Transcripts For KPIX CBS 20240703

Leon l dray doesnt have a home here right now he says he moves from encampment to encampment around berkeley every night. But before that he lived here , at the encampment on eighth and harrison for over a year. When i got here i had nothing. It was me and my dog. Lets just say i met good people down here. Reporter leon says many of those people he met still live here. That is why when he heard the city was trying to sweep the encampment, he got mad. Where else will be go, down the corner or around the street over here . Reporter to try to stop the sweep, a few of the people who live here contacted lawyers. Those lawyers were able to get a judge to put an injunction in place, barring this witty from sweeping the encampment until at least september 27, when those lawyers representing the city and those representing the encampment will have their day in court. Lawyers for the city are arguing the encampment is a health risk , but lawyers for those in the encampment say the city has not provided an alternative location for people to go, nor resources for those who have disabilities. Leon told me many of them are keeping a close eye on the case, but remain confident they will be able to stay. I feel confident. I aint worried. I mean, if anybody else would ask, i dont see no worried faces over here. Reporter leon says out of all the places hes lived, this encampment has actually been one of the best. He always felt safe, and felt like everyone who lives here looks out for one another. He says he just wishes the city would do the same. Just leave us be. It is home here. This is actually a good place to be at. They need to back off. Reporter we reached out to the city of berkeley for comment. They just got back to me a little less than an hour ago where they said they dont have any further comment on this case right now. It is worth noting, though, that this injunction is only for that specific block of eighth and harrison. We have heard from other people at other encampments here in berkeley that city officials have gone over there and started to try to sweep those encampments. A lot going on with the encampment issue here in berkeley , and we will have more after that hearing on september 27. This all comes amid a major push for new housing in berkeley. Last week the Planning Commission advanced a measure that would increase height limits on some new construction. The city council planned to vote on that sometime this fall. Governor gavin newsom has assigned a new law eliminating one of the Major Barriers preventing new housing at peoples park. Lets take a live look at downtown oakland this evening as city officials are trying a new approach to try to draw more people to the towns commercial corridors. The new program today they hope will help local businesses put on big events in the town, and that those events will in turn make the areas safer. Jose martinez has more on how they plan to pull it all off coming up at 6 00. A they look at San Francisco where mayor london breed has signed a new law aimed at easing the citys housing crisis. According to new federal data , the city has moved at a snails pace approving new permits. So so it would actually take San Francisco 263 years to meet its 2031 housing goals. The mayor says this new measure will reduce housing requirements and could unlock almost 8000 approved unbuilt units in the pipeline across the city. Pg e wants some customers to pay up to 26 more. Consumer advocates say could drive up utility bills by 300 each year. Anne makovec has more on where the proposed rate increase stands right now. Reporter pg e is pushing for a 26 rate hike, but the California Public Utility Commission is proposing they get a 13 bump tops. Pg e says i need the money for wildfire mitigation efforts. They say 85 of it would go towards projects like moving power lines underground. They want to bury 2100 miles of them , eliminating the risk of strong wind knocking them down and starting fires. We certainly understand that any increase to our customers rates and bills can be challenging. So the problem is we have an affordability crisis because we have had doubledigit increases year after year after year. Reporter that is the executive director of the utility perform network that advocates on behalf of ratepayers. He says the pg e plan would cost customers 28 more per month, 336 more per year , and that a faster and cheaper way to reduce wildfire risks would be to insulate power lines. The issue of pg es rates has been pending for more than two years. The California Public Utility Commission will be voting on this plan november 2nd. Is a police say they arrested a man responsible for multiple hoax swatting calls and bomb threats across the city in recent weeks. Investigators say 49yearold efren laredo made the fake 911 calls between september 1 and the 11, targeting locations in san jose as well as redwood city and even kansas city, missouri. Police think that he was targeting his exgirlfriend and her family. He had a long history of making threats to both adult females. We obviously dont take bomb threats or swatting calls lightly. This aspect is also responsible for bomb threats called into Yerba Buena High School in the San Jose Unified School district earlier this month. In east oakland, a man is recovering after a shooting just feet away from an Elementary School. Police responded to 85th avenue near b street this morning. This is on the same block as highland Elementary School. You can see the Police Activity right next to the basketball courts. Police the school was not connected to the shooting , and did not go onto lockdown. The victim is listed in serious condition. Hunter biden was indicted by a grand jury on federal firearms charges. Back in july, president bidens son entered into a plea agreement with the Justice Department, but that deal fell apart in court. Reporter skyler henry with the latest from capitol hill. Reporter president bidens son hunter is facing three criminal counts related tos possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges hunter biden knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement when he bought a weapon in 2018 and all artfully possessed a gun as a drug user. It all relates to false statements on a federal form in which hunter biden purchased weapons and he said i am not using drugs, when in fact he was using drugs. Reporter the charges, little more than a month after the Justice Department appointed a special counsel in the probe, and an earlier plea deal will part in july of her questions about an unusual diversion agreement. The indictment comes as Congressional Republicans launched a formal impeachment inquiry into president biden, centered in large part over Hunter Bidens business dealings. Do you believe the president went to cafe milano and had dinner with the clients of hunter biden , who believes he got those clients because he was selling the brand . Reporter so far no hard evidence of any wrongdoing by the president has been uncovered. House republicans spent this money talking about there a legitimate impeachment inquiry , which is nothing more than a partisan political stunt. Reporter the special counsel overseeing Hunter Bidens case has indicated that tax related charges that were a part of the previous plea deal could still be fired. If convicted on the gun charges, hunter biden could face up to 25 years in prison. Today his attorneys accused the special counsel of bowing to political pressure. Here is a look at the state capital where the 2023 legislative session is now wrapping up. Today is the last day for any bills to be approved by the senate or assembly in order for them to make it to the governors desk. Among the bells that a party past, a measure placing new limits on Security Deposits for renters. Right now , the maximum Security Deposit for an unfurnished unit is the cost of two months rent. It is three months for finished units. If Governor Newsom signed the bill from San Francisco Assembly Member matt haney, Security Deposits would be capped at one months rent. And another bill headed to the governors desk would ban junk fees. This measure from the bay area senators would prohibit those hidden fees tacked on during those online purchases. Still ahead, broken elevators trapping disabled tenants in their San Francisco apartment building. How they are hoping to force the city to make the improvements they promised. They just dont really take our safety seriously. That is the bottom line. And a major cyber attack causing Serious Problems in las vegas. What we are learning about the hack impacting the largest casino operator on the strip. And as we celebrate the kickoff to hispanic heritage month, we will introduce you to an allfemale band taking Northern California by storm. Warm inland temperatures across the bay area once again today. The temperatures are going to drop to see if we can get rid of the tiny bit david im david goldberg, a bilingual Elementary School teacher and president of the california teachers association. As we start a new school year, theres something new happening in californias public schools. Jessie theyre called Community Schools. David where parents and families, students and educators are making decisions as one. Damien its a real sense of community. Leslie we saw doubledigit gains in math, in english, and reading scores. David its an innovation thats transforming our public schools. Narrator californias Community Schools reimagining public education. San francisco touts its Affordable Housing expansion, but some buildings residents say are being neglected. Last year the city placed 10 million for elevator repairs and single room occupancy buildings, but so far not a dime has appeared, and despite dire maintenance needs at places like the Cadillac Hotel where residents have gotten stuck between floors needing to be rescued by firefighters. Its pretty unbelievable. We have been following this story for months now, and spoke with one resident who is now taking legal action. Reporter dramatic elevator rescues like this are part of life at the Cadillac Hotel in the tenderloin. I am furious. If anybody would willfully let it be in this condition. Reporter mark parsons has lived at the cadillac for over a decade. I lost my partner. It was just too much , and i kind of walked out of my life. Reporter he got a new start in 2009 ending in Supportive Housing subsidized by the city, but he says the buildings only elevator is leaving disabled tenants stranded in their unit, at time for weeks. A huge amount of anxiety, because i have been stuck in it four times, one time with another person. Reporter we met at a nearby park. Hes fearful taking a camera inside the building with each of retaliation from building management. He says he has been threatened before, but he continues to document the unnerving scenes. People rely on the elevator, just like if you live in a building , you dont need an elevator but you take it, right . It is 143 steps roundtrip. They just dont really take our safety serious. That is the bottom line. Reporter financial help was secured last year when the board of supervisors approved a 10 million for elevator fixes at sro housing , but frustrations are boiling over to city hall, where supervisor dean preston whose district houses the Cadillac Hotel , says the funds are being unnecessarily held up. There is absolutely no good reason that it would take now basically they are saying at least a year and a half when the funds were approved. The board has done its job of authorizing the funds. It is 100 the mayor and their responsibility to go ahead and issue these funds , and they are not denying that. They just keep delaying and delaying and delaying. Meanwhile, people are suffering and struggling. It is a really dire situation. It is like a crisis 10 years in the making. Warmack the California Department of industrial relations is responsible for elevator inspections. It only happens once per year, and this year the department attacked the elevator for inconsistent stops. In a statement to cbs news bay area, the department said, quote , elevators are required to be properly serviced and maintained by the Building Owner and their certified elevator maintenance company. They explained the elevator was not landing at each floor on the day of the inspection , and elevator maintenance later fixed the issue, clearing it for use days later. The San Francisco Fire Department has received at least 32 calls for the cadillac elevator since the start of the year , nearly one call per week. Every time i write in it , i pray ill make it to the fourth floor. Reporter but the issue lies in the hands of the Building Owner, reality house west, which is responsible for elevator maintenance and repairs. They have not responded to our request for comment. It has been eight months since westcliff drive, a popular scenic road in santa cruz and i had to be shut down after winter storms wreaked havoc on the coastline. This evening, we are learning a portion of it will soon reopen. The city now announcing columbia to woodrow avenue will reopen to twoway traffic as soon as early next year. It is currently open to oneway traffic. Residents say because of the closures, people are being forced to go through neighborhood streets. I mean, if you travel through these neighborhoods, you will see almost every house has a little plastic child warning sign, or a sign that says slow down, we live here. And it will get busier once that portion of westcliff reopens to twoway traffic. Neighbors say it is a necessary step, but they hope for more Traffic Safety measures. For the first time in 15 years, a hurricane watch is in effect for portions of maine. Some people along the coast are pulling their boats out of the water to keep them from getting damaged or destroyed when hurricane lee arrives. The National Weather service predicts ocean waves as tall as 20 feet could slam into the coast. Let us check in with first alert meteorologist paul heggen. When a hurricane travels that far north, that will get everyones attention. Its surprising, right . It is odd. They are transitioning from tropical systems to posttropical, but they pack intense wind, a lot of rain, and they kick up those huge waves. Again , the storm isnt going to hit maine or the united states. Its going to hit nova scotia, but it is close enough, over the next 3 days or so. Its headed to the west of bermuda. It looks more ragged than it has the last couple of days, starting to lose organization. The wind is down to 85 miles per hour. It will continue tracking straight to the north of the next couple of days. Let us look at the forecast path. It is down to a category 1 hurricane. What we can and become posttropical before it makes landfall on the tip of is a scotia saturday afternoon, but it will still have have any mileperhour sustained wind at that point, and Strong Enough that the circulation around this as it is a pretty nova scotia is going to send those waves towards the coast of new england, maine, new hampshire, massachusetts in particular. Will kick up huge waves in the bay of fundy , right between nova scotia and mainland canada. He continues to track to the northeast and weekends and gets caught up in the overall flow of weatherman of the northern hemisphere, and that is going to be it for what was once a category 5 hurricane. Mercifully it will be nearly that strong when it makes landfall in a few days. Right now looking outside from san jose , things are looking good. The mix of low cloud cover and fought tonight. Patchy local drizzle possible. Dont be surprised if you have to fiddle with the windshield wipers early tomorrow morning. Hazy afternoon sunshine, still some smoke in the atmosphere. Fortunately not enough to cause any significant breathing difficulties. One day of your average high temperatures tomorrow, and then a cooling trend as we head into the weekend. Let us start with that with the conquered tenday outlook for temperatures. You can see the dip that occurs as we hit the weekend and headed to early next week. Temperatures running 5 to 7 degrees below normal. In september that his bonus territory for inland parts of the east bay. Even once we were back up, temperatures at worst are going to be around normal for next week as we begin file a week from tomorrow. Here is the smoke concentration map. The bulk of it is towards the north, towards the fires still smoldering in far Northern California. Just enough is drifting down towards us to result in moderate airquality readings, especially today east bay and inland into the santa clara valley. The next few days it will be closer to the north bay. We should see some improvement as we head into sunday and monday as the wind changes direction and pushes that smoke further to the north. There is the fog already rolling in, temperatures in the 60s in San Francisco. Oakland 70s for san jose. Santa rosa down to 71 already. Still low 80s for livermore and concord. Those numbers are not quite as warm as they were 24 hours ago , and the drop will continue. It will be a deeper marine layer spreading farther and farther inland is we head through the rest of tonight and early tomorrow morning. Takes a bit longer to back up towards the coast. Along the coast i would not anticipate seeing a whole lot of sunshine for the next couple of days. Temperatures tonight dropping down to the mid to upper 50s with low 60s sprinkled in. Highs tomorrow close to but some spots slightly below what is normal for this time of year. Mid60s on the coast and 70s and 80s down the peninsula and south end of the bay, with low to mid 80s in the santa clara valley. Low to mid 80s for the trivalley. Just the hottest spots use a mount diablo around 90 degrees. Around the bay, upper 60s in the 70s, and mid to upper 70s and low 80s for most of the north bay into you go much further north. Napa county is on the hot end of things. It still feels like summer time. For the street fair this weekend, temperatures will be in the 60s in San Francisco on sunday. Not a huge drop in temperatures around the bay as we head to the weekend into early next week. That cooldown will be much more noticeable for inland parts of the bay area where you get to spend several days in the 70s for highs. In the month of september as we finish up summertime officially over the next 7 days, that is awfully nice territory to be in. No extreme heat insight, even for the hottest parts of the bay area. Of course along the coast on the maybe a little sunshine, but really short supply by sunday and monday. Enjoy it while it lasts. We are just hours away from tens of thousands of autoworkers potentially walking off the job. Why the impact of the historic strike would be felt far beyond the auto industry. How a Northern California mariotti band is challenging stereotypes in a world dominated by get exexclusive s on selelecw volvo moded. Contact t r volvlvo retar to learnrn m. Tomorrow kicks off hispanic heritage month, and a group of female musicians and Northern California are taking the mariachi world by storm. s sakura gray has more on how it all started. Reporter in the maledominated world of mariachi, the sweet sound of the mariachi bonitos stands out. The allfemale ensemble is keeping the symbolic mexican tradition alive , and shattering glass ceilings as they do so. We see other women, other young women get empowered. Reporter founder donora klinger was just nine years old when she began her musical journey in mexico city. She moved to the states in her 20s , each strum of the guitar kept her connected to her homeland. Following a successful music career in los angeles unless she created the sacramentobase d mariachi bonitos during the pandemic. Nobody was doing much at home to lift the spirits of people and all these musicians. I just decided im going to give it a chance. Reporter the group now shares their challenge with audiences across Northern California, bringing smiles, storytelling, and the rich history of mexico to every celebration. As they march to their own beat, their story strikes a chord with the next generation. We want to see more artists, more female musicians, jump in and say you know what, i can do it. If they can do it, i can do it. I want to hear them more. Still ahead, california could see the largest healthcare workers strike in u. S. History. Why they say it is not just about the money. Plus i feel like these guys have already changed, and this is like the last step. For many in paints in san quentin, tattoos are a reminder of the past that they are now trying to erase. Im going to take you inside the prison for a look at the new Program Helping them get a fresh start and a better future. As the school year right now at 5 30, School Buildings across the country getting a failing grade, and it is the students who suffer. Our young people feel in many ways that they have been betrayed by society , because their voices arent being heard. It has been almost 7 years since the Supreme Court ordered equal Educational Opportunities for all children, but a cbs news investigation has found many schools fail that test. Stephen stock uncovers one important reason , the School Building gap. But its cold. So how can i focus . Can you please talk to the school to fix the toilets , and to fix the air conditioning. So i have to tell you, when i walked down this i feel like im in a prison. I know right, doesnt it . Why would your kids want to come here when it looks like you are in a prison. Reporter spend any time at all walking the halls at baltimores franklin high with cindy smith no ac. You can feel it. Reporter you get a lesson in math that doesnt add up. Reporter this is a floor that is actually collapsing. Look along the wall. It has dropped two or maybe three inches. This is an actual lab for high school students. People attend lab in this classroom. We have a typical classroom , tack boards that rms, casework that needs to be replaced. Reporter why cant the School District to do better . Because we dont have enough money for a. Next he is in charge of planning, design, and construction for Baltimore City public schools. They arent fixing our buildings, but they will fix white peoples School Buildings. Mac mr. Wydens shared feedback he gathered as part of the nobody asked me campaign, documenting the impact of schools in baltimore like this. You are saying the second floor is hotter than this floor . Reporter which he toured with us. I hope the people who are making decisions about education actually come into the schools and walk around and see what weve seen. Reporter cbs stations across