own michael finney and "7 on your side." >> michael is here with some of his most memorable and some of the most important stories of 2018. >> 2018 was a wild ride. >> it was. >> it was really a wild ride. i found myself tackling a variety of issues, some as old as the hills, others emerging with a new high tech world. one thing that never changed, consumer problems really do affect us all. so here's seven of the most important "7 on your side" stories of 2018. >> the north bay wildfires were devastating enough. the last year we saw many survivors who lost everything shocked to find out they did not have enough insurance to rebuild their homes. >> our big question is how can that be. >> reporter: after our stories aired, more homeowners now demanding broader coverage. then there were the stories of shocking cellphone bills like this san jose family, billed $13,000 in roaming charges during just one hour in vietnam. >> it was like, whoa, what is going on. >> $13,000 is a lot of money. >> reporter: we pointed out airplane mode may not be the saf

>> yes. >> and that was 7 on your side's michael finney reporting. there is still a long way to go on this project according to a timeline. initial construction is expected to begin in 2021 or '22. >>> the time now is 6:42 on this saturday morning. lisa argen has been tracking the accuweather forecast for us. maybe a slight break in terms of the rain. >> you're right, because we still have some showers out there mnlyn e thecoas s notallydry. weill wee a return to some light showers and then as the week gets going, some heavy rain. we'll talk about it, coming up. >> lisa, thanks. >>> also ahead, a historical night at oracle arena with steph curry's threes having a little extra me but prevagen helps your brain with an ingredient originally discovered... in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve short-term memory. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. what'with coverage havinthroughout your home? how about having internet that can help you save on wireless phone service? xfinity gives you the fastest speeds from america's be

still ahead, "7 on your side's" michael finney looks at the new consumer laws that could directly affect your everyday life. >>> next, meet the first bay area baby of the new year who is joining a big -- and we mean big family. >>> and get out your phone. go to abc7news.com/vote and answer this question. are you making resolutions for 2019? results right now on the bottom of your screen and they're changing live as new votes come in. oh! oh! oh! ♪ ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) people with type 2 diabetes are excited about the potential of once-weekly ozempic®. in a study with ozempic®, a majority of adults lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than seven and maintained it. oh! under seven? and you may lose weight. in the same one-year study, adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. oh! up to 12 pounds? a two-year study showed that ozempic® does not increase the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke, or death. oh! no increased risk? ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ ozempic® should not be the first medicine for treating diabetes, or for people with ty

>> yes. >> and that was 7 on your side's michael finney reporting. there is still a long way to go on this project according to a timeline. initial construction is expected to begin in 2021 or '22. >>> cupertino-based apple is planning to unveil three new iphones this year. according to "the wall street journal" the new phones will have new camera features, including a triple rear the 10r fell sport of expectations last year. >>> password sharing on netflix may be coming to an end. a company just unveiled new software at the ces tech show in las vegas. artificial intelligence searches for fraudulent activity. when it finds it, it will ask regular users to upgrade to a premium account that includes sharing capability. password sharing costs too much money to ignore anymore. >>> next, an annual ceremony at this museum. what the pros will show you how >>> welcome back, everyone. here are the winning numbers from last night's mega millions drawing. 4, 5, 31, 62, 69 and the mega number is 20. no one won so next tuesday's jackpot is $55 million. >>> happen

i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >>> a staple of little league games is getting a makeover. big league chew is launching its first ever softball line. it's famous for its soft bubble gum. right now the gum is available for purchase online. it will hit physical stores on february 1st, which was national bubble gum day. >>> time of now, 9:27. still to come on "abc 7 mornings," a winter storm slams the northeast, bringing with it heavy snow. now an arctic blast of cold air is moving in, we'll have the latest. >>> the exceptional student starts college at 11 years old. ♪ they say you should always listen to your heart. and where better to do that, than the island of ireland? after all, your heart is the best compass there is. so get out there and fill your heart with the stuff that keeps it beating. fill your heart with ireland. >> announcer: good morning east bay. let's get up and get going. this is "abc 7 mornings." >>> it's half past the hour. thanks so much for waking up with us. i'm chris nguyen. let's get a quick check of the weather with meteorologist frances dinglasan.

i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >>> we'll have coverage of the president's announcement later today. download the abc 7 news app to find out what he says. we'll also sending out a breaking news push alert. >>> happening today, several women's marches are planned here in the bay area and are expected to draw thousands of people. san francisco's women's march starts with a rally at civic center plaza, then the march goes down market street to the ferry building at the embarcadero. melanie woodrow tells us for the first time ever, organizers are falling short of fund-raising goals. >> reporter: at 11:30 a.m. saturday, thousands are expected to gather on the steps of san francisco's city hall for the third annual women's march. >> the march is the most visible piece of it, but it's a movement that we work on year round to make sure that we're standing up for the things that we believe in here in the bay area and across the country. >> reporter: this year's theme is the women's wave and truth to power. >> we really want it to be an energizing day that helps keep the momentum we saw in th

i'm michael finney with an update and how i'm helping what does help for heart fait looks like this. entresto is a heart failure pill that helped keep people alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto. yeah! >>> all right, as we prepare for more rain to pound the bay area, and it's coming tonight, work continues on the uc berkeley campus to remove trees that pose a safety risk. >> this follows the death of a novato man who was killed by a tree during a recent rainstorm. >> reporter: the work is grueling, chopping down massive trees, breaking limbs and putting them through a wood chipper. a dozen or so trees are coming down on the uc berkeley campus. >> we found two pine trees infested with pine bark needles and had to come out anyway. >> reporter: tree inspections intensified fol

. >>> i'm 7 on your side's michael finney. residents fined for recycling the wrong way and the recycling company told to knock it off, but it's not over yet. oh! oh! oh! ♪ ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) people with type 2 diabetes are excited about the potential of once-weekly ozempic®. in a study with ozempic®, a majority of adults lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than seven and maintained it. oh! under seven? and you may lose weight. in the same one-year study, adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. oh! up to 12 pounds? a two-year study showed that ozempic® does not increase the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke, or death. oh! no increased risk? ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ ozempic® should not be the first medicine for treating diabetes, or for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndro

>> yes. >> and that was 7 on your side's michael finney reporting. there is still a long way to go on this project according to a timeline. initial construction is expected to begin in 2021 or '22. >>> still to come on "abc 7 mornings," an explosion at a paris bakery kills two firefighters and injures dozens of others. what officials say caused the blast. >>> also, a wisconsin teen reunited with family after her dramatic escape from the man accused of abducting her three months ago. you might take something for your heart... or joints. but do you take something for your brain. with an ingredient originally discovered in jellyfish, prevagen has been shown in clinical trials to improve short-term memory. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. looking to lose weight this year? try fda-approved alli®. for every 5 lbs you lose, alli® can help you lose two to three more by preventing about 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed. for the only fda-approved otc weight loss aid, try alli®. you may have gum disease and could be on a journey to much wors

michael finney examines how the best plans can be waylaid by changing times. helping those who protect us. at 6:00, the out pouring of cast guardsmen, the only members of the military not getting paid. you can help as well. it's all coming up in half an hour on abc 7 news at 6:00. larry, kristen. >>> alfonso mckinney's path is a story of perseverance. first he was undrafted. then he had to pay to attend tryouts for a farm team and then he was finally picked up by golden state. >> mckinney talked with students about chasing your dreams. he tells me the sweetest part of the cinderella story is buying his mother a home in chicago. >> mckinney. >> in your hometown on the day you bought her a house. who is writing that hollywood story? >> my mom says she wanted her own house. i mean it's something i always wanted to do, you know. i just didn't have the money or the resources. for me to be able to do that for her is a major blessing. >> that must have been amazing. to play that day in chicago against the bulls. how did that work out for you? >> i had my first career

michael finney has some tips. >>> sometimes in life it's the little things that make you happy. like locking and unlocking your car door with the click of your key fob. >> i'm a first-time mom and having a new infant, i want to get them in the car as quickly as possible, so having the key fob really makes it easy for me. >> you get in the habit of at least clicking it twice. >> i don't think i'd ever want to go back to a regular key. >> but what if your key fob stops working? >> sometimes they just need a little love too. >> when your fob isn't working, don't be in such a rush to shell out hundreds of dollars to replace it. the auto team at consumer reports says the first thing you should look at is the battery. >> a battery typically weakens after a year or two. where you store your key fob also matters. >> leaving your key fob in the car overnight or even on a hook near the car is not a smart idea. >> if the fob is too close to your car it can continue to communicate with your car which could drain the battery. >> your owner's manuel should give you instructions to replace the

. >> michael finney on your side joins us. >> it's crazy. outraged over the price of printer ink? you're not alone. a recent consumer report survey shows the price of ink is the number one complaint for printer owners. why are those tiny little ink cartridges so expensive? experts at consumer report says, one reason. >> there's a lot of science and engineering behind printing. it has to work together seamlessly. consumers expect a push button experience and that's what they shoot for. >> reporter: think of it as more of a down payment. >> the manufacturer hopes you come back to them and buy their original brand ink or toner. that's the profit motive. so they tell the printer cheaply but can charge more for the ink and toner. >> reporter: when it comes to the ink, most are not even getting what they pay for. "consumer reports" say with many ink jet printers more than half the ink you buy never winds up on the page. >> ink jets which are very popular type of printer tend to use up more ink because they have to do a maintenance cycle. >> reporter: it helps keep the print heads from c

i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >>> we'll have coverage of the president's announcement later today. download the abc 7 news app to find out what he says. we'll also send out a breaking news push alert. >>> happening today, several women's marches are planned here in the bay area and are expected to draw thousands of people. over on the east coast women's march's are already under way. this is a live look from washington, d.c., where thousands are taking part this morning. san francisco's women's march starts with a rally at civic center plaza, then the march goes down market street to the ferry building at the embarcadero. melanie woodrow tells us for the first time ever, organizers are falling short of fund-raising goals. >> reporter: at 11:30 a.m. saturday, thousands are expected to gather on the steps of san francisco's city hall for the third annual women's march. >> the march is the most visible piece of it, but it's a movement that we work on year round to make sure that we're standing up for the things that we believe in here in the bay area and across the country. >> report

i'm michael finney, side. >> go to abc 7 news.com for ideas on how to save on prescriptions. >>> a 5-year-old girl's desperate need for a bone transplant struck those here. we brought you her story and the call for bone marrow donors last friday and are happy to report 80 people came forward. they've registered to be a donor with an organization called be the match. all of them were referenced nora. tests will be done to sew if anyone, fingers crossed is a match. >> what a sweet girl and her little elsa costume from "frozen." >>> a small san francisco shoe company plans to expand its footprint. they spoke with the founders of birdies back in may. they made a custom pair of bridal slippers for megan marco w -- meghan markle who's a finance of the shoe. they will fulfill more than 30,000 orders on its waste lift. >>> do you take all the vacation you're entitled to? it seems a lot of people in california need toous those vacation days. workers in california left 97 million paid days off unused in 2017. that's more than any other state. in the san francisco oakland area, 64% left some vac

today, 7 on your side's michael finney is hosting a health insurance hotline. enrollment agents will be on hand to take your calls from 4:00 until 8:00. you can also ask questions right now online by using the #ask finney. >>> a major traffic incident to report. alexis has more. >> unfortunately, i don't have any good news and i don't think i will for most of the commute. we have a full closure of northbound 101 in san jose. this happened about 3:45 this morning just north of mckee road. garbage truck or a large box truck flipped over on its side. this is a fatality. investigation is under way. i also heard from chp that a lot of fuel spilled on the road. that's a mess. this will take a while to clean up and they have to investigate, too. amy hollyfield is trying to get there. they're stuck in the backup. just actually saw one of her shots. people are turning around and driving the wrong way trying to get out of the backup. it is not a great situation. take 280 to 87 to avoid a tough situation this morning. i do want to touch on an issue in from the santa cruz

michael finney has some tips for us. >> have you used 529 plans? >> oh, yes. >> our kids went to school together. we've had this conversation many times. been saving for know the advantage of putting college money into a 529 savings account. you get big tax breaks at that time, but what happens when it's time to take the money out? financial experts and consume s consum"consumer reports" say the smart ways to do that too. >> when her daughter was born, she put money into a 529 plan. her daughter is a college freshman and it's time to start taking money out of her 529, which is more complicated expected. >> you taught thehought it's th bucket of money, and we're starting to learn there are some strings attached an rules. >> rules that are important to follow, according to the financial team at "consumer reports," if you want to avoid hefty penalties. >> if you don't spend the money on legitimate 529 expenses you'll pay income tax on the earnings in the 529 and a 10% penalty on the amount you saved. >> legitimate 529 expenses include obvious things s

. >> 7 on your side's michael finney has some consumer protection news. >> from mastercard. really, it's absolutely phenomenal. mastercard is putting in place a consumer protection that lawmakers could not get done. from now on, no more automatic charging of consumers at the end of a free trial period if they used a mastercard. this is one of the top consumer complaints i receive. many times consumers don't understand when they order a free trial, they have automatically signed up for continued service after that trial ends, unless they make a move to cut off the subscription. now, if you use a mastercard to sign up, the company has to get your permission to continue charging you, and then must prove they have your permission to mastercard. >>> the travel industry is warning about a slowdown if the partial government shutdown goes much longer. there are fears security lines at airports could continue to grow and grow, with tsa workers who aren't getting paid calling out sick. some hotels and especially around the washington, d.c. area say revenues were down 26% in the second

. >> 7 on your side's michael finney is here with more on that. michael? >> it is a shakespeare question, like you guys just said, to bag or not to bag. if you're looking at upright model, you'll have to pick between bagged or bagless, the clear bins that collect all the dirt. here's advice on what to look out for. the perception is that bagless are easier to maintain. and with no bags to replace, they're cheaper to own. right? well, bagless machines actually have more filters to clean and more than bagged models. and to keep it working its best, the parts should be cleaned from time to time. you are apt to empty it more often because the dirt is visible in the canister, but there is a drawback. >> emptying the dirt bins can be messy, because when you open them up, you're releasing particles back into the air that you just sucked up, which is something to take into consideration if you have allergies or sensitivity. >> reporter: the filter, the bag that collects the dirt might be the best bet for dust sensitivities. some bags can be sealed when you remove

for spencer christian, michael finney, all of us here, thanks for joining us. >> see you again at 6:00. >> bye-bye. >>> tonight, the new year's slam. whiteout conditions. snow, strong winds and heavy rain to ring in the new year. cars skidding off icy highways. up to 2 million braving the weather in times square. our ginger zee standing by. >>> the deadly lion attack. a 22-year-old intern killed. how did the lion corner that young staffer? >>> also tonight, the shifting versions of the president's wall. the president insisting the plan for an all-concrete wall was never abandoned, as the government shutdown extends into the new year. >>> inside the shelter. allegations of child abuse inside a migrant shelter in arizona. disturbing video appears to show staff members slapping, shoving and dragging children. >>> hunting a killer. a 7-year-old girl shot and killed while riding in her family's car. the urgent search for the gunman who opened fire from a red pickup truck. the girl's mother wounded and, tonight, speaking out. >>> ski lift scare. more than 100 skiers left hanging. the chair l

. >> in december, 7 on your side's michael finney reported that garbage and recycling company were public services where customers were recycling incorrectly. there were bills for $26 having contaminated materials in their recycling. these people had no idea what they did wrong or how to correct the alleged recycling error. richmond issued a cease and desist letter requesting public services stop citing customers and refund the money they collected from fines. they say that international recycling material buyers like china, are now rejecting contaminated loads. they say that garbage like dirty diapers, kitty litter, food scraps, construction debris is being disposed of in the recycling bins. republic services says the contamination level ranges between 15 and 45%. public services gave three options. option one, is continue cart audits and a notice with a type of contamination. option 2 would be to audit, tag and leave tun serviced to deal with the following week which could be more costly to customers. option 3 is to do nothing which could result in $10,000 fines to communities who don't

>> it is confusing. 7 on your side's michael finney is here to help us. i always pass, but i have a feeling you're going to tell us we shouldn't. >> the rules get very complicated. it's not as easy as you think. should you buy the added coverage or are you already covered with your own policy? maybe, maybe not. the answer is it depends. >> let's go. >> reporter: when andrea travels on vacation or for business, she frequently rents cars, but she's often confused about whether to add the rental company's insurance to the credit card and personal coverage she already has. >> it's hard to know if you're fully covered and if you have 9 right coverage. >> reporter: consumer reports says before you rent a car check for coverage under your personal auto insurance, and also through the credit card you'll use. credit cards can change their terms. for instance, discover recently stopped offering rental car insurance altogether. american express, chase and citi bank still do offer it, but check their terms and limits. if a credit card is your primary coverage, there

. >> for michael finney, take advantag >>> tonight, the president walks out. the high stakes meeting in the situation room lasting just minutes late today. what was said in that room. what we've learned tonight. the shutdown reaching day 19, hundreds of thousands of american workers will not get their paychecks. >>> the violent arrest here in new york city. the mayor breaking his silence. tonight, the investigation. what led to this moment? >>> the urgent manhunt, the armored car guard who disappeared, and so did $850,000. police tonight warning he is armed and dangerous, and where this happened. >>> the winter weather alert tonight. a major storm forming. could the east get hit with a winter storm? rob has the new track. >>> the man who has been overseeing the mueller investigation is now on the way out. rod rosenstein planning to leave. today, our correspondent asking the president's new pick for a.g., will he protect the mueller probe? what he said. >>> new developments tonight involving r. kelly, after that docuseries and the disturbing allegations. author

. >> michael finney joins us with more on this. michael. >> they've talked about this. the california interest interest interest research group said poultry recalls increased by 83% and overall recalls increased by 10% since 2013. they say these serious health risks could have been avoided. for instance the outbreak of e. coli over romaine that killed five people last year could have been eliminated. they suggest there should be more robust testing of that water. >>> florida announced some of the best selling pickup trucks will soon trade the exhaust pipe for battery pack. jim farley told investors in a conference call on wednesday a fully electric f-150 is in the works. speculators say it could arrive as early as 2020 making it the first all-electric pickup sold in america. you may remember tesla's elon musk said they may start pickups there. and a startup is accepting orders now for an all-electric pickup truck that's supposed to be released in 2021. >>> finally if you have a gymboree gift card, you should use it soon. it may be worthless in a month. it's asking for c

. >> michael finney looks at keyless car entry and how to keep the battery lasting for as long as possible. >>> what would you do if you found nearly $15,000 worth of designer clothes, hand bags and jewelry laying in the one with the designer dog collar.(sashimi) psst. hey, you! wondering how i upgraded to this sweet pad? a 1,200-square-foot bathroom, and my very own spa. all i had to do was give my human "the look". with wells fargo's 3% down payment on a fixed-rate loan and a simpler online application, getting into my dream home was easier than ever. get your human to visit wellsfargo.com/woof. what would she do without me? >>> what would you do if you found a box with nearly $15,000 worth of goods inside? >> would you keep it? >> the woman was surprised with bas big reward today. >> the runway is just over here. >> reporter: kerry doesn't know why i asked her to meet me on the street in union square. it all becomes clear when we step inside rent the runway. >> we want to gift krou ultimate dream closet and give you a year free of our unlimited subscription. >> reporter: this box filled

i'm michael finney. 7 onned your side. >>> it is so we don't want you to pay yone cent more than you need to for health care. at covered california, you can get health insurance at a lower cost. in fact, enrollees pay an average of $5 per day. see how little it costs to get covered. visit coveredca.com today. >>> happening today in san francisco a tradition unlike any other. a crowd of people will take over bart for "no pants day." participants plan to start at the mccarthy ore daly city stations this afternoon and then head to san francisco city hall to make their way to an afterparty. new york based improv everywhere. a frank and humor collective is hosting the event. this is the 11th annual event in san francisco and i'm sure they are very happy they won't have to deal with the rain for the day. >> little chilly out there for no pant look. good morning everyone. looking at a beautiful sunrise pictures from mount tam. the colors there. the fog below. 49 san francisco. 47 in mountain strew and east bay hills, just as nice with 40 in santa rosa, upper 30s in the livermore valley. lit

. >>> if you think that the giving season is over, guess michael finney here with a nice perk. >> and the holidays are behind us, but amazon is still in a giving moods. the online retail giant is extending its free shipping offer on any item until january 31, no prime membership required. amazon began the program you may remember way back in november offering free shipping on hundreds of millions of items with no minimum purchase required. ordinarily customers would have to spend 25 bucks to receive free shipping. >>> a major pharmaceutical company today issued a voluntary recall of a high blood pressure and heart failure auro is recalling 80 lots of it due to the presence of an impurity that could cause cancer in humans. the company is calling on customers to stop using the drug immediately. users will be notified by phone and mail. it hasn't received any reports of adverse events. >>> a big tax rate for tesla buyers is going away with the new year. the federal government's $7500 tax credit for plug-in vehicles will be cut in half tomorrow. it then drops again in june to just under $

>> here with how it will affect consumers is 7 on your side's michael finney. >> it's really big news in the bay area. gymboree's corporate headquarters are right here in san francisco. it operates about 900 stores nationwide and in canada. 34 of them are right here in the bay area, operating under the names gymboree, crazy 8, and janie and jack. it has 9500 employees nationwide. so here's the headline. stores will begin closing this week. that means tomorrow. and that means consumers need to act now to protect their interests. gymboree stores still logistic like a going concern, but their days are numbered. last week's bankruptcy filing caught customers by surprise. >> oh, no! >> we're not -- we're not happy to hear that. >> price wagner and estella shop here often. they're showing me the purchases they just made and plan to send off to relatives back in new york. >> i send coupons. >> you might want to use that sooner rather than later. >> okay. then we can go back in. >> we'll go back in. we're going to go to lunch and come back. >> it really is kind of an emergency for those with

. >> "7 on your side's" michael finney stepped in as he always does to help out. >> two months had passed and the woman had yet to take possession of the car. her journey to get the vehicle involved a few wrong turns. >> i just bought a bolt. i'm so excited. i love this car. >> marty roberts takes her new chevy bolt out for a spin. she purchased it from platinum chevy in santa rosa and received $15,000 in rebates under sonoma clean powers ev incentive program. the program proved so successful platinum chevy couldn't keep up with demand. >> actually, when i first went to look at cars, they said they had it on the lot. they didn't realize this particular car wasn't there. >> reporter: the car had to be shipped from mill pete usa but she said platinum didn't tell her this until after she made a $5,000 deposit. marty did not worry. >> i expected to get it any day. >> reporter: she checked every day to see if her vehicle arrived at the dealership. one month later chevy still had not delivered her bolt. by this time the rebate program was coming to and. she was told if she did not play for the

. >> now 7 on your side's michael finney has been looking into how today's cal fire decision will affect homeowners and how homeowners themselves are feeling about all of this. >> yeah, he joins us now. michael? >> the homeowners are conflicted, no doubt about it. this report has been a long time coming. and the findings themselves are, as we've been reporting, not what many expected. i've been talking with santa rosa fire victim bradsher wood since his house first burned. here's what he's thinking today. >> well, i'm glad the report is out. it's one cloud of uncertain that is not taking over our heads now. we've been waiting for the cal fire report the last year. but now it's like another cloud of uncertainty is hanging over fire survivors. what does all this mean? >> interesting. he asked a very god questiood q. >> that's what everybody up there is trying to figure out right now. it is certainly not a great day for tubbs fire victims who are suing pg&e. this makes a lawsuit harder to win, i should say. but it is not the end of the road. we spoke to a couple of the major attorneys repre