two couples from berkeley and two men from southern california sued. as i said there have opinion years of legal back and forth. today's decision by a three-judge pal nell ruling 2-1 that proposition 8 is un-- unconstitutional. here's judge reinhardt writing for the majority saying: "proposition 8 serves no purpose and has no affect other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in california. and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite sex couples. the constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort." again, june steven reinhardt writing for the majority. the dissenter was the more conservative judge nr smith. today's decision is not the last word. you can expect this to be appealed either to an expanded panel of the appeals court and to the u.s. supreme court in the meantime, same-sex marriages are on whole. same-sex couples are savoring this victory marching from the courthouse to san francisco city hall they are waiting to hear from city attorney dennis herrera who

we've been reporting on how the state has been slashing funding to california universities. now it is trying to borrow money from them. controller 's office has asked the university of -- california systems to borrow hundreds of millions and turn it over to the state which is poised to run out of cash by march. the university systems have better credit than california so their interest rates would be lower. the controller's plan would have the state borrowing through uc in march and paying back in. >>> republican presidential race continues today with caucuses in minnesota and colorado. a nonbinding primary in missouri mitt romney says he doesn't think a prominent breast cancer charity should continue giving grants to planned parenthood because it provides abortion services. the susan g. komen charity had announced it would cut funds to planned parenthood for breast cancer screening then drop those plans after a public backlash last week. >>> tahoe ski resorts getting a bum rap this season and conditions are better than most people think. because of the dry conditions this w

the california ban on same-sex marriage. t they wrote -- proposition 8 served no purpose, had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in california. >> marriage equality is the next step to finally showing california that my parents are equal. that our family is equal. >> reporter: proponents of prop 8 vowed to challenge the ruling. they said we'll appeal this misguided decision that disregards the will of more than 7 million californians, who voted to restore marriage as the unique uniwhereon of only man and a woman. prop 8 passed in 2008. in 2010, a lower court judge declared the measure violated due process, and equal protection under the law from discrimination. the battle over same-sex marriage in california is by no means over. it's possible the future of proposition 8 could be decided by the united states supreme court. gay and lesbian couples won't be allowed to get married just yet. the federal court of appeals agreed to stay the ruling pepding appeal. diana alvear, abc news

if you're looking this is just off northern california coast. temperatures now just about everywhere into 50s. there is this morning fog, low clouds. and there is patches of fog. and dry, mild and this is our only opportunity for getting rain. there is a weak front this, is going to bring us a possibility of showers and tonight looking for heavy cloud cover. and tomorrow morning around 5:00 a.m. they start to get a little bit of wet weather and the front starts to fall apart. moisture will be spotty across the region. and rainfall totals less than 5/100ths and light rainfall expected here heading into wednesday. and morning lows into 40s and clouds, fog and early in the morning we'll see damp roadways. and and tomorrow afternoon, partly cloudy skies, upper 50s along the coastline. clear lake, most other areas will be into low 60s and around the bay we're looking at possible of drops in the mrning and lingering clouds upper 50s to low 60s. here is the accu-weather forecast. there is partly cloudy tomorrow, groundhog day, sunny, milder, a dry, mil

state controller chung's office has asked the university of california and the california state university systems to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars and turn it over to the state which is poised to run out of cash by march. the university systems had better credit than california so their interest rates would be lower. the plan would have the state borrowing through uc in march and paying back in april. >>> a drive is underway to gather signatures for a ballot niche that would impose a tax on millionaires to -- pay for police fire protection and services for the disabled. the referendum would create a 3% tax for people making over a million dollars a year and 5% for those making over two million dollars. the legislative analyst office says it@ "pu would generate five billion dollars a year. governor brown opposes the initiative. he's protesting -- proposing raising taxes on high income earners)Ñju÷ keep a temporary increase on the state's sales tax with >> the republican presidential race continues today with cuses in minnesota and colorado. -- romney once support add rights but

it sounds ridiculous but it is ridiculous. >> in california. issue is issue that our budget in california. >> specifics remain vague. he wants billion dollars and reform educational systems. for president college students which may begin their working lives in debt, those reforms would come too late. for frank luna, way too late. >> i hope to get into the honors program which would extend me one more semester. it will probably help me get in grad school. i'm going to have to take out another loan. >> we're going to begin because education is very spor. chief administrative law judge with the cpuc. it starts with the premise that getting a higher education and tougher for everybody than it must be really difficult for minorities? >> yes, it is. i think that is one of the reasons we have to concentrate on k-12 and get our children prepared to to go to college. if they don't go to college they won't go to law school. my particular interest as lawyer and a judge is that our children become lawyers and judges and prosecutors and public defenders. be

except that in california, it requires five years of continuous use. the person taking possession must pay local property taxes. police say he changed locks and put the homes on the market. >> i heard of frauds like this before. this is the first one that i'm aware of that our department has been involved in. >> he took possession on behalf of a southern california organization called the national alliance of homeowners for justice. they claim to be a counseling service. >> we dmot know if the company was instructing this man to do criminal activity or whether or not just doing this on his own. >> this organization did not return our calls. and leon remains this in his rental and refuses to move out though the bank has given him notice to leave the prom premise. >> i'm still there. and my savings are there. you know? the reason i moved is because giving my daughters a better school. >> and now in, two cases the banks allowed tenants to stay in the home as long as they pay the rent. and investigators told me they have recovered the money and promised to

the top 24 pensions across california, concluding spending on public employee pensions has grown 11% per year since 1999 making retirement benefits the fastest growing costs to hokeal government. the study finds plans face $135 billion in unfunded liabilities. >> instead of earning money and then, awarding it, you award it, then, you earn it in the public sector side z what happens if you don't earn it? you go to taxpayers and you say you've got to pay. >> and he says local governments are having to cut just to keep up with growing obligations. the study highlights pensions ranging from a low of just over $24,000 a year to a high in los angeles county of $46,000. retired public safety employees get more, average benefits from a low of 48,000s ndz fresno county to a high of 90,000s ndz san jose. and steven levy says many plans were based on unrealistic assumptions. >> because there was a recession skpin vestment losses cities have to put more in the pot just to meet current obligations because invest manies didn't make a high rate of return. like people's 401(k) didn't do well. >> imp

. >> the california outdoor heritage alliance thinks richards should resign. >> what mr. richards did was neither illegal nor immoral. and legal hunting activities in idaho has no bearing on his afwoilt act as a fish and game commissioner in the best interests of california's wildlife resource. >> and california governorses dmot have authority to remove commissioners but there is talk about introducing a fwoil get richards fired. his appointment expires in january. >> and there is a mountain lion killed this morning and came face-to-face with a big german sheperd. the dog chased the lion up a tree. fish and game agents told everyone to back away. the high onwand yofrd. >> a bounty hunter provided details about information he's getting from one of the so called speed freak killers. those crews from a death row inmate that could lead to more bodies. the bounty hunter describe what's convicted killer wesley shermantine told him. shermantine has drawn a map showing who wells on a ranch. deputies recovered a thousand bone frag manies from a different well last week. >> they st

tim was a quadriplegic patient in northern california. he died from internal bleeding. skef any is his sister. >> it turns out he had three swabs that were found two in his stomach and one on the bed that he was sleeping in. >> his doctor said conot have put swabs in his mouth and no one could explain how they got tlchl the police force waited over 24 hours before examining the room. by then potential evidence was gone. medical records, missing. others had details crossed out. >> our brother died and they can't give us a n why. >> if he had been anywhere else, it would have been investigated by cat cat -- california venl centers have their own police force and receive limited training. the center is one of five state-run institutions in california for those with severe developmental disibles serving 2,000 patients who need full time care. >> this became clear that he would never function. >> he was diagnosed with mental retardation. his family found they cannot cope with his disabilities. his older brother says they turned to fair view center. >> he seemed happy there.

courtesy of the state of california. abc 7 news as 12. courtesy of the state of california. abc 7 news begins in 60 seconds >> i want to say that the mental health system has failed us, my son and the family involved. >> father broken hearted and angry after a crime that has stunned berkeley hills neighborhood. good evening i'm dan ashley. carolyn johnson has the night off. that man's son is accused of beating well liked businessman to death at his home. john is live in berkeley tonight with the story. john? >> we learn a berkeley council member is calling for an investigation that how police handled that call and the suspect's father is apologizing to the victim's family tonight 2 berkeley police officers met with the murder suspect parents at the home in alameda. police didn't talk but the suspect father wanted to get something off his chest. >> i weren't to apologize or say i'm sorry to the family involved. the victim and his family i'm truly truly sorry. >>reporter: 43-year-old daniel jordan dewitness described as paranoid schizophrenic in jail for the murder of 67-year-

going to be a mainly dry day up and down in california. looking for highs of 50s in eureka and 62 fresno. 74 down in palm springs. notice areas of snow reaching from sierra into from our part of the seer into nevada. but mainly dry day across the state of california tomorrow. and looks like a mainly dry day here in the bay area, may get a sprinkle into morning hours but by afternoon partly sunny skies. high temperatures into south bay into low 60s on the peninsula. highs around 60 and mid to upper 50s on the coast and there is 56 in the sunset district. north bay, mainly low 60s, 61 in napa and sonoma. near east bay hays -- highs around 60 degrees. there is low 60s there, and looks like upper 50s to low 60s. we'll see this front coming through tonight. and whatever drizzle will occur 3:00, 4:00 a.m. something like that. >> and good for folks working on the bay bridge. >> this new jersey legislature said yes, but chris christie, as promised vetoed a bill allowing same-sex marriage. christie said he wants the public to decide this issue. and

>> reporter: 430 millions to help two million in california. lawmakers call it a deposit in the bucket others say it is more than california would have received if not for the attorney general holding out. the multi-billion dollar deal is between the states and the five banks bank of america, jpmorgan chase, wells fargo, citibank and ally financial worth between 25 and 39 billion dollars reducing loans for some under water homeowners and paying out up to $2,000 to people who lost their home. california's attorney general kamala harris was again the deal calling it inadequate a few weeks ago because signing the deal men the states could not sue the banks in civil court for . but harris has since learned she would still be able to sue under a federal law. attorney general eric holder is making the official announcement at 7:00 this morning. i will be the biggest single din us street settlement since the 1998 tobacco deal. -- >>> bank of america is laying off hunts in the bay area. the bank is eliminating 450 positions, most fully customer service

and at and t did something that slowed the web browsing speed. >> california policy makers examining quality of online courses. state student aid commission says a growing number of using their grants for tuition in colleges and universities. and the commission wants new rules setting standards for classes including strictor supervision of them. >> faculty has to be in communication with students in order for that to work. there has to be effective tutoring available for those students. >> more students are taking courses online because of short yajz on campus because they have expense of student fees and convenience. >> middle class in california has dropped from 60% to less than half of the population. saying a shrinking middle class affects our economy and this sunday you're going meet people doing something to lift people out of poverty like the united way. as well as silicon valley community foundation. now another program called caminos is helping young people learn high tech skills. >> there is focused on computer repair, and leadership skills, idea is to help that particular

>>> heads-up for student as continuing california's community colleges. why they may have fewer classes to pick from. >> gentleman unique look behind the scenes at oracle's -- preparation to defend its america's cup tile. >>> oscar guess social -- how -- how fans can get the ir >>> welcome back. clear across the entire state. a stray shower possible around eureka and 53. tahoe sunny and 55. 53 yosemite. low to mid 80s around l.a. and palm springs. looks like spring everywhere. here's kristen with more news. >>> 5:48. oracle racing showed off some of their boats as they prepared for the america's cup races in san francisco bay next year. the home base is at pier 80 and boats are spectacular. the team is here to practice on the smaller version of the final product. we weren't allowed to film the design on the larger -- [ unintelligible ] america's cup will be 72 feet long with a 223 foot mast over 20 stories. there's a lot to consider. >> everything, tide, wind, it is not always apparent which direction to go which is the most viable way to go. given the ba

great depression and distribution of income in california." thank you for being here. the study is so impressive. why did you do it? >> as you know, middle and low income families have been struggling for a long time, not just because of the recession but over the decades. we wanted to quantify how family income was faring in the state of california and in particular what the recession did to impact the distribution of income. we found there were serious impacts. as the study noted reduced living in california with size of the middle-class is the smallest in 30 years and the gap between rich and poor and families in help twice as much it was in 1980. >> reporter: this must have been a monster task for you? >> we used publicly available based on surveys from census ces bureau. we got the data and over the course of about a year and a half, we tried to arrive at the metrics that were rigorous and really described how families were doing. >> cheryl: get to back something you said, california's middle-class is less than 50% for the first time in 3

and the prices are even worse here in california. sir joan quintana is live in san francisco with a look at the rising prices and what some are doing about it. sergio? >> reporter: it is unfortunately he case that in california we usually see prices higher than the national average, and right now 58 cents higher is the state average at 4.25 for a regular gallon of gasoline, and unfortunately the bay area, we usually see prices higher than the state average. 4.35 for regular gallon of gasoline at that station. these kinds of prices are prompting people to seek out other transportation options. >> with prices in the $4 range and beyond, the fill-up is a growing investment. >> $125. a lot of money. >> in the last couple of weeks, a trip to the gas station has become a head-shaking experience, push something to consider leaving their vehicles at home. >> i can take my bicycle, i'd take my bicycle. >> at mike's bikes in san francisco, they have been getting more people who are looking for alternatives to the pumps. >> talking about the fa

. >> the california patrol says there were 11 separate accidents, 30 cars involved. no fatalities but several people were injured. >> and our exclusive ways app can help you navigate around traffic messes like that one. you can down load the app. the information is at abc 7 news.com. and you can see they can't and ways is spelled waz ee. they'd rather see you, anyway. fog is going to continue to be a problem. >> yes. spencer christian is here with more on that for us. >> this evening and overnight into tomorrow morning. we do expect clear skies and looking for wide spread areas of fog and fog lingering into early morning hours by afternoon, fog will be gone. sunny skies, mild conditions and temperatures up to and perhaps just above 70 degrees in warmest locations. details in the forecast coming up later. >> and coming up next at 4:00 why one type of baby food is likely to cause weight gain later in life. >> do you remember when mtv played music videos? you must be old, then. one company is trying to keep the music going. emily chang will join us live with that. >> mi

. >> overnight, whitney houston returning home to new jersey, her body arriving from california by private jet. >> at a nearby arena, she's still larger than life. the family considering a mikchal jackson-style funeral. >>> security scare. a supreme court justice robbed at knife point. new questions about the safety of everyone on the high kougt. >>> and it's out today, unveiled overnight. we'll reveet the cover model of this year's "sports illustrated" swim suit edition. >>> good morning, everybody. happy valentine's day. you're not wearing your red. i'll forgive you. >> all my red dresses are at the dry cleaners. >> fair enough. i'm rob nelson. >>> and i'm paula faris. >> whitney's body arrived back in new jersey overnight aboard actor tyler perry's private jet. a police-escorted caravan carried the body to a mort way just a mile from the church she sang at as a little girl. >> reporter: mourners left flowers and candles outside new hope baptist church, a place years ago the woreard heard houston afs gift. discussions are under way for a public memorial on friday, at the prudential cente

she secured for california 18 billion dollars out of a 26 billion dollar settlement with five banks to also help underwater homeowners. harris says that deal provides a historic opportunity for fannie and freddie to also work with california homeowners. katie marzullo, abc7 news. >>> firefighters have spent all night watching a mountain view apartment complex that burned quickly yesterday. they want to make sure the fire doesn't flare-up. dozens homeless, 10 units destroyed. the investigators know the unit in which the fire started but don't know how. flames got into a common attic area and quicklyk]9ha spread. everybody got out okay. some residents have nothing more than the clothes on their backs. >> i didn't get my cell phone or purse or anything. i just took off. >> i was panicking. >> they offered me food and all that stuff and asked if i needed a place to stay or clothes. i don't need any of that stuff i just want my cat. >> he won't be able to look for his cat until daylight when firefighters get the first opportunity to go back and investigators resume their search for a cause.

stormy in california, heavy rain fran san fran to san diego. up to 8 inches of snow in the mountains around los angeles. a mix of rain and snow from omaha to des moin showers from k.c. and st. louis to louisville and cincinnati. >> near 80 in orlando. 52 in d.c. 27 in minneapolis. 36 in chicago. phoenix up to 72. l.a., 68. seattle, 65. >> is it springtime yet? >> not yet. i'm counting. >>> a key court decision expected in just a few hours could reshape the gay marriage debate. >>> and big ratings for sunday's big game. and how the giants will add a few more zeros to a player's bottom line. >>> and a close call. capturing the moment on camera. we're right back.ngngng >>> welcome back, everybody. we're getting closer to a settlement over foreclosure abuses. more than 40 states have agreed to a deal that would force the five largest mortgage lenders to reduce loans for about a million house holds. >>> and the nation's air ways could be get an upgrade. a bill was passed that would speed up the switch from a radar-based air traffic control system to

. >> five banks will pay 26 billions, california will get the lion's share, 18 billion dollars. i'm eric thomas in for cheryl jennings. >>> and i'm kristen sze. katie marzullo is live with the impact on us. >> reporter: the numbers are big almost unbelievable with when it comes to our state. california gets nearly 2/3 of the entire settlement. >> it is the largest joint federal/state civil settlement in the history of this nation. >> reporter: attorney general holder made it official this morning after years of foreclosure abuse claims, five banks, bank of america, jpmorgan chase, wells fargo, citibank and ally financial will settle with 49 states to the tune of 26 billion dollars. the deal means nearly one million households with will reduce their loans and 750,000 people whose homes were foreclosed on will get a check for $2,000. >> all told this isn't just good for these families it is good for their neighborhoods, their communities and our economy. >> reporter: california attorney general kamala harris did not like the original deal and held out. it is paying off. now out of

think ours is what is right with california. we're not going to stop. we think that ours has the best chance of passing. >> wealthy los angeles attorney rallied biggest supporters in this state pta conference to begin a signature drive. her initiative, raising income tax on a sliding scale would help fund only public schools and ensures kids get a good education, bringing back art classes and counselor autos we think the governor zrnt a good of an idea as we do. that is part of our democracy. let the voters decide. >> governor brown's tax initiative would raise taxes on high wage earners and increase sales tax and warned too much same soungd might confuse voters, one leader urges groups to give up qefts. >> all things being equal, you can difference to the elected governor. state of california. >> if somehow all three groups raise enough money and gather enough signatures the secretary of state's office says the one with the most votes goes into affect. and -- effect. and of course, all three can also lose. >> the rain due to arrive is not being embrace

designated to protect in california. the photo shows dan richards holding a mountain lion he hunted and killed in idaho. in 1990 california voters approved a measure making it illegal to hunt mountain lions in the state. animal rights activists are outraged. >>> californians trust the fish and game and their commission to be protectors of their wildlife resources. this person is showing that he doesn't care. >> with what he did in idaho was neither illegal or immoral the legal hunting activity in idaho has no bearing on his ability to act as a fish and game commissioner. >> animal rights activists are calling for richards to resign or be fired. only the state legislature has the power to force him out. neither have commented on this photo. >>> 4:36. some san jose city officials are calling for softening the language of a june proposal aimed at trimming pensions. in december a measure was approved that bo decide with whether to reduce retirement benefits for new employees. the council wanted more changes and held mediatio

medical detectives in california are searching for the source. they will be asking for federal help. terry mcsweeney is live in san rafael with more. >> reporter: to have one case of creutzfeldt-jacob in marin county would be amazing. to have two in a county this size that is shocking. still, public health officials are saying there is no reason to panic they are look into this and there is no connection between the two cases as far as they know. take a look at one of the victims 59-year-old aline shaw of san rafael. she passed on january 27th. a public health nurse told a family member she died of creutzfeldt-jacob. one form of that is mad cow disease. cows eating feed contaminated with contaminated parts of our cows pass it on to hugh moons. big outbreak in england in 1990 of -- mad cow killed 175 people. aline shaw lived in england in 1990. it is not known if there is a connection. it can incubate for years or even decades, it is believed. creutzfeldt-jacob can also be hereditary or trance milted with unsterilized medical instruments during su

millions of americans meaning five of the largest banks will pay $26 billion to 49 states including california receiving $18 billion, alouing a million households to reduce their loans. >> under the terms of the settlement, america's biggest banks that were rescued by tax payar dollars will be required, meaning more than just paying a fee. banks will put billions of dollars towards relief for family as cross the nation. >> some advocates say the deal is flawed because it only covers a fraction of homeowners. >> and a question from bay area homeowners how to qualify for the money available. >> 7 on your side has been looking into that question all day long today and here now with answer autos big announcements today. the details are still being hammered out wee. contacted each of the five loan servicers involved in this agreement. here is what we know at this hour. those homeowners holding mortgage was chase bank can fill out the information packet to get the process started. wells fargo says it will contact all qualified bor yesers after march 1 predicting about 20% of the homeowners will qual

what does it mean for california? abc 7's bruce kane. >> it tells you california could be decisive. >> he says it's looking more and more likely that no one will wrap up the 1144 delegates until california weighs in on june 6. but california could be the decideor. >> because it has a large number of delegates. >> if there is a chance to pick the nominee, mitt romney has an advantage in money and organization. but for now, the candidates are turning most attentions to the next two big states, arizona and michigan, then, march 6th's super tuesday, when voters in 10 states will have their say. one aspect was way down from what we saw. republicans getting turned off this early in the process? romney campaign insists it isn't so. numbers will be watched along with the vote count in those upcoming contests. >> president obama's new role requiring health insurance plans to offer contraception to all employees ignited a fire storm. many republicans feel it is forcing religious hospitals to provide services they do not believe

. >>> california state college students struggling to pay tuition may get financial relief. speaker perez is scheduled to introduce a pill that would do that calling it a middle class scholarship for students whose families make less than $150,000 a year. fees cut by 2/3 under this proposal. perez's office says funding for the plan would be raised by eliminating a corporate tax break. >>> our window on the embarcadero at times this morning has been foggy clear and foggy again. >> moving all around. meteorologist mike nicco here with the latest look. >> the fog is thickest north bay and east bay valleys watch out for those visibilities down less than a quarter of a mile short distance between what you are able to see and where with you are. this will hang around the visibility at that level through 9:00. 9:00 it will start to lift, completely gone by 11:00. the worst area is around 37 and 101 marin county novato down less than a quarter of a mile. fog moving through the bay area also not as thick but it is starting to fill in. we'll keep an eye on that right now visibilities

tomorrow it will stay still over california. it will begin to edge to the east and that will provide a little bit of a wind shift late in the day. so we have a system that's going to split. some of the energy heads to the north, the gulf of alaska, and the other part heads down into baja. that's the part that's going to parallel the coast, the area of low pressure and give us some rain in san francisco. the east bay should see just a little bit but it's not going to make it into the valley. so therefore, we aren't looking at any mountain snow unfortunately. here's a look at the timing of the precipitation so we will take you to about midnight monday. and then 3:00 tuesday morning notice we've got lighter rain around the north bay into the south bay. heavier rain santa cruz mountains and look what happens by the morning commute, 5:00, 6:00, you will notice good returns from santa rosa, even into oakland. and we've got some good rain around morgan hill, and by 9:00, 10:00, won you know right after the commute things really begin t

it happened at intersection of california and battery around 3:30 a.m. the driver of that lincoln town car was killed when another car traveling eastbound on california rammed into the driver's side of the car. police are looking for a single suspect who fled on foot. there is no description at this time. the suspect's car was left at the scene and investigators are processing right now for evidence. they are asking any witnesses to please call police. >>> we all know that fire fight sag dangerous job but not all the challenges are as visible as the flames. there are some frightening cancer statistics for female firefighters. >> lisa is a firefighter paramedic in san francisco's inner sunset neighborhood. she is a recent breast cancer survivor. >> yes, i do think my cancer is related to work. >> no studies have been conducted to determine a definitive link but here or the statistics. 1.4% of the general population of women 40-49 will be diagnosed with breast cancer. in the san francisco fire department, the number currently stands at 13.6%, nearly ten ti

some state ruling was written narrowly so would it only apply to california and possibly avoid supreme court review. both sides know it is not the end of the fight. >>> it is a step in the right direction. until it is federally recognized, it is not right. it is not equal. we have to wait for that. >> this is contrary and out of step with all the other law that is out there there in the country. frankly it is out of step with californians and the seven million voters who came out and said prop 8 makes sense. >> same-sex opponents say the 9th district appeals court has its decisions overturned by the u.s. supreme court more often than other judicial circuits. >>> prop 8 was front and center in the republican nominating races yesterday. the leading candidates pounced on the decision. one may have gotten the biggest bounce. katie marzullo is live in the newsroom with a reenergized rick santorum. what a night for him. >> reporter: his numbers were unexpected. his take on prop 8 was not. he and the top two are not happy with the 9th circuit court of appeals ruling the ban on gay marriage un

so far, california investigators have found no evidence of criminal activity or any reason to believe that houston was looking to abuse prescription drugs. only a few pill bottles were found inside her hotel suite last weekend. everyone is cooperating. tahman bradley, abc news. >>> tonight, you can catch a special edition of "20/20," "one moment in time," the life of whitney houston. >>> president owe what is hauling hau -- obama is hauling in the campaign cash. he was interrupted twice by hecklers. >>> earlier in the day, two air force f-16 fighters were scrambling after a private plane entered the same air space as the helicopter carrying the president over los angeles. the pilot was arrested after police found 40 pounds of marijuana on board. the secret service says the president was never in any danger. >>> the man known as the underwear bomber has been sentenced to life in prison two years after trying to blow up a plane over detroit. this is what would have happened had umar farouk al mutallab's plot had worked. >>> the u.n. general assembly is calling for syria's president to s

california department of public health says the facility failed to provide proper respiratory care to a resident in and the hospital has to pay a $100,000 fine, the highest the state can impose in this case. >> the fire storm around the susan gkomen breast cancer charity is growing tonight. after announce it was ending grants to planned parenthood, people started pulling their support, support going now to planned parenthood instead. >> planned parenthood says majority of the clients are low income and 98% of the work is preventative care, still, komen pulled support because of a congressional investigation real lated to public funds and the role as an abortion provider. komen's founder and ceo defended this zaigs. the charity says the decision to end grants to planned parenthood has been mischaracterized and it's a result of change in policy. >> regrettably this shift will affect any number of longstanding partners but we have always done what is right for our organization, for our donors and volunteer autos komen will no longer give grants to organizations under investigation from c

. >> the recession continues to dog california, still. the controller is calling january revenues disappointing. they were below what the governor projected. income tax revenue coming in 6.3%. this is being blamed on higher than expected tax refunds. the financial department saying it expects a spring uptick. >> president obama is now changing course n on a controversial birth control policy. saying under the plan workers will get free contraception from health insurance companies. >> this is an issue where people of good will on both sides of the debate have been sorting through complicated questions to find a solution that works for everyone. and sogsz supports it and u.s. conference on bishops is withholding an endorsement. change won't take affect until august, 2013. >> there. >> san francisco police department he created a video aimed at ending bullying of gay people. >> it does get better. and until it gets better... >> i will help you and protect you. i will listen. >> the video created for the nationwide it gets better campaign. t

california officials are calling january revenues dispointing. they were 5 1/2 below what governor brown projected in his recently proposed budget. income tax made up the bulk of it, coming in 6% below expectations. the dip is being blamed on lower estimated tax payments and higher than expected tax refunds. the state finance department responded by saying it expects an uptick in revenue come spring time. >>> governor brown is hitting the road for automaker test law. they are unveiling their third car, no one as model x. the car can go from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds and that's faster than a pour shaw 9 is 1. it inspired a pep talk about california from governor brown for tessla. >> we can work our way out of our mess with creativity and openness and the kind of spirit that is willing to take risks. >> the model x should enter production next year. it will be built right there in fremont. >>> a new california lottery game appears to be the hottest ticket in the state these days, which can only spell success for public schools. abc7's capitol correspo

especially here in california we have laws that protect people over a certain age. these gentlemen are now in their 80s. >> a spokesman for the family that owns the building denied claims saying owners knew the new lease included a 90 day eviction clause. >> a 12 foot fall giant today. students had a rare opportunity to get up close and personal. they were given a tour to its 1500 horse powered engine. it's competing in advanced auto parts truck jam saturday. there is as we go to break, don't forget, oscar sunday just three days away. for best video, blog asks and buzz log ton oscar.com. >> you can join the conversation by using oscars sf hash tag on twitter, check it out and stay with us. back in a moment. ccl >>> tonight at 6:00 you fix it week continues. you called and we came to your neighborhood. >> tonight a neighborhood where police have been unable to keep thiefs from breaking into cars. apple is under fire tonight in a labor dispute. and there is a fire burning 3

a more narrow ruling would be specific to california whether voters here in california approve prop 8 and turn down same-sex marriage because they don't like homosexuality. if that is the case, it is a more narrow ruling as this case goes forward and ends up at the united states supreme court. legal analyst johnson says it could get there valentine's day of next year. today's decisions both are going to be announced, we'll break into programming here on abc 7 and have that for you live in san francisco, terry mcsweeney, abc7 news. >>> developing news now in san jose. a tree and downed powerlines are causing traffic troubles. katie marzullo just got to the scene she joins us live. >> reporter: i'll have you look for yourself and our viewers take a look behind us. you can see this huge branch an entire third of the tree came down on north clermont at mckee road that tree brought with it powerlines. someone was here earlier and roped this area off. when we got on scene pg&e was not here but pg&e has just arrived back on scene there's a man here doing some reconnaissance as to what is goi

. >> there is mandatory duty under the california penal code for a teacher, an aide, a supervisor to report suspected child abuse. they can be put into jail up to six months and fined for failure to report. >> this is a father's message to other parents who may find themselves in the same situation. >> listen to your instincts if you think something is wrong make sure you do everything that you can to get to the bottom of it. don't trust other people's opinions. >> the superintendent said the school has zero tolerance to violence of any kind. if charges are true, she will recommend that she be fired. she is out on bail and did not return our calls. vic lee abc 7 news. >> thank you very much. and supporters of california same-sex marriage ban vow to continue the fight after a court today ruled the ban is unconstitutional. same-sex couples and supporters cheered when the decision was announced this morning. it was a ruling the judge determined that prop 8 prohibiting same-sex marriage in california violates the service. >> i don't care so much about marriage. it would be strange what i

california faces a deficit of $9 bill critical condition. >> gas prices continue to rise. and interest there is a 20th day of rising prices at the push. national average is now $3.69. that is regular, investors worried tension was iran can lead to a decline, in california prices passed the $4 park. triple a says it's now $4.29 that is up a quarter, in the bay area, drivers from oakland paying $4.27. and san francisco is higher, 4.34s oodz coming up, role money plays whit comes to people breaking the law. >> and where california drivers were caught off guard the shutting down a stretch of highway. >> several feet of snow expect ntd sierra nevada. when will get rain here in the bay area. details coming up. >> thank you. the marriage proposal that made headlines in san francisco news stands today. news continues in one minute. >> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >> check this out. a good look at the newspaper stands in front of san francisco city hall spelled out this morning would you marry me now? there is one problem of the proposal. the department o

california coming way with a lion's share california

baja, california is not on the list. 120 americans were killed in mexico last year alone. >>> last year alone. the golden gate bridge toll takers could be out of a bridge starting next year. all follow takers will be gone by next february. they are paying out the 35 follow takers. the district will save about $16 million over ten years. but it also ends the human touch that's ban part of the bridge since it opened in 1937. >>> organizers expect up to 1 million people to line the streets of san francisco this evening to watch the annual chinese new year's parade celebrating the year of the dragon. dozens of marchs will provide legs for the dragon that will zig-zag it's way to china town. it will take a long road. the parade starts at 5:30 and it starts at second and market. then heads west on geary before going through union scare and then on post and finally north to portsmouth square. all those folks who are going to be carrying the dragon will have their work cut out for them but they are expecting a million people or so. >> rain or shine it's always a huge, huge deal. >> that brings

the average price in california now stands at 4.03 a gallon for regular. 4.0two in san jose. 4.07 in san francisco. tonight we have the report on way to beat the prices. >>-:6wja 75 or 80 dollars. >> 50 buck and doesn't even fill the taichblingt spend more getting to work than actually getting paid.what a way to celebrate president's day. with highest gas prisons ever seen this time of year. rising at recordxd speed too up 25 cens from just a month ago. last year prices mostly held steady from january to february clocking in at 3.14. year before that they w went down. by april experts say it will only get worse. >> we are looking at perhaps prices getting to 3.75 4.25 by april or may. >>reporter: spike being driven by smoldering tension with iran. some analyst predict come memorial day the price at the pump could be a whopping 5 dollars a gallon. on afternoon american household spent more than 4000 dollars on gas last year alone. 8.4 percent of the total budget. that's double what they spent a decade ago. prices 3.96 in new york. 3.53 near nebraska and 3.62 near seattle what's driver

no gay marriages can take place in california until after the appeals. and a lot of experts think this case will end up in front of the supreme court. >>> and we turn now to syria, again tonight, a country in chaos, as more images of president assad's forces unleashing a torrent of attacks against his own people appear. and now assad's wife, once seen as a force possibly for modernization has spoken out. she once lived in america, worked on wall street. so, what did she say about those deadly scenes? here's abc's global affairs anchor christiane amanpour. >> reporter: syria today is a tale of two cities. in the capital damascus, streets filled with government supporters. in homs, the center of the rebellion, streets deserted. to venture out is to risk being shot. >> this road is so dangerous because there are snipers hiding. >> reporter: the children of damascus. the children of homs, hiding from the government shells in a basement. the first lady of syria comes from this city, but residents today learned they'll get no help from her. modern and glamorou

this saturday california's municipal redevelopment agencies disappear to help balance the state budget also the day 80 oakland workers will be notified they are out of a job the two events are linked. katie marzullo is live in the newsroom to explain. >> reporter: the lack of redevelopment funding leaves oakland 28 million dollars in debt. that money was contributing for to the salaries of 200 city employees in 11 departments. 200 people are not being laid off and there is other good news. funding has been saved for the oakland zoo, children's father land, hacienda historical -- park and some jobs in the original proposal, those community destinations faced a 40% cut to their budgets. new budget leaves them whole. however in the final plan 105 positions eliminated. not all were filled so 80 people losing their jobs. the city is going to sell a former fire station and parks and recreation and human services departments are merging that could mean some centers will have to reduce their hours. the budget passed 6-1, one councilmember call it heartbreaking, but necessary. police, fire and

some legal experts say the ruling was written narrowly so it would only apply to california and possibly avoid supreme court review. both sides know it is not the end of the fight. >> i look at my family and i feel such pride and such excitement for our future and what lies ahead. >> this is really contrary and out of step with all the other law that is out there in the country. frankly, it is out of step with californians and the seven million voters who came out after a full debate said prop 8 makes sense. >> same-sex opponents say the 9th district appeals court in san francisco has its decisions overturned by the u.s. supreme court more often than other judicial circuits. they have two weeks to file an appeal. >>> washington is based to -- is poised to to become the 7th state to recognize same-sex marriages. the washington state senate approved the measure last week. government nor says she will sign it into law. >>> rick santorum's campaign is getting a big boost after winning in three states last night in missouri he beat out mitt romney with 55% of the vote. he won minnesota with 4

between them they own 60% of california mortgages. harris has a good track record on this topic earlier this month she secured for california 18 billion dollars out of a 26 billion dollar settlement with five banks to help underwater homeowners. most of the money is slated to reduce the mortgage principle for those homeowners. fannie and freddie have balked at doing the same. harris has written a letterqp6 before foreclosing on another home she wants the agency to do a full analysis and figure out if principle reduction would help and save taxpayer money. she says the homeowners deserve at least that the agency has responded but we don't know what the response said. acting director of the agency is an embattled figure. harris has previously asked him to resign and 110 members of congress have signed a letter asking demarco to reconsider his position which has been against reducing mortgage principles. katie marzullo, abc7 news. >>> it is 5:04. a judge has ruled that a key piece of disputed evidence can be used in the domestic violence

at the age of 75 out in california. of an apparent suicide attempt, to make things even more -- a little more sad in all this. but just the thing we should remember today is just what a cultural phenomenon the show "soul train" was after it premiered back in 19 -- august of 1970. he was the host until '93. and some of the biggest names in music came through there. james brown, aretha franklin, gladys knight, stevie wonder, smokey robinson, elton john, david bowie, name them, they were all on that show. and the doors he opened for black music, for black entertainment, but really across the country and people of all races who loved that show. >> loved that show. >> it was a cultural launching pad. you can't tell me you haven't been to at least one party or one wedding where they've busted out a "soul train" line. don, you did a lot of good for a lot of people. rest in peace, my friend. whatever led you to what you did, that's between you and wherever you are right now. what you did here on earth, we thank you. >> mm-hmm.

been among the hardest hit and california wrins are getting $18 billion. the attorney refusing to go along with an earlier deal that would have given less. >> it was not about politics. this is about what could we ensure our homeowners would see relief. >> alameda county getting the most followed by contra costa county and those who lost their homes will divide the smallest piece at little over $50 million. >> we wanted to make sure that places like in concord and places like boyle heights would receive a priority. >> harris says it includes $12 billion and $361.1 billion to clean up blight created by the foreclosure melt down and $2,000 to 140,000 californian who's lost homes. >> i think it's a good deal. >> rick harper is president of credit counseling that counsels 3,000 families a month. he says the deal ensures banks will no longer push homeowners into foreclosure. >> if you stop in one neighborhood you're saving that tax base. >> that, says harper could begin to reverse the downward trend of declining property values. >> it could be huge. >> and as w

the california patrol closing the grapevine much of the afternoon. chp reopened to traffic. bill did not expect to see any rain other drivers just as surprised. >> and there is 10 hours of north of here i didn't think it would be snowing in southern california. >> it's here. >> what has the drive been like? >> i just started on highway 132. it was snowing a little bit there. i didn't think it was going to be this bad. >> we have never seen snow. pretty. looks like... christmas. >> snow isn't nerve wracking but rain s the rain that was before the snow was nerve wracking and very slippery. >> traveling by motorcycle? >> yes. i wasn't expecting to hit a storm like this. just trying to make it home. >> did you have an idea you're going to get hit with snow? >> i figured a little bit of weather but nothing like this, it's crazy. >> and we have not seen snowfall this, is cold out here, very slushy conditions on the road. and drivers from what we see, seem to be laying off the gas pedal to be safe. >> and this looks like a tough road to drive now. thank you. >> still to come here a