good afternoon. thank you for joining us today. >> on to politics and decision day in new hampshire. the first polling places have started to close in the first in the nation primary. marci gonzalez has the latest from new hampshire. >> reporter: polling places packed on this primary day. the first polls now closed, the final votes in other precincts now being cast. >> i honestly was not sure who i was going to vote for up to the very minute. >> reporter: candidates made the rounds, trying to round up last-minute support and even a p donald trump went into primary day the front runner in the polls, but john kasich had a little boost. winning in dixville, the first precinct to cast ballots at midnight. this election all coming down to undecides and independent voters. >> who was it? >> bernie sanders. >> reporter: looking at the republican and democratic side, he was our clear choice. >> if there's a large voter turnout, we'll do just fine. >> reporter: but hillary clinton says this is a fight to the finish. >> we're going to keep working literally until the last vote. >> reporter: and some of the candidates were so confident, they already have victory. >> interestingly, as front-runners, they may have the most to lose tonight. >> reporter: it's all about expectations. if either trump or sanders loses, it will cause a political earthquake. a cnn poll taken this morning shows 40% of likely new hampshire republican voters say they could still change their minds. and at the university of massachusetts poll, sanders had the lead. cokie roberts said the stakes were high because funding will flow to the top finishers -- >> it's also a measure of how independents are feeling because 40% of the voters in new hampshire are what they call undeclared. >> reporter: undeclareds in new hampshire can vote in either party's primary. that's why we're seeing an unusual situation. some say they're deciding between trump and sanders. >> thank you, kristen. joining us now, with the unseasonably warm weather we've been getting. >> this is from our east bay hills camera. almost looks like a haze settling in. spencer, what have you got? >> temperatures are not quite so high as they were yesterday. here's live doppler 7 hd. a few high clouds around and as we look at a few clouds over the bay from our roof top camera, here's a look at today's record. yesterday, we had ten new record highs and two ties. today, so far, we have three ties and one new record. one new record today of monterey with a high of 85. these are records for this date, of course. not all-time records. 71 at sfo. 71 in san jose. so it's been certainly a milder, warmer than average day. but a little bit less extreme than yesterday. what is extreme is the rough surf beach hazard statement remains in effect until 8:00 tonight. here's our first forecast as we look at partly cloudy skies over the golden gate bridge. mostly clear skies tonight. the mild spell goes on. i'll have a look further in just a few minutes. it's on. the world famous maverick surf competition is set for this friday. >> yes, the competition is held when the surf is just right. forecasters expect waves friday could reach up to 30 feet. david joins us live with the details. >> reporter: well, we're standing in front of the surf shop owned by jeff clark. he's crediting el nino with creating conditions offshore that are creating what they consider near perfect conditions for this friday's competition. there was no competition from last year. the surf right now is on the same side, but friday morning's 8:00 a.m. start time, the wave also be as high as three stories or higher. 24 hand picked competitors are jumping on planes to get here for the first heat. this is a competition where four six-man teams will participate in the first heat. half will be eliminated until there's a six-man final. over $100,000 in prize money is at stake. jeff clark couldn't be happier what's happening. >> the giant storm that's producing those waves is happening right now. and the waves are coming and the jet stream is going to take all the fowl weather to oregon. we'll have 70-degree weather and 30 to 40-foot waves. >> reporter: if that happens, pretty impressive. the closest hotel, the oceana, is booked up already because of the valentine's day weekend. a nearby restaurant says it will be showing the competition on big screens in the bar and dining room. for safety reasons, the public is not allowed to be on the beach or the cliff overlooking the beach. roads will be blocked off and fans are asked to watch the web feed instead. the final winner should be announced sometime about 2:30 in the afternoon, all happening here in half moon bay. >> all right, david, thank you. cleanup efforts are under way at a san jose shopping mall after a fire sparked by illegal fireworks. >> chris joins us now in little saigon neighborhood with more. >> reporter: that fire happened last night as community members came together to celebrate the start of the lunar new year. you can see the damage that was done as some shoppers say they're shocked the damage wasn't worse. here in san jose, damage likely caused by fireworks hasn't dampened the mood of the shoppers. >> this looks horrible. it really looks bad. >> reporter: this video captured by an "abc7 news" camera shows us this scene last night. fireworks going off as a cyprus tree went up in flames and then firefighters trying to get it under control. these displays aren't anything new. >> it's okay if no fireworks. i can walk around and eat and have fun with friends. >> reporter: but some wonder why more hasn't been done to put a stop to it all. police received 59 calls city wide selled to fireworks but no one was cited or called out to the mall. we have learned that security officers didn't call 911 early on pause they thought they could contain the fireworks. >> just all the horror stories. >> reporter: the property's maintenance team has been cleaning up the mess. visitors are thankful no one was hurt. this man pleaded not guilty today to attempted murder charges. he faces accusations of attacking a highway patrol officer with a knife in san francisco. he remains in jail on $5 million bail. last week's attack happened near a homeless catch. the officer continues to recover from stab wounds. daley city has proposed a safe zone for people buying and exchanging items from sites like craigslist. the vice mayor cited a 2013 murder over a playstation as one of the reasons behind this. >> we're not saying the majority of the time that these things happen when there are online transactions. but we want to make sure that we keep a safe place and our police department does that. >> the vice mayor will ask the city council to consider the measure. several other cities have already set up safe zones. ♪ protesters blocked several buses in the heart of san francisco's mission district this morning. the corporate shuttles were stopped for 40 minutes before police arrived. activists organized the protest after the board of supervisors extended a pilot program for those buses for another year. still ahead, there was a big crackdown on sex trafficking across the day area during the super bowl. but how successful was it? and the big celebration in denver today for the new super bowl champions. gas prices continue to plummet. where you can find some of the cheapest gay esest gas in the . >> it looks like gridlock in downtown san francisco. oncoming traffic trying to get to the lower deck on the bridge. everybody is the super bowl champions got the ultimate mile high salute from their fans today. look at that sea of orange. thousands lined the streets of denver for a broncos' parade and rally. the team owner's wife rode on top of a fire truck with the lombardi trophy. check out this video that was posted by the mvp. >> i got a ring. >> we got one two. >> i got a ring. >> we got one, too. >> i think that went on for a while. inside the team bus, the players all very happy about their new super bowl bling. and fans bet big on the big game. nevada sports book took in more than $132 million before the super bowl on sunday. denver obviously upset carolina. some of the more unusual side bets, they call them cross bets, include how long the national anthem would last, which was 2:21. and what color scarf steph curry would win to the game. gas prices are falling dramatically. the national average is now $1.72. and california, it's $2.49 and in the bay area, $2.56. but there are places in the bay area where it's dropped below $2 a gallon. that's huge. >> reporter: waiting in line paid off in mill valley this morning, as customers watched gas prices fall before their eyes. >> it changes while i was in line to get in from $1.95 to $1.91. >> reporter: $1.91 for a gallon of unleaded gas. and the owner expects the price will continue to fall. >> hopefully the next few days it will go $1.89. depending on how things go, it could go down another dime. >> reporter: the customers are thrilled. >> i think it's great. i'm glad i'm not invested in gas in the stock market. but i definitely love it for my gas tank. >> i remember it was of $100 to fill it up, now it's like $40. >> reporter: you do need to shop around to find prices this good. some stations are charging almost a dollar than more. but prices are down across the country, an average of 25 cents compared to a month ago. there are a few factors at play, including international markets and extra volumes of winter blended gas that need to be unloaded. >> because crude is very cheap. there's not a lot of demand and there's a lot of supply. >> reporter: drivers plan to enjoy it while they can. >> i'm loving it. >> reporter: this owner says he sees about 3,000 customers a day. today, he expects it to be more like 3300. amy hollyfield, "abc7 news." coming up on "abc7 news" at 5:00, the unexpected cost of lower gas prices and what it could mean for your bottom line. a new set of pay per use express lanes is set to open in the tri valley. these lanes will run in both directions. the tolls will be in effect from monday through tuesday from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. all users must have a fast track transponder. >> fast track is required for all users. we do not want cheaters in this lane. chp is our partner and they will be monitoring. >> car poolers can continue to use the lanes for free but must have a fast track flex transponder set to either two or three occupants. a new seconds transbay crossing between san francisco and the east bay is not only necessary for b.a.r.t. but would be great for the bay area economy, according to the bay area council economic institute, which says it could be another rail bridge. the current tube is operating well beyond capacity. b.a.r.t. ridership is expected to jump another 100,000 riders in the next decade. the new ronald mcdonald house is probably the most stylish in the bay area. "abc7 news" got an exclusive look inside today. 48 designers donated their time and helped raise more than $3 million to furnish all the bedroom, lounges and recreation areas. >> picture the families being in here and relaxing and having time together. >> it still feels spring like. check out the view here. you see a layer of haze there. that's actually a little build you have of particulate matter in the air. but the bigger concern right now is tree pollen, which is at high levels at the moment. talking about trees such as cedar, juniper, and pine. here's a view at santa cruz beach. tomorrow, cooler by a few degrees, cooling continuing through saturday and temperatures rebound next week. warm pattern will continue as the warm air mass we showed you yesterday is still the dominant feature. we'll be shifting to cooler pattern beginning tomorrow. 11:00 tonight, we see a few clouds moving into the picture. tomorrow, we'll see the biggest drop in temperature at the coast, not so much of a drop in other locations. for the week ahead in san jose, this is the projected high temperature range. mid 70s remaining through friday. then upper 60s on friday, 70 on saturday and temperatures rebound on monday back into the upper 70s. overnight, low temperatures ranging from mid to upper 40s. tomorrow's highs in the south bay will be in the low to mid 70s. 72 in san jose. low 70s in the peninsula. a high of about 69 or maybe near 70 around san francisco tomorrow. north bay valley, low 70s tomorrow. east bay, low 70s for the most part. and in the inland east bay, highs right around 70 degrees. here's the seven-day forecast. once again, temperatures continue to taper off just ever so slightly friday and saturday, butvalentine's day. and warmer on monday and tuesday with inland highs back in the mid to upper 70s. so getting a slight slowdown that won't last long and no rain in the forecast. up next, celebrating mardi gras. thousands packing into the french quarter for fat tuesday. and celebrating the people making a difference where you live. today, we recognize the african-american composer happening now, there's not much elbow room in new orleans right about now. thousands have packed the french quarter for the end of mardi gras. this is a live look at the scene right now with all the people milling about. the crowds are still out in the thick of it, despite the warm, festive atmosphere, temperatures are dipping into the 40s. >> i can taste a hurricane right now. the golden state warrior als wi be celebrating the hlunar new year by wearing uniforms with monkeys and will be broadcast in chinese. mike shumann is live today from the national pro-am. he's been periscoping some great shots. he's live everywhere. 49ers and giants greats were on the links today. tomorrow is the celebrity challenge. a reminder, follow the updates on twitter. "abc7 news" continues. terror on the high seas. new details about the cruise ship that had to turn around. there are calls for an investigation. and a stinky mess, flooding, live from the kgo tv broadcast center, this is "abc7 news." topping headlines at 4:30, breaking news in pacifica. a man and woman have been rescued and taken to the hospital after being swept away by a wave this afternoon south of the pier. a witness says the two were on sharp park beach when a wave carried the woman into the ocean. the man went in to rescue her. she actually managed to make it back on her own and is expected to be okay. a coast guard crew pulled the man from the water. his condition, however, isn't known. voting is wrapping up in the new hampshire primary. the presidential candidates were out in force today, making their last-minute pitch to voters. bernie sanders has the advantage over hillary clinton and donald trump leads the republican race. san francisco street vendors who were sidelined by the super bowl may be getting some compensation. the supervisor wants to help those vendovendors. that's coming up at 5:00. take a look at this picture. that's coming up at 5:00. the super surf competition returns this friday. spectators are being kept away from the competition and are instead invited to watch a live web stream. one of the toughest challenges that came with hosting the super bowl in the bay area was the fight to crack down on sex trafficking. now the question is, how did we do? the i-team is here with a story you'll only see here on "abc7 news." >> they did well. i have an interview with the fbi official who oversaw the entire operation. federal, state, and local off the with a coalition of local groups. for 14 months, they waged war on the pimps and sex traffickers. >> i think the effort, the coordinated effort with our federal, state, and local partners and non-government agencies, that alone is significant. >> reporter: he says their plan to go after pimps and traffickers started with something talked h-talk. >> they coordinated all the activities throughout the bay area during the super bowl. >> 24 adult females, not all of those females were arrested. 83 johns were arrested. and 12 pimps were resulted. >> reporter: the result the fbi is most proud of, seven underaged girls rescued from a life as sex slaves. > 4500 passengers were on this ship when they encountered a storm with wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour. elizabeth herd has the latest. >> reporter: first came these frightening images from the passengers who used their cell phones to capture furniture flying and giant waves pounding the cruise ship. >> i'm really concerned about the captain's judgment in this situation. >> reporter: and the captain's response. >> it just became so intensified. >> reporter: royal caribbean airing the interview on an in-house channel on the ship. >> from it moved from being this to what you see here. >> reporter: the captain is claiming the storm they encountered is worse than what was forecast. winds gusting over 100 miles per hour off the carolina coast just one day after leaving new jersey over the weekend. the bahamas bound cruise ship is now on its way back to jersey. >> the thing about this storm was that it was forecast for days. >> reporter: some are questioning the validity of the captain's explanation, including the florida senator who was asked to investigate. >> thank goodness there was not much damage and it is seaworthy. but the question is, when there's a storm brewing, why are mistakes made? >> reporter: the cruise line has apologized to passengers and is issuing a full refund. the ship is scheduled to arrive back in new jersey sometime tomorrow evening. at least ten are dead and hundreds injured after two passenger trains collided in germany. an auto brake did not work and the train operators probably never saw each other. they crashed right into each other without braking and both operators died. that happened about 40 miles southeast of munich. president obama sent congress the final budget of his presidency today. it proposes spending a record $4.1 trillion and a number of new initiatives, from a war on cancer to combatting global warming to fighting islamic state militants. it has little chance of approval in a gop controlled congress. the president asked congress today for money to fight the zika virus. some of that $1.8 could go to lab testing. there are now two more zika cases in the u.s. both patients contracted it in haiti. they're now at home in indiana and ohio, respectively. more people swimming, surfing, and diving. that might be why shark attacks have increased all over the world. 2015 set a record for a most shark attacks worldwide. total number was 98. researchers found charges attacked 59 times in the u.s. the previous high was 52 in 2012. two off the coast of california. prosecu > jose james faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to do less than murder when he threw a three-foot alligator through a fast food window. officers arrested james in december. they didn't think it was too funny. they tracked him down from a credit card used at the wendy's. just ahead, for the best places to go in the u.s. but did any place in the bay area make the rest? plus, the hunger games comes to the bay area. how you can catch a glimpse of a piece of hollywood. going to be another beautiful sunset, thanks to the presence of a few clouds in the western sky. producers of "the hunger games" have extended a tribute to fans here in the bay area. "abc7 news" was at the palace of fine arts in san francisco where a special exhibit is about to open. starting saturday, fans will be able to explore the world behind the books and movies. stars of the movie talked about why it remains so popular. >> a lot of the scenes in this movie are relevant to what's going on in our society today. >> it definitely had a big impact on huge number of crowds in different ages. >> >> this is going to surprise a lot of people. not one city in the bay area made it on a list of best places to visit in the u.s. "lonely planet" says phil t philadelphia tops the list. really? they say the city of brotherly love is on a roll after hosting the pope last year. birmingham, alabama, and then alaska rounding out the list. who's going to these places, spencer christian? >> our weather is so amazing right now. >> i've been to all those places and i'm bewildered. shaking my head. >> bring me the head of "lonely planet." >> let's talk about the lovely weather here in the bay area. we have partly cloudy skies and it's lovely and mild and our short list of record highs today has grown slightly as we look at partly cloudy skies over the bay. oakland airport, new record, 70 degrees. new record at san jose, 76, beating the old record of 74. new record at monterey. we probably will not have records tomorrow. statewide, highs in the mid 80s in southern california. here in the bay area, highs reaching into the low 70s around the bay and our chances of rain in the week ahead, not so great. only about 10% on friday and saturday and near zero on the other day. so dry, mild, lovely weather pattern continues. but we do need a little more rain. i'll be searching for that in the forecast. >> thanks, spencer. still ahead -- >> broke my heart because, you know, i was always growing up the good girl. the good girl. >> the good (male vo) bad. across america, people like basketball hall of famer dominique wilkins are taking charge of their type 2 diabetes with non-insulin victoza®. for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar. but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about victoza®. he said victoza® works differently than pills. and comes in a pen. victoza® is proven to lower blood sugar and a1c. it's taken once a day, any time. victoza® is not for weight loss, but it may help you lose some weight. (male vo) victoza® is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes when used with diet and exercise. it is not recommended as the first medication to treat diabetes and should not be used in people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. victoza® has not been studied with mealtime insulin. victoza® is not insulin. do not take victoza® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to victoza® or any of its ingredients. symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include itching, rash, or difficulty breathing. tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. serious side effects may happen in people who take victoza® including inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you have signs of pancreatitis such as severe pain that will not go away in your abdomen or from your abdomen to your back with or without vomiting. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. taking victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. the most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. side effects can lead to dehydration which may cause kidney problems. if your pill isn't giving you the control you need, ask your doctor about non-insulin victoza®. it's covered by most health plans. this is "abc7 news." known for her on screen antics on "the real housewives" is opening up about the reality of life in prison in an exclusive interview with abc news. after 11 1/2 months in prison, she's revealing what life was really like behind bars. >> reporter: she's transitioning from a real housewife of new jersey to a federal inmate wasn't easy. >> there's mold in the bathrooms. there's not running water constantly. the showers were freezing cold. it was hell. >> reporter: the reality star telling abc news at the time of her arrest, she did not know she had committed a crime. >> definitely not. the government saw it differently. i got sentenced. >> reporter: she spent 11 1/2 months in jail after she and her husband pleaded guilty to multiple crimes, including conspiracy to commit fraud. >> it broke my heart, because i was always growing up the good girl. >> reporter: her life behind bars, a far cry from what we saw on tv. >> i had a job on the tv. i got paid 12 cents an hour. i spent it at the commissary. by first paycheck was $1.60. >> reporter: and now in her memoirs, she writes about turning a new leaf. >> i'm just happy to be home. >> reporter: her husband, joe, was sentenced to 3 1/2 years and he's leaving for prison next month. and you can hear more from theresa on "nightline" tomorrow night. >> and that will be at 12:30 a.m. right here on abc 7. more than 200 complaints have been filed about glass casings that can injure people. >> a weird recall. nearly 127,000 ceiling lamps sold by ikia are being recalled. 11 people have been injured when the glass casings fell out and crashed on unsuspecting people below. there have been 224 complaints about these incidents. two lamps made by two separate manufacturers are involved. the first is made by hsby. it's been sold since october of 2012. the second is made by a company called "lock" and it was sold since 2002. general motors plans to recall 473,000 trucks and suvs due to a braking problem. this is video we got from gm's youtube channel. the company says the brake pedal on the vehicles can come loose and fail to work properly but has no reports of any injuries. gm expects that recall to begin shortly. the white house office launched a new effort today to help stop drug abuse. special kiosks are going up where you can dispose of old or unused prescription medication. and a heroin overdose medication will be available without prescription. >> more americans died in 2014 from drug overdoses than motor vehicle crashes. a majority involved opioids. >> the program will begin in 39 states, including here in california. signing up for a gym membership can be easy, but what if you decide to cancel? tonight at 11:00, i investigate why it can be hard to get out paying subscriptions. and i'll show you how easy you can get out of them. for free. >> thank you, michael. more than you might think. >> concussions or blows to the head can increase the risk of suicide. the research says it's important for people who have suffered a concussion, over years ago, to tell their doctors about it today. repeated concussions can lead to depression. stress raises cholesterol more than you may think. stress on jobs, relationships can play a role. most concern is chronic stress which taxes the body over time. and heart disease still the number one killer of americans. every 30 to 40 seconds, someone in the united states has a heart attack. the one reason for the high mortality rate is people ignore or do not recognize pre-heart attack symptoms. the signs are pain in the center of the chest or radiates to the left arm. the warning pl inin inin iningsn other areas. this study was done and published in the journal biological psychiatry. those who participated in the study showed improved executive control and reliance in the face of stress. i'm jane king. here's to your health. american teenagers are showing signseating healthier than in past decades. metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease and obesity. but teens may be eating less because they're less active. up next, sewage in one bay area community. dan? >> thank you very much. coming up, crab fishermen trying to claw their way out of an economic disaster. the financial relief that may be coming their way. >> and a bay area fox released back into the wild and michael finney with the benefits of filing your taxes right now, don't wait. tonight on "abc7 news" at 8:00, it's fresh off the boat, followed by the muppets. at 10:00, it's what would you do, followed by "abc7 news" at 11:00. this is an ongoing mess. sewage spewing up every time it floods. >> today, the san francisco public utilities commission began a series of workshops innen an effort to improve the city's flood resilience. >> melanie? >> reporter: well, what happened in city hall today was a necessary step to creating policy change, but residents whose homes have been flooding for years say it's long overdo. san francisco residents who live along cayuga avenue and fulsome street say the city has been flushing their toilets on their neighborhoods for years. this is sewage rushing into homes and garages. like blaine bachelor. >> it is deplorable. the words i want to say i can't on air. >> reporter: they haven't been holding their tongues. they've been fighting the city, even signing on to a law south. now some action in the form of a workshop. the public utilities commission educating commissioners today, passing around props like drain preventers, so commissioners can understand how the city system works. >> it's taken years to get to this point where the city is acknowledge thing is a major disaster. >> reporter: donna marie worries about her 94-year-old grandmother who says she stopped smiling because of the continuous sewage flooding. >> right now she's just miserable and we all are. >> reporter: the general manager says finding a permanent solution is next to impossible. >> no matter what size system we build, a storm event will be bigger than that and it's going to cost a lot of money. the whole city would have to pay for it. >> reporter: a study under way is expected to be complete this spring. >> they've been paying more to study the problem than to fix it. >> reporter: also studying the problem, the environmental protection agency, which recently launched an investigation. in the meantime, residents worry these sandbags might protect their homes, but not their health. thank you for joining us for "abc7 news" at 4:00. >> "abc7 news" at 5:00 begins right now with kristen and dan. breaking news, the coast guard on the scene for a rescue at the beach. crab boats sit idle as fishermen take an economic bath. also -- [ sirens ] >> don't move! don't move! >> dramatic video of an east bay man taken down by police. why authorities wanted to make sure they caught this guy. and feeling sacked by the super bowl. >> and the best surfers on their way to the bay area right now. >> "abc7 news" starts right now with live, breaking news. >> a beautiful day at the beach. waves sweep a couple into the ocean in pacifica, forcing an emergency rescue attempt. but was it too late? >> this is all happening south of the pacifica pier. >> vic lee is there live at the scene. vic? >> reporter: well, we are just south of the pacifica pier, as you said. and the fire spokesman tells us that this elderly couple, a man and woman were swept off the pier and ended up about 1,000 feet south of the pier because of the riptides, which carried them south. you can see, i think, dean smith. i think that's about 1,000 feet south and that's where the coast guard found them. the first 911 call came in just after 2:00 this afternoon. the coast guard responded quickly. they were looking for an elderly couple, swept into the water by waves. beth grossman witnessed what happened. >> they were holding on to each other. the guy went in after her when a wave took her out. and she was swept out there. >> reporter: the woman was able to get back to shore. >> he got close to getting out, like about three times, but the waves just pushed him back in. >> reporter: that's when the coast guard found him. >> the coast guard lowered one of their rescue swimmers into the ocean and was able to grab the second victim, lift them out by air and bring them onto shore. >> reporter: both the man and woman were taken to the medical center. we do not have a medical condition on the man, but we are told by fire spokesman that they were performing cpr on him. we do know from witnesses the woman was okay and doing much better. we will give you updated information as soon as we get