francisco. cecil williams was 94 years old. he was a minister, author, social activist, and community leader. we found this footage of him from throughout the years. he often used the term radical inclusivity. he was known as a champion for the poor and marginalized. the glide foundation has wrap-around services for the homeless and they feed anybody who is hungry hot meals every day of the year, but thanksgiving is always a big celebration there. reverend williams was always a staple. here he is on thanksgiving 2016. >> we call it a beloved community that engages in unconditional love and unconditional acceptance. when you got those two things going for you, you're really doing something. >> and his reach was worldwide in his fight for justice for all. here's a photo of him with human rights champion nelson mandela from 1990. tributes to reverend williams

are just starting to pour in. san francisco mayor london breed writes in part, "as a young girl i never dreamed to grow up in a world with him. we all benefited from his guidance and moral compass. we would not be who we are without the legendary cecil williams." williams wife and co-founder of glide died in 2021. they married in 1982 and together they were rough the biggest power couples in bay area history. cecil williams had taken more of a back seat role at glide in recent years as he grew older, but his influence was always present and his legacy will not be forgotten. >> so many of us had the opportunity to meet reverend williams throughout the years, reporting on the many food drives that he did and all the community events he did. i know you had a chance to interview reverend williams. what do you remember about working with him? >> his presence was just always a staple, thanksgiving celebrations, parades and everything. you knew where he was and he just had this

presence and this comfort and aura around him, really an amazing man. >> had such a warmth and kindness about him always to anybody who came up to him, pretty remarkable. thank you. as anne mentioned, reverend williams worked with the poorest of san francisco and that was a big part of his ministry, but he also has a big influence beyond his church. he had some pretty strong political connections and no shortage of state and national leaders he could reach out to. we will have much more on his passing coming up tonight at 6:00. now to our other top story, a supreme court case that could decide the way homeless encampments are treated right here in the bay area. right now san francisco is banned from sweeping encampments because of a lawsuit filed in 2022, but that case is on hold because of a similar case involving grant's pass, oregon. today the high court heard arguments about whether that city's ban on homeless encampments is

cruel and unusual punishment. >> reporter: the nation's struggle with homelessness reached the supreme court on monday for arguments about whether a ban on people sleeping in public parks in grant's pass, oregon, is constitutional. >> what will the city do if you don't prevail? >> the city's hands will be tied. it will be forced to surrender its public spaces, as it has been. >> reporter: the law fines people nearly $300 for sleeping outside when shelter beds are available. repeat offenders can be sent to jail for 30 days. lawyers for the city argued the law is compassionate. the high court's conservative justices seem to be open to those claims. >> how does this law help deal with the complicated policy issues? >> one of the most difficult challenges is getting people the help that they need and laws like this allow cities to intervene. >> reporter: the court's liberal justices questioned whether the law criminalizes

homelessness. >> what you do say only homeless people who sleep outdoors will be arrested. that's the testimony of your chief of police. >> there's nothing in the law that criminalizes homelessness. >> that's what you say, but if i look at the record and see differently, it's a different argument. >> reporter: the appeals court struck down the measure saying it violated the 8th amendment because it punishes people for something they don't have control over. >> a number of us i think are having difficulty with the distinction between status and conduct. >> violating this ordinance means you're homeless. so again, homelessness is not something that you do. it's just something that you are. >> reporter: a ruling is expected by the end of june. >> san francisco mayor london breed was among the many mayors and other officials across the country who submitted briefs in support of the grant's pass case. now for an idea of the scope of this issue, according to the latest available numbers from san francisco, as of 2022,

there were more than 7,700 homeless people in the city. less than half of them are in some kind of shelter. meantime the coalition on homelessness, the group that sued san francisco over the sweeps, held a rally today. our kelsi thorud has reaction from a man who is facing homelessness. >> reporter: so many people involved in this protest had personal connections to homelessness or housing issues. we spoke with one man who we first met a few weeks ago who has dealt with homelessness here in the bay area. here we asked him how the supreme court case could impact him personally. la monty ford is just one of many people at this protest worried the supreme court's hearing of a case involving how cities and states are allowed to sweep homeless encampments could have a real life impact on him. >> i can see it becoming more

violent. i can see losing more people. i can see losing more family members. i can see the destruction of homeless people, period. what's going to be next? i can't exist because i'm ugly? >> reporter: we first met la monty a few weeks ago at an event marking one year since oakland's wood street encampment was shut down by the city. la monty lived in that encampment and says since it's been closed his life has only gotten harder. >> i'm staying inside of a camper now. well, i was until it got infested because i can't move it. it broke down. i don't have any money. so i've been sleeping on the corner, wherever i can with a blanket over my head hope nothing one sees me. >> this is a huge building. it could house people at night. >> reporter: la monty told me he's had friends from wood street die in the last year since they were forced out. he says he knows cities offer some housing options to the homeless but says he doesn't feel safe in any of those.

>> they breed bullying. they breed drug trafficking. they breed sexual abuse and i'd rather not be a part of that. if you're going to offer me something, at least let it be safe. >> reporter: that's why la monty says he will remain on the street. he says all he wants is a safe space to live and sleep. >> i have a right to exist. >> reporter: he worries the supreme court case could have a significant impact on whether or not that will be possible. >> i'm optimistic. i think not hopeful as much just because of the way that things are going, right? i mean people are misconceived into thinking that blight is us. we want to live in these environments like this. it's not the case. we want to be in clean, safe environments, but the city, state, and federal governments aren't helping us. >> reporter: now we, of course, expect to get a ruling from the supreme court on this case in june. until then

advocates like la monty say they will keep speaking up making their voices heard. >> thanks. as san francisco awaits the supreme court ruling, some people taking matters into their own hands. the city has recently been issuing citations to business owners who put up planter boxes on the sidewalk that keep homeless people away. some confrontations turned violent. last year an art gallery owner was seen spraying a homeless woman with a hose outside of his gallery. he was charged with battery, but the case was dismissed after he agreed to community service. in alameda county d.a. pamela price just announced that her office will review every death penalty case dating back more than 30 years. price says there is evidence of prosecutorial misconduct, specifically that black and jewish people may have been intentionally left off of juries in death penalty cases in violation of state law. >> the evidence that we have

uncovered suggests plainly that many people did not receive a fair trial in alameda county and as a result, we have to review all of the files to determine what happened. >> we're talking about at least 35 cases. she says the red flag was raised by a federal judge during a review of the conviction of ernest in 1993. her office released these notes as an example talking about various jurors, physical descriptions, then one plainly pointing out that yes, this person was jewish and in this note a prospective juror is called out for being pro affirmative action. the writer notes that she said race is not an issue in the case, but that the writer didn't believe her. >> this is not about left or right or any kind of politics. this is about ethics and every elected prosecutor has an ethical obligation to insure that any person who is charged with a crime receives a fair trial.

>> d.a. price is now facing a recall election in alameda county. she says her office is now notifying all the victims' families to let them know what's going on. she didn't name had the past prosecutors she's accusing of misconduct, but she says there are at least two and that some of these cases date back over 30 years. we're in the process of contacting alameda county's former d.a. for comment. in new york the first day of testimony has concluded in former president trump's hush money trial with prosecutors calling on the former national enquirer publisher and long time trump friend to the stand. jared hill is following the latest developments. >> reporter: former president donald trump left the new york courtroom money branding his hush money criminal trial a case about bookkeeping. >> this is what they tried to take me on the trail for, that checks being paid through a lawyer. >> reporter: the presumptive republican presidential nominee faces 34 felony counts of

falsifying business records. he's accused of using his former lawyer, michael cohen, to funnel payments to adult film star stormy daniels before the 2016 presidential election. >> they take this payment and they call it a legal expense and you heard it today for the first time. this is what i got indicted on. >> reporter: in opening statements prosecutors alleged the former president orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the election. to bolster their argument, they called former publisher of the national enquirer, david pecker, to the stand. he testified about the publication's use of checkbook journalism paying sources for stories. david pecker is expected to return to the stand tuesday to answer more questions about his interactions with trump. also on the prosecution's witness list, cohen, daniels, as well as former trump aide hope hicks. >> a lot of the case is going to be built through the use of bank records, texts, tweets, and corporate records, things that show there was, in fact, this false trail and then the

witnesses will be used to establish what the former president intended by that false trail. >> reporter: defense attorneys argue trump is innocent and that the manhattan d.a.'s office should never have brought the case. >> he should not even be here today because he did nothing wrong. it is the epitome of a witch hunt. >> reporter: the trial is expected to last several weeks. >> in addition to the criminal trial, there was also a hearing related to the $175 million bond trump put up in his new york civil fraud trial. that bond stops the state from potentially seizing trump's assets to satisfy the more than $454 million that he owes. still ahead, an incredible roadside rescue as drivers put their lives on the line to pull someone from a burning car. plus celebrating earth day by turning trash into art, a local artist working with a unique medium. a community flushed with excitement, so to speak, the

big celebration for san francisco's newest lavish lavatory. a surge of a different sort today, the southerly surge and fog factor at the bay area coastline rolling through the golden gate. our time lapse shows the fog making its way

ferry service could return to sausalito as early as this week. the golden gate ferry began work to repair damage on the pier. service is canceled until it's fixed. in the meantime they are offering bus service. today is earth day and people across the world are raising awareness on how to preserve and protect our planet. a new cbs news poll finds more than two-thirds of americans, 70%, feel the u.s. needs to address climate change. those who report experiencing extreme weather are more likely to say that we should do more to address climate change right now. here in the bay area it was a big cleanup effort along the guadalupe river in san jose. we saw lots of volunteers picking up trash for earth day, many of

them given a litter stick, gloves, and green trash bags. the cleanup was hosted by trash punks. the organization says they are dedicated to creating a cleaner environment. >> we're not waiting on people. we're doing it ourselves. we're getting past all the red tape, barriers, breaking through to make a difference in this world. >> coming up tonight at 6:00, our len ramirez will have more on the earth day cleanup in san jose. in richmond ceos of a few energy companies held a discussion focusing on california's energy transition. they talked about clean energy and climate goals. recycling to repurpose in honor of earth day, our loureen ayyoub introduces us to a woman who will make you look at trash in a very unique and fashionable way. >> reporter: as the country celebrates earth month, one san mateo artist is reimagining tin cans from a lens of fashion and education. they say one man's

trash is another man's treasure. well, in the eyes of harry estelle berman, treasure is all around her. the metalsmith and artist uses recycled materials to create jewelry and sculptures with social commentary concerning the environment. tin cans are some of her favorite mediums for carving. >> i always wanted to be an artist. after working with recycled materials for 35 years, my goal is to make sure it doesn't look like trash. >> reporter: harriet collects everyday consumer waste and creates visually compelling displays that show society the harmful effects of hyper consumption. while her work has been displayed at museums all over the world, at first not everyone initially understood the value of her creations. >> one of the hardest part to me about using my recycled materials is how difficult it can be for me to find an

audience because i'm really ahead of the curve. >> reporter: but now she's sculpting the curve one art piece at a time using plastic takeout containers, not only making jewelry, but takes the time to clean each container she acquires. >> when i make my work out of plastic, i'm looking at the shampoo bottles or the takeout trays, materials that people throw away and yet thousands of dollars are invested in these materials. >> reporter: she's ringing the alarm to a deeper issue. accordingto the environmental protection agency, the recycling rate for plastics typically hovers around 8 to 9%, a much lower rate due to contamination issues. while harriet is doing her part creatively, she wants others to do their part practically. >> i want people to realize that they have a social, environmental, and personal responsibility to take care of

our earth because we only have one. >> reporter: because harriet's greatest treasure is mother earth herself. >> coming up at 10:00, be sure to watch our cbs news bay area special "earth day special." we'll look at how scientists and everyday people in the bay area are working together to protect the planet. our earth day streaming special airs on kpix.com and the free cbs news app and on pluto tv. speaking of the environment, here in the bay area we're talking about our weather and it was another beautiful day. now you're telling me don't get used to it. >> well, it's still going to be good enough. >> all right. >> the fog already rolled back in along the coast. we'll get back to typical april weather the next couple days. here's a live look outside at san jose, still abundant sunshine for the moment, more of a mix of clouds and sun tomorrow and wednesday. clouds and fog rolling in across much of the bay area tonight into early tomorrow morning. it's going to be much

cooler tomorrow, definitely puts us down to normal for this time of year. the coolest days are thursday and friday, below average temperatures to finish off the workweek and the slight chance of a couple showers. don't get your hopes up for any free lawn watering and the weekend back to near average temperatures and dry. two dry weekends in a row, could we be so lucky? you see the fog rolling in and retreating towards the coast tomorrow afternoon and the same dance on wednesday. the storm is bringing in cooler air and doesn't have access to a lot of moisture. the next one that moves in thursday will bring at least the potential for a couple showers, especially thursday night into early friday. along the coast and north of the golden gate has the best rain chance overall. at the moment we are seeing plenty of sunshine from the mark hopkins hotel. closer to the coast there's a lot of fog and cloud cover in place and

upper 50s in the city, low 60s now in santa rosa, low to mid-70s farther inland after being around 80 degrees earlier today. temperatures will be in the 50s for the giants as they kick off a three-game series against the new york mets, temperatures not changing a lot through the evening. the cool air has already arrived. just make sure you layer appropriately. temperatures later tonight, mostly dropping down to the low 50s, not a lot of variation underneath that blanket of clouds. highs tomorrow end up a couple degrees below average in most spots, exactly normal in san jose, 70 degrees, but only mid-70s for morgan hill and los gatos. temperatures inland and the east bay, some of the warmer spots to even exceed 70 degrees, redwood city 67 degrees and along the coast upper 50s for half moon bay. low to mid-60s in san francisco

and oakland, almost exactly average. cooler temperatures for inland parts of the north bay. i think the fog will be more stubborn, more clouds overhead, low to mid-60s there. the pollen count is in the medium high level one more day and then backing down to the medium category by wednesday, thursday, and friday. if you've been sniffling and sneezing the past couple days, there is some relief in store for us. not more than a trace of rain in most locations, also what we'd expect with a late april rain chance, minimal snowmaker for the sierra possibly adding up by thursday night into friday. on the seven-day forecast no more 80s, even for inland parts of the bay area, temperatures hovering in the upper 60s and low 70s. the weekend low 70s inland saturday and sunday with

plenty of sunshine expected. i'll have to look back and see when the last time is we had two consecutive dry weekends. it's been a rarity in 2024 to have one. temperatures around the bay, close to normal the next several days, normally cool readings along the coast. you have the best chance of getting a little moisture from this overall pattern because the fog could be thick enough to register a little drizzle in spots. we'll keep you updated through this last week of april. >> you said the magic words, paul. two dry weekends in a row, say it ain't so. >> fingers crossed. the fight to build california's

>anc3 mic>pg pg&e is claiming a huge energy milestone. it says customers received 100% greenhouse free electricity in

2023. here's the last year's electricity breakdown. 53% came from carbon-free nuclear power from diablo canyon power plant. 34% came from renewable resources like solar and wind power. 13% came from hydroelectric power. california's goal is to reach carbon neutrality by 2045. however, pg&e says they're still trying to reach that by 2040. speaking of renewable energy, remember the so-called california forever project? that's the group of silicon valley billionaires aiming to build a whole new city in solano county. as part of their plans, they're also promising to build the biggest solar farm on the west coast and as steve large explains, this one would share space with livestock. >> reporter: it is an age old sight, sheep herding, this setting in the middle of rural solano county also in the middle of change. bronson johnson is a sustainability

engineer who works for california forever, the company seeking to change zoning laws to build a new city and homes here. >> i'm 46. i'm a renter, father of three. >> reporter: johnson knows california's housing problem firsthand. he says prices have kept his family out of homeownership. >> still on the outside looking in. >> reporter: part of the plan, to create the largest solar farm in the western united states, enough to power 1.5 million households. the solar panels would sit on this land in rural solano county above the sheep grazing on it. >> the vision is how do we maintain the feel? >> we're going to have total gridlock. >> reporter: town halls meant to create support have also revealed outrage. >> you need to work on your soft skills. don't insult us. >> reporter: politics is rarely easy. johnson showed off his california forever field office inviting families and neighbors in to build support for this proposed city and new

agri-solar farm. >> i'm thinking anything's possible. >> reporter: new land use for the next generation. >> not taking something away, but adding to it. >> reporter: and the effort to steer a community spirit down a new path. >> california forever has been gathering signatures to get a zoning change on the november ballot. they will need to submit 13,000 verified signatures by the first week of may. coming up in our next half hour, people building homes often have to fork over thousands in fees to pay for new roads, sewers, and schools, but that could all change. and the governor is doubling down on his plan to blister