happy michael finney day. congratulations for 30 years on the air. >> happy michael finney day, dad. without you and your dedication to others and your dedication to help the little guy, i don't know if i could have gotten here. thank you dad for inspiring me to be the therapist i am today. >> what a special day we had. kelly and connor with the highlights. >> michael here are two of the proclamations. here is the one making it michael finney day in san francisco. there is one from congress and sacramento. congratulations dear friend. >> congratulations! >> thank you. >> i think i am allowed to make arrests today. >> steer clear of michael. >> michael feel free to say anything you want. we are not going to make you work today just acknowledge what you have done. >> thank you. why did i write >> i have got to tell you this could have happened anywhere better than at channel 7 mac. this is a very special station with a very special staff and very special management. this doesn't happen anywhere else. i know cons

. >>> 7 on your side michael finney with new signs of hope, michael. >> reporter: the travel industry, as you know was really hit hard during the pandemic, so for many consumers who prepaid for their trips, that has meant a long wait for refunds. >> and to be think we got -- he was feet away from me. >> reporter: susan carter enthusiastically recalls her effort with an animal. she has been on every place except antarctica. unfortunately slow recovery from a torn rotator cuff suffered from one of her trips forced her to cancel her trip antarctica, and her effort to get a refund proved unsuccessful. >> they said vantage took this over in, i don't know, october or november. don't call us anymore. we have nothing to do with it. >> reporter: in general we ask you purchase travel insurance independently from the place you bought the tracheally. this protects you should your company file bankruptcy. getting a delay on getting a refund on covid. after one year of no results, susan reached out to 7 on your side. she is one of six vantage customers who contacted us with help with similar refund

michael finney is here with details. >> hi liz. a lot more time. the department of homeland security says the october 1st to deadline didn't give enough time for everyone to go get there real i.d. they extended the deadlinethe de until may 3rd of 2023. that is 19 extra months to get your real i.d before the federal government begins enforcing new i.d requirements. the deadline was extended once before because of the pandemic and covid-19 is also the reason for this latest extension. homeland security says dmv offices nationwide are still trying to catch up with ordinary business and that was delayed to the due to the pandemic. so far only 43% of us have drivers licenses with real ids. that is across the country. officials said of the october deadline gives everyone more time to get the real i.d which requires an in person visit to the dmv. two years from now you will need a real i.d or a valid passport to board a plane or enter a federal facility. >>> liz, i have a question. you have your real i.d? >> actually do. i got it right before the pandemic

because they are imprisoned. >> michael finney joins us live for this one. how is this >> yet another one of these. yet another one. a state auditor reported in january that the edd gave out $800 million in jobless benefits to inmates who fraudulently filed. now, innocent people are telling me they are being entangled in a crackdown on fraud they have nothing to do with. >> james takes his frustrations on some firewood. he lost his job in june with the drywall company.drywall com. in january his jobless benefits which had been coming like clockwork stopped. the state wrote him a letter saing he couldn't receive benefits because he was in prison. >> i am not incarcerated. i haven't been incarcerated. i am not really sure how that worked out. >> james understands the state's hat trying to crack down on fraudulent plans but says he is an innocent victim. >> there is a bunch of fraudulent cases and things like that. that is a separate issue and i am not a part of that. i do have a legitimate claim. >> the edd has refused to talk specifically about his case but d

michael finney is here with more. >> reporter: there are some good deals out there, if you can find them. you have to know what you are doing. here's some shopping advice. by your next appliance second hand can be a win-win. you will save money and help the planet. >> baby you are on a tight budget or trying to another hunk of metal from entering the landfill. you can also beginning a high end appliance with features you would be able to afford otherwise. >> reporter: when it comes to secondhand appliances, skip yard sales and online sites like craigslist and facebook marketplace. these types of sellers usually can't offer you a guaranty or warranty on the appliance. instead, hit a local, reputable repair shop for used appliance store early and often to nab the best deals. you could save 50% or more, even if the appliance hasn't been used at all. your best bet for being used, washers, dryers, ranges, and refrigerators. but no matter what you are shopping for, find out how old the appliance is so you can calculate how much life has left and if it is worth the price. >> if you are spending

finney issue with a look at today's headlights. hi michael. >> hey larry, toyota is recalling nearly 280,000 suvs, it is all for a potential airbag issue. wires on the driver side door could rub against the product, and caused thereby to fail. toyota said about 1% of its 2009 through 2015 vehicles are affected, toyota will refund car owners in may, they don't have to do anything. this is helping give rise to patients needing healthcare, lift pass helps healthcare provider set a budget and approved pickup and drop-off locations for appointments. patients will receive notifiction that their provider has sent them a ride pass, lift says the program could help prevent no-shows to appointment. >>> the latest round of stimulus checks is giving retailers zippers, a huge boost. retail sales rose almost 10% in march. after dropping 3% in february. the biggest monthly increase since last may, and it points to the stimulus check. you get people a lot of money, and they are hurting, they will spend the money. >> it makes perfect sense, thank y

michael finney is here with wife. >> reporter: this is an amazing deal. millions of californians can now get a huge discount on their health insurance. they announced today they received $3 billion as part of the federal rescue plan. that money will help cover the cost of people's health plans. about 2 point 5 million californians could see the lower premiums. the health insurance marketplace says some plans will cost as little as one dollar per month. while premiums will be decreasing for more comprehensive healthcare coverage. >> these are huge savings. this is truly making healthcare more affordable than it has ever been. to californians and americans across the nation. >> reporter: southern california says current subscribers get the savings automatically. you can see their premiums decreased by an average of $180 per household per month. those who want to enroll can go to the website, covered ca.com. southern california has opened a special enrollment period that runs from april june. the discounts are not just for low income learners but are based o

coming up, we will explain >> 7 on your side michael finney explains how. >>> i am excited about the future of california. >> excited about the future even with a pandemic induced recession the california dream is very much alive.>>> moving forward and finding solutions. this is abc7 news. >>> this simple sign speaks volumes. closed today but look forward to seeing you soon. soon could come in the matter of weeks. there is no guarantee. >> there is kind of a goalpost that hopefully will not move this time. >> good evening. thank you you you you you you y >>> there is a lot to look forward to. we are going to spend the next 10 minutes or so examining what is changing. what we have learned nothing certain. >> so true. more business restrictions were lifted in the bay area. only when county remains in the red tier of restrictions. that is celano. tonight, you will hear what makes the situation they are more different. >>> tonight you will see what it takes to actually make this happen. widespread vaccinations are key for us to reach the june 15 goal. announced yesterday by the governor

that's where michael finney comes in. >>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 news. >>> california is racing to vaccinate 2 million people. the state is going to open up the eligibility list in a matter of days because of supply. rings are about to change. that evening and thank you for joining us. >> according to the state, more than 8.3 million californians are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. the pace of vaccinations has steadily been picking up. the average dose is per have gone up. 5 million doses per day is enough for 2 weeks. that supply could take a pretty significant dip over the next few weeks. it comes as the date is going to expand eligibility. health officials are worried that the supply drop could hurt the plan to reopen the state economy in june. abc7 news reporter stephanie sierra is in the newsroom, tonight with the new numbers from the room that is out. >> reporter: california has 5 million doses for the next two weeks. it is the incoming supply from the federal government that counties are concerned about. that allotmen

. >>> seven on your side michael finney will explain how to find hotel deals right now. he will save you a bunch of money. >>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 news. >>> don't rip off the masks. don't start hugging random strangers just yet. >> not yet, continued words of caution from dr. luke patel from the vaccine vaccine vaccin >> that would be hard, because i am getting the vaccine, it wasn't as hard as i thought it would be. >> getting a shot or making the appointment was easy. >> it hit me how unprecedented this is. >> it is. thank you for good -- us. >> everybody over the age of 16 is eligible, we are feeling optimistic. new sites are opening up. established ones are expanding capacity. there is a record 12,000 appointments booked, yesterday. today, crowds were smaller. it is the largest mass vaccination site. leslie brinkley reportsbrinkleyp type of wait times everyone can expect. >> reporter: take a look at the massive lines at levi's stadium as seen from sky7. santa clara county scheduled 12,000 appointments on thursda

michael finney is joining us. michael, i was just looking at this the other day starting to panic thinking i better get on this. >> yeah, you thought you had 5 months. turns out, you will have two years before you need to have the i.d. the department of homeland security says the october 1st a deadline was not giving enough time for everyone to get their real i.d. they extended the deadline until may 3rd, 2023. that is 19 extra months to get your real i.d before the federal government begins enforcing new i.d requirements. the deadline was extended once before due to the pandemic. covid-19 is also the reason for this latest extension. homeland security says dmv offices nationwide are still trying to catch up with ordinary business that was delayed due to the pandemic. so far, only 43% of drivers licenses across the country comply with real i.d standards. officials say the new deadline gives everyone more time to get there real i.d which requires an in person visit to the dmv. two years from now you will need eithe

. >> michael finney has been investigating the edd for more than a year now. he joins us live. michael it has been one problem after another. >> you two have been reporting on this night after night after night. people are >> tammy event and has been receiving an appointment since march of last year. she asked after a year if she needed to reapply. >> to have to file a new claim? to have to do anything? she said no. don't do anything. it will automatically roll over. >> his benefits stopped in september. >> region the men who probably was in charge of it said you are supposed to be getting your federal extension automatically. let me see what i can do. >> both are still waiting for their promised extensions. >> that is so par for the course right now. they provide information and it turns out it is not true. >> many are left wondering and not getting answers. they are forced to survive without expected benefits. >> i lost track. >> i have done everything i do. >> they still haven't fixed these problems. >> neither tammy nor albert have time to be patient. >> as i described in m

michael finney is live with a few ideas to help people out. michael? >> reporter: we hear from people every single day on seven on your side, they have blown their savings.their savin. but i don't want them to let the high cost of living in the bay area to discourage them. it is still possible to achieve your financial dreams post pandemic. here is a roadmap to at least one path to success. the dow jones hit an all-time market high on april 16th, closing at more than 34,200. but so many people are struggling. an estimated 42 million americans are expected to experience food insecurity this year. keith oslin of the financial planning in alameda thinks too many americans live on the edge. >> three out of four americans are living paycheck to paycheck. another study said three out of five americans have trouble maintaining a monthly budget. >> reporter: pam williams úcoun fortunate ones. the nonprofit youth program director is on the path to achieve her financial dream. >> one thing i have always lived by, if i can't afford it, i'm not going to spend it.

michael finney talked exclusively to ricardo loera about lifting the secrecy of these scores. >> every home has a fire risk score. few homeowners know what it is or why it matters. that score can mean the difference between getting your homeowners policy renewed or not. >> i am going to give you a quick view. >> john takes us around his home and surrounding surroundin neighborhood >> as a consumer i betrayed by the insurance industry. >> john has worked with the fire department and follow the recommendations to harden his property by ridding it of overgrown vegetation. he even put in a fireproof roof. >> we have gone through quite a different mitigation measure to make us less of a risk. however, it doesn't seem to have helped any. any. >> john's story and doesn't think what happened to him is right. >> this is the classic case of why we need to make sure that if you ever hit invested tousands of dollars that it takes to harden your home, you should be able to get coverage. >> they are calling for more transparency in the fire risk score given to homeowners. they are calculated by comp

michael finney has some tips -- tips to keep thatkeep thatkeep t nice and warm. >>> a good insulated mug comes in handy when you are commuting. many people will be commuting again. consumer reports tested some of the most popular brands. here is a look at the test's.>>> choosing the perfect travel mug can seem like a never ending quest. consumer reports just checked out insulated mugs from several brands including getty, been dermis, and starbucks. >> it seems like it would be a really simple thing but a lot of people have a surprisingly tough time finding one that is perfect. >> will your beverage stay hot or cold? to check temperature retention consumer reports mug with water, immediately replaced the lid and opened them at set intervals to check the temperature of the water until it reached 140 degrees fahrenheit. a temperature that is on the cool side for many coffee and tea drinkers. consumer reports performed the same temperature checks for cold liquids too. it turns out a good mug can keep liquids hot >> if temperature retention is at the top of your list look no further than

michael finney is here now. he got to the bottom of this. michael found out, as you do, the truth. >> reporter: it is truly amazing. the state of california, as you know, has tried to protect seniors from having to go out during the pandemic. i.d. me told this woman otherwise. she made a heroic effort to prove her identity and still, it wasn't enough. >> i said, please help me. i don't know what i'm supposed to do. i've been rejected. >> reporter: linda has been trying for months to prove she really is linda green. she's a laid-off legal secretary, and not one of the hordes of scammers ripping off the edd. >> i sent them my drivers license plus everything else, social security, birth certificate, everything else. >> reporter: she and 1.4 million others got this notice from the edd back in january, freezing their accounts for possible fraudulent activity. they had 30 days to prove their identity, or lose benefits for good. >> i had to go >> reporter: she was using the online verification tool after waiting 24 hours for a live interview, and a

. >>> just ahead, the government cracks down on fake covid cures, michael finney has details. dei'm morgan, and there's more >>> remeto me than hiv.ior -- more love,... more adventure,... more community. but with my hiv treatment,... there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor... and switched to... fewer medicines with dovato. prescription dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with... just 2 medicines... in 1 pill,... dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen... to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed... and get to and stay undetectable... can no longer transmit hiv through sex. don't take dovato if you're allergic to any of its ingredients... or if you take dofetilide. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while taking dovato. do not stop dovato without talking to your doctor,... as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including... allergic reactions, lactic acid bui

michael finney has been looking at that and has some important news about this. michael? >> the american rescue plan act of 2021 and other enabling legislation is allowing fema to offer financial help to funerals. >> when someonewhen someonewhene hospital with the coronavirus it is heartbreaking. if they die, the pain for loved on iunaginable. >> she was often on the breathing treatment. then, they took her off of it and that was it. >> then, no one wants to talk about it, there is the cost of the funeral. some families can pay with no problem. others are caught off guard. now, there is help from the federal government. serious health. funeral expert ed michael reggie. >> anyone who has lost a loved one since january of 2020of 202f get reimbursed if they are the people who paid for the funeral up to $9000 for the funeral. >> ed michael is ceo of sheena lafferty, a website that compares funeral services and costs. he says the money comes at the right time, can cover the cost of most funerals and has few restrictions. >> the national averages about $7800 for that. the bay a

michael finney joins us with how to get the best hotel rooms. >> a lot of people want to know what you have to say, right here. >> reporter: i have to tell you, this is so cool, you're not going to believe it. i have a gnawing feeling i never get the best deal. i assume most of you feel the same way. will let me show you how to make that travel worry go away. >> reporter: how do you book a hotel room? do you check hotel websites or online travel agencies? even with all your best efforts, you can't know for sure you are getting the best deal. prices change after you book, and there could be sites you haven't checked. we have a respected technology journalist. he travels for business, and has a plan to get great deals. >> you could literally save hundred dollars of year. -- a year. >> reporter: he uses website. you order a room, tell it what you paid, and it starts looking for a better deal. >> all you do is forward your reservation confirmation to save at their email. they keep an eye on that room for you. the technology and algorithms behind the scenes, they keep track of that room. >>

michael finney is trying to sort this out for you. you joins us live tonight.>>> for many, the unemployment checks could be the difference between eating and going hungry. patience is a virtue they simply cannot afford.>>> at six. that is the blunt assessment of robin miller and her husband about her experience with the edd. robin began collecting unemployment in july. despite the extension, the checks stop coming in january. >> i like what is going on without. they have been giving us the runaround since january. >> jennifer began receiving benefits in july. just like robin, her benefits stopped suddenly and both received this notice in their mailbox saying they could be eligible for an additional 13 weeks of benefits. >> i was expecting to be automatically enrolled as the electronic notice stated. >> the email stated she should receive a notice in the mail intan-14 days. it has been more than 30 days and so far she has received nothing. she has now drained nearly all of her savings. >> things are dipping into a reserve we had. it is

michael finney says this is an excellent time to put in your paperwork and he is live to explain why. >> reporter: this is an excellent time for a refinance. here's why. rates have dropped for three weeks in a row. they now hover around 3%. that means the average homeowner in the bay area can save thousands of dollars a year. many homeowners are missing out on refinancing because they're following the old unwritten rule that the new interest rate should be at least 2% lower than what you're currently paying. here's the new way of thinking. >> the rule of thumb is around 50 basis point or half a percentage point. >> reporter: lending tree's chief economist says you should look for a refi when you start reading about rates a third of the point lower than what you currently pay. why? the publicize rates are just averages. >> the average is 3%. the lowest rate in the marketplace might be 2.6% or 2.7%. that means there is a great opportunity than most people realize. >> reporter: opportunity means money in your pocket. let's talk about the fear of refinancing. a sophisticated consumer read

. >> that was michael finney reporting. we have a link to the latest information posted by edd on our website, abc7news.com/ seven on your side. >>> the oscars officially won't have a host for the third year in a row. the producers confirmed the news to vanity fair. while they didn't offer a whole lot else in terms of details about the show, producer steven soderbergh revealed that there is an opportunity here to rebuild what the oscars should look like and feel like, instead of a host, they will continue to have several presenters. >>> it is now april. if you gave up on your new year's resolutions, well, you and everyone else. a new study from edith cowan university found that two in three people gave up on their 2021 resolutions by january 31st. researchers say most people make their resolutions too vague to actually succeed. the majority had to do with dieting or exercising, and about half had the same or similar resolutions as they did coming into 2020. >> do you make resolutions? >> well, i resolved to try to eliminate

michael finney here. i know many of you are waiting for your appointment or covid- 19 payments. i asked the edd what's going on, why can't our viewers get their money? >> there's a number of different things that could impact someone's eligibility. >> 7 on your side got your emails, hundreds of emails, all about the edd. you deserve better. that's why i promise to keep asking the tough questions and it's okay that you don't want to be first: you aren't. second covid vaccine. it's okay to have questions: everyone deserves answers. i'm wary that there isn't enough information. it's okay to be excited, or worried, or both. it's alright for it to take whatever it takes for you to be ready. hi mom, ready for your shot? yes, i've been waiting for this day. we just got what? vaccinated. we just got vaccinated! let's get you there. let's get to immunity. >>> it is 6:58 if you are just joining us, here's the seven things to know this morning. number one, national guard has been deployed in brooklyn center, minnesota. a protest after police shot and killed a black man during a traffic sto